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During my time abroad, my graphic design class challenged us in designing for the Copenhagen Zoo.
Due to Denmark's cold temperatures and limited sunlight for most months, the zoo sees few visitors outside the summer months. As an outdoor facility, it struggles to maintain steady business and popularity throughout the year.
This interactive display hopes to encourage interest and learning in the zoo's conservation efforts as well as promote sustained interest in the zoo all seasons of the year.
Context
Graphic Design Studio
April - May 2024
8 Weeks
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Skills
Wireframing, UX Research
Software
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Initial Assumptions
Looking online and at the CPH Zoo website, the zoo seems like a fun and great place for families and children. They have many planned activities for children to come to and fair packages for schools and institutions
Outside of the typical zoo habitats, you can find:
- The Children's Zoo: A petting zoo with rabbits, goats, and farm animals
- Zoolab: An interactive lab designed for children with on-site activities
- Zoo Tower: A climbable 43.5m tower with views of Copenhagen
The zoo excels at:
Hosting diverse habitats and animals
On-site visitor interaction spaces
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Promoting their conservation efforts
We were lucky enough to be able to speak with a worker and learn about the zoo first hand. After being given basic background information about the zoo and their conservation efforts, we were given some grievances the zoo would like addressed.
His main pain points related to the children's lack of interest in engaging beyond the animals at the zoo and could be summed up with the following:
- Difficult Subject Matters
- Preference for Entertainment
- Lack of Interactivity
Mother of 12 year old and toddler
"He's (12yr old) not really interested in animals, but still thinks its fun, especially during the feeding times. "
She wants to cultivate a sense of wonder and curiosity in animals and in animal conservation, however she thinks its hard to do so by just bringing her kids to the zoo. She has never brought her kids to any zoo-sponsored events.
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Mother of 2 toddlers
"It's a nice place, maybe not the best day to visit though... Summer is the best time."
She had plenty of time to do activities with her children, but would only visit the zoo up to twice a year. Her kids enjoy going to the zoo because there's a lot to see and they're still young enough to go to the zoo as if they are visiting for the first time.
After our visit to the zoo, I gathered my main concerns I wanted to address as well as the methods I will employ to relieve them. They are as follows:
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1. Simplification
Through simplification, complex concepts like animal conservation can become easier for kids to understand and remember.
2. Gamification
By using gamification, I can make learning an experience that encourages active participation and a deeper understanding of concepts.
3. Incentivization
Through simple incentivization, kids are encouraged to stay engaged and motivated in learning about the zoo's conservation efforts.
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4. Accessibility
By having resources accessible at home outside of the zoo, kids can continue to engage with and learn about the zoo's animals and conservation efforts.
Early on, I decided to design an interactive UI that engages children in animal conservation by blending virtual and real-world activities for fun, accessible learning.
The following are key reasons for this design decision:
Accessibility
While the zoo's interactive displays are only accessible on-site, I wanted to create something that can be used at home and in school to enhance education.
Sustained Interest
This concept was the best solution I could devise to help maintain children's interest in animal conservation beyond their zoo visits.
Balanced Learning
This could help encourage a healthy balance between screen time and real-life interactions by incorporating both digital activities and hands-on experiences.
Wider Scope
This program uses multi- media and educational methods to fit various learning styles and preferences. It ensures that a diverse audience can effectively engage the content.
I developed a system that blends zoo visits and home activities to teach kids about animal conservation. By combining real-life experiences with engaging online content, it keeps children connected to wildlife education in a fun and meaningful way.
Rebranding the visual style of the CPH Zoo, I created this new bright and colorful the design style that mimics paper crafts, making it playful and engaging for kids.
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Featuring five main activities, this interactive display UI design aims to educate while being engaging, fun, and interactive.
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The Explore page lets you search for your favorite animals and access related activities, conservation info, and educational resources, both in and out of the zoo.
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The Live Camera feature lets you watch your favorite animals in real time, allowing you to observe their behavior and activities as they happen. It's available anytime, so you can tune in whenever you like to stay connected with the zoo.
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The Profile page displays your achievements and virtual coins as well as the Quest page which offers challenges to earn virtual coins with.
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Engagement is CRUCIAL
Interactive elements are crucial for keeping kids engaged and wanting to learn.
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Balance
It's important to balance the interactive display with real-life interaction so kids aren't glued to their screens.
Incentivization
Implementing reward systems, like virtual coins and prizes can encourage ongoing engagement and interest in the zoo.
