Project Statement
This project is a nonlinear digital comic story told and illustrated through a series of sequential panels that engage children to complete “quests” regarding environmental conservation. The goal of Eco-Expedition is to educate school-age children in a fun and engaging manner about how they can positively impact the environment in which we live. This is visualized through simple tasks such as choosing the object that drastically decreases the amount of carbon fumes released into the air, the differences and implementation of composting waste and recycling, and “cleaning up” trash collected on sandy beaches that could potentially harm ocean life.
Bright colors, fun graphics, and engagement make Exo-Expedition an alluring experience for younger children, and it is all told through the lenses of a Tuxedo cat. Choosing a familiar animal for the user to play as increases their attention span through cartoony expressions and design of the story environment.
I approached the design challenge through first implementing research. I wanted to focus on a more contemporary issue that is prevalent in our society that could also be communicated to children in an effective manner. While there are many environmental crises occurring, implementing concepts such as recycling and composting I believe are easier to convey to a younger audience than others. I sketched out various ideas of what I could include regarding the various miniature quests the user completes through the comic story, eventually settling on air pollution, recycling/composting, and ocean cleanliness.
Environmental conservation remains an important topic, and so Eco-Expedition is a relevant project that aims to build interest among younger audiences in environmental issues through engaging interactivity.
