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Peer-reviewedCC BYJournal of Visualization and Interaction

Using Game Design to Inform a Plastics Treaty

  • A S Pottinger1
  • Nivedita Biyani2
  • Roland Geyer2
  • Douglas J. McCauley2
  • Magali De Bruyn1
  • Molly R. Morse2
  • Neil Nathan2
  • Kevin Koy1
  • Ciera C Martinez1
  1. 1University of California, Berkeley
  2. 2University of California, Santa Barbara
Open at sourcePDFDOICite

Abstract

Introduction: This multi-disciplinary case study details how an interactive decision support tool leverages game design to inform an international plastic pollution treaty. Design: Seeking to make our scientific findings more usable within the policy process, our interactive software supports manipulation of a mathematical model using techniques borrowed from games. These "ludic" approaches aim to enable user agency to find custom policy solutions, invite deep engagement with scientific results, serve audiences of diverse expertise, and accelerate scientific process to keep pace with intergovernmental negotiations. Implementation: Built in JavaScript and D3 with user-modifiable logic via an ANTLR domain specific language, this browser-based application offers adaptability and explorability for our machine learning results with privacy preserving architecture and offline capability. Demonstration: Policymakers and the supporting community engaged with this public simulation tool across multiple treaty-related events, investigating plastic waste outcomes under diverse and sometimes unexpected policy scenarios. Conclusion: Contextualizing our open source software within a broader lineage of digital media research, we reflect on this interactive modeling platform, considering how game design approaches may help facilitate collaboration at the science / policy nexus. Materials: Available on the public Internet, we host this browser-based decision support tool at global-plastics-tool.org, work also archived at zenodo.org/records/12615011 in a Docker container.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{pottinger2026using,
  title = {{Using Game Design to Inform a Plastics Treaty}},
  author = {A S Pottinger and Nivedita Biyani and Roland Geyer and Douglas J. McCauley and Magali De Bruyn and Molly R. Morse and Neil Nathan and Kevin Koy and Ciera C Martinez},
  journal = {Journal of Visualization and Interaction},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.54337/jovi.v1i1.11208},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.54337/jovi.v1i1.11208},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Using Game Design to Inform a Plastics Treaty
AU  - A S Pottinger
AU  - Nivedita Biyani
AU  - Roland Geyer
AU  - Douglas J. McCauley
AU  - Magali De Bruyn
AU  - Molly R. Morse
AU  - Neil Nathan
AU  - Kevin Koy
AU  - Ciera C Martinez
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/27
JO  - Journal of Visualization and Interaction
DO  - 10.54337/jovi.v1i1.11208
UR  - https://doi.org/10.54337/jovi.v1i1.11208
AB  - Introduction: This multi-disciplinary case study details how an interactive decision support tool leverages game design to inform an international plastic pollution treaty. Design: Seeking to make our scientific findings more usable within the policy process, our interactive software supports manipulation of a mathematical model using techniques borrowed from games. These "ludic" approaches aim to enable user agency to find custom policy solutions, invite deep engagement with scientific results, serve audiences of diverse expertise, and accelerate scientific process to keep pace with intergovernmental negotiations. Implementation: Built in JavaScript and D3 with user-modifiable logic via an ANTLR domain specific language, this browser-based application offers adaptability and explorability for our machine learning results with privacy preserving architecture and offline capability. Demonstration: Policymakers and the supporting community engaged with this public simulation tool across multiple treaty-related events, investigating plastic waste outcomes under diverse and sometimes unexpected policy scenarios. Conclusion: Contextualizing our open source software within a broader lineage of digital media research, we reflect on this interactive modeling platform, considering how game design approaches may help facilitate collaboration at the science / policy nexus. Materials: Available on the public Internet, we host this browser-based decision support tool at global-plastics-tool.org, work also archived at zenodo.org/records/12615011 in a Docker container.
SN  - 2794-5502
ER  -