Green Journey Adventure UX Case Study

Green Journey Adventure

PROJECT

Self-directed project

KEY CONTRIBUTIONS

Product Thinking

Game Design

Prototype

Coding

Electronics

TOOL

Figma

Adobe Aero

Adobe CC Suite

Overview

Problem

Traditional environmental education fails to connect the dots for young learners. Children struggle to see how their everyday actions ripple through environmental, social, and economic systems. Without holistic perspective or tangible feedback, sustainability stays abstract — and abstract knowledge results in poor retention and decreased motivation to engage with environmental challenges.

64% to 55% ↓

represents the decline in environment sensitivity and behaviour engagement between ages 7-18

Design Response

A tangible + AR puzzle system for ages 7–10 that turns sustainability into something children can see, touch, and rebuild.

Multi-modal learning — physical puzzle pieces grounded in tactile feedback, paired with AR reveals that visualise consequences.

Reversible play — children can undo, redo, and experiment, creating a safe space for trial and error.

Cause-and-effect reveals — completing a puzzle triggers AR overlays that show how local choices cascade through ecosystems.

Self-validating feedback — visual cues, mechanical detents, and AR rewards let children self-correct without adult guidance.

Reversible Learning

Players can rearrange puzzle pieces to explore different solutions through undo-redo interactions. This creates a safe learning environment where they can experiment freely and learn through trial and error.

Reversible Learning

Multi-Theme Challenges

Five environmental topics — recycling, energy, water, and biodiversity, each with unique puzzle mechanics tailored to specific sustainability lessons.

Multi-Theme Challenges

Cause-Effect Learning

The completed poster unlocks AR experiences that reveal environmental impacts, demonstrating how individual actions cascade through interconnected ecological, social, and economic systems.

Immediate Feedback

Satisfying piece connections and visual completion cues guide assembly, while AR rewards celebrate success, allowing children to self-correct and discover solutions independently.

Cause-Effect Learning

Multi-Theme Challenges

Reversible Learning

Cause-Effect Learning

Immediate Feedback

Multi-Theme Challenges

Reversible Learning

Immediate Feedback

Cause-Effect Learning

Overview

Conceptual Impact

Award-recognised

Awarded for the innovative application of gamification frameworks to hybrid physical-digital learning.

Functional MVP

Engineered by integrating tactile puzzle mechanics with Arduino, RFID sensors, and Adobe Aero.

Research

Secondary Research

How do children process new knowledge into lasting memory?

How do children integrate new knowledge into memory?

I reviewed cognitive science literature on memory formation in children aged 7–10. Three findings shaped every design decision that followed: memory only sticks when learners actively engage, manipulate, and repeat.

1. Working Memory (Initial Capture)

New information enters working memory and is held only for seconds without active engagement.

2. Encoding (Making It Stick)

Information moves to long-term storage when actively process it through: Connecting to existing knowledge, Creating associations, and Hands-on manipulation

3. Consolidation (Building Lasting Memory)

Physical interaction and distributed practice outperform passive repetition.

Research

Qualitative Interviews

To validate the literature in real classroom and home contexts, I interviewed 5 parents and 2 educators of children aged 7–10. Three themes emerged consistently:

"My child retains information better when it's part of a story or when she's actively doing something, not just reading about it. Facts alone are forgotten after a week, but when she's involved, she'll talk about it for months."

— Parents of children aged 12 and 8

"Children need to see real-world relevance in their learning. Involving them in practical projects makes information 'stick' better than conventional lessons that are quickly forgotten."

— Early childhood educator at Käferland Kindergarten

"My daughter couldn't memorize multiplication tables until we tried 'math walks' . Adding movement made the numbers stick, and now she recalls them instantly."

— Parents of children aged 10

Research

Secondary Research

How do children integrate new knowledge into memory?

1. Working Memory (Initial Capture)

New information enters working memory and is held only for seconds without active engagement.

2. Encoding (Making It Stick)

Information moves to long-term storage when children actively process it through: Connecting to existing knowledge, Creating meaningful associations, and Hands-on manipulation

3. Consolidation (Building Lasting Memory)

Repetition and practice strengthen memory traces. Physical interaction enhances consolidation, and distributed practice (spacing over time) outperforms massed practice.

Research

Qualitative Interviews

To validate the literature in real classroom and home contexts, I interviewed 5 parents and 2 educators of children aged 7–10. Three themes emerged consistently:

— Parents of children aged 12 and 8

"Children need to see real-world relevance in their learning. Involving them in practical projects makes information 'stick' better than conventional lessons that are quickly forgotten."

— Early childhood educator at Käferland Kindergarten

"My daughter couldn't memorize multiplication tables until we tried 'math walks' . Adding movement made the numbers stick, and now she recalls them instantly."

— Parents of children aged 10

How might we help 7-10 year olds understand environmental impacts of their choices to build lasting sustainability habits?

need

user

reason

How might we help 7-10 year olds understand environmental impacts of their choices to build lasting sustainability habits?

Design Decisions

From Research to Framework: Applying Gamification Principles

The research surfaced three principles — active manipulation, real-world context, story-driven roles — but principles alone don't tell what to build. I needed a framework that translated motivation into concrete mechanics.

I applied Yu-kai Chou's Octalysis Framework, mapped against the 4 Phases of a Player's Journey to identify which motivational drivers would sustain engagement across the full play arc.

My Octalysis Framework

Meaning

Introduce players to the game background: letting them feel like heroes saving the world through sustainable actions that help their community.

Game Mechanic: Children play as characters solving local environmental challenges, collecting sustainable practice clues.

Game Element: Player as Main Character, supporting characters stand next to each puzzle, seeking help.

Accomplishment

Players feel accomplished through immediate, multi-sensory feedback and progression cues.

Game Mechanic: Solved puzzles trigger visual, light, sound, and vibration feedback that unlocks the next stage.

Game Element: Tangible game pieces paired with virtual feedback layers.

Ownership

Physical ownership: Children physically manipulate and assemble puzzle pieces, creating a sense of control over the environment they're rebuilding.

Story ownership: Players become the protagonist environmental hero - this is "their" adventure and "their" positive impact

Game Element: Physical puzzle pieces they control and place & Their role as the environmental hero of the story.

Unpredictability

Endgame Impact Visualization. Physical and visual (AR) transformations to show successful puzzle completion

Game Mechanic: Tangible puzzle pieces that interact with virtual AR overlays.

Feedback Mechanism: After a puzzle is solved, the AR overlay could transform the physical game board into an improved environment as a visual reward.

How It Resonates: This feedback reinforces the positive impact of the player’s actions, making the result of their effort memorable.

My Octalysis Framework

Meaning

Introduce players to the game background: letting them feel like heroes saving the world through sustainable actions that help their community.

Game Mechanic: Children play as characters solving local environmental challenges, collecting sustainable practice clues.

Game Element: Player as Main Character, supporting characters stand next to each puzzle, seeking help.

Accomplishment

Players feel accomplished through immediate, multi-sensory feedback and progression cues.

Game Mechanic: Solved puzzles trigger visual, light, sound, and vibration feedback that unlocks the next stage.

Game Element: Tangible game pieces paired with virtual feedback layers.

Ownership

Physical ownership: Children physically manipulate and assemble puzzle pieces, creating a sense of control over the environment they're rebuilding.

Story ownership: After a puzzle is solved, the AR overlay could transform the physical game board into an improved environment as a visual reward.

Game Element: Physical puzzle pieces they control and place & Their role as the environmental hero of the story.

Unpredictability

Endgame Impact Visualization. Physical and visual (AR) transformations to show successful puzzle completion

Game Mechanic: Tangible puzzle pieces that interact with virtual AR overlays.

Feedback Mechanism: After a puzzle is solved, the AR overlay could transform the physical game board into an improved environment as a visual reward.

How It Resonates: This feedback reinforces the positive impact of the player’s actions, making the result of their effort memorable.

My Octalysis Framework

Meaning

Introduce players to the game background: Let them feel like heroes saving the world through sustainable actions that help their community in the puzzle.

Game Mechanic: Children play as characters solving local environmental challenges, collecting sustainable practice clues to solve each case.

Game Element: Player as Main Character, other supporting characters stand next to each puzzle, seeking help.

Accomplishment

Players feel accomplished through clear feedback and progression cues that guide them to the next challenge.

Game Mechanic: Solved puzzles trigger immediate feedback (visual, lights, sounds, vibrations) that unlocks the next challenge.

Game Element: Tangible game elements, Virtual game element as feedback

Ownership

Physical ownership: Children physically manipulate and assemble puzzle pieces, creating a sense of control over the environment they're rebuilding.

Story ownership: After a puzzle is solved, the AR overlay could transform the physical game board into an improved environment as a visual reward.

Game Element: Physical puzzle pieces they control and place & Their role as the environmental hero of the story.

Unpredictability

Endgame Impact Visualization. Physical and visual (AR) transformations to show successful puzzle completion

Game Mechanic: Tangible puzzle pieces that interact with virtual AR overlays.

Feedback Mechanism: After a puzzle is solved, the AR overlay could transform the physical game board into an improved environment as a visual reward.

How It Resonates: This feedback reinforces the positive impact of the player’s actions, making the result of their effort memorable.

Meaning

Introduce players to the game background: Let them feel like heroes saving the world through sustainable actions that help their community in the puzzle.

Game Mechanic: Children play as characters solving local environmental challenges, collecting sustainable practice clues to solve each case.

Game Element: Player as Main Character, other supporting characters stand next to each puzzle, seeking help.

Accomplishment

Players feel accomplished through clear feedback and progression cues that guide them to the next challenge.

Game Mechanic: Solved puzzles trigger immediate feedback (visual, lights, sounds, vibrations) that unlocks the next challenge.

Game Element: Tangible game elements, Virtual game element as feedback

Ownership

Physical ownership: Children physically manipulate and assemble puzzle pieces, creating a sense of control over the environment they're rebuilding.

Story ownership: After a puzzle is solved, the AR overlay could transform the physical game board into an improved environment as a visual reward.

Game Element: Physical puzzle pieces they control and place & Their role as the environmental hero of the story.

Unpredictability

Endgame Impact Visualization. Physical and visual (AR) transformations to show successful puzzle completion

Game Mechanic: Tangible puzzle pieces that interact with virtual AR overlays.

Feedback Mechanism: After a puzzle is solved, the AR overlay could transform the physical game board into an improved environment as a visual reward.

How It Resonates: This feedback reinforces the positive impact of the player’s actions, making the result of their effort memorable.

Iteration

Player’s Journey

Octalysis told me which drives to design for. The 4 Phases of a Player's Journey told me when — sequencing those drives across Discovery → Onboarding → Scaffolding → Endgame so engagement builds over time.

With motivational drivers and journey phases mapped, the next decision was concrete: which sustainability themes, and which physical mechanics — would best deliver each phase?

Iteration

Design Decision: Choice of Sustainability Theme

Using Octalysis insights, I explored 5 sustainability themes and designed gamification mechanics with physical interactions that make environmental impacts tangible for children to see, touch, and understand.

Activity 1: Energy & Water Conservation

In the puzzle's first interactive challenge, players explore a household simulation where they identify areas for reducing consumption by interacting with standby devices, unnecessary lights, and water-wasting taps.

C — Flipping puzzle design chosen for its "before-and-after" learning. Reversible pieces let children transform unsustainable choices into sustainable ones. As they flip pieces, they create a complete sustainable scene that reinforces systems thinking.

A — Swappable pieces require pre-stored alternative pieces that complicate the initial experience.

B — Binary on/off toggle: Oversimplifies sustainability into yes/no, losing the chance to show relative impacts.

Activity 2: Waste Sorting

In the puzzle's second interactive challenge, players sort waste items into appropriate recycling and disposal bins

B — Rotating cubes Angular geometry provides tactile reference points; natural detents at 90° create satisfying mechanical stops that confirm each decision without screen feedback. Gain: Children feel the answer click into place — no adult validation needed.

A — Rotating cylinders: Smooth rotation lacks confirmation; children can't feel "landed."

B — Token drop in bins: Removes the puzzle-assembly metaphor central to the rest of the system.

Activity 3: Forest Layers

In the puzzle's fourth interactive challenge, players select strategic locations for different tree species to establish wildlife habitats, considering various environmental factors.

B — The assembled tree puzzle was selected as the assembled pieces naturally create height layers that are immediately visible, allowing players to see the whole forest ecosystem structure at once. Each piece can be explored independently to build toward a complete ecosystem narrative.

A — Hexagonal placement on matching soil: More open-ended, but the layered ecosystem structure becomes invisible.

Activity 5: Renewable Energy

In the puzzle's fifth interactive challenge, players learn about different renewable energy sources and match each type to its corresponding power generation method.

B — Swap + place design maintains consistency with the project's core "assembling the correct image" concept, treating energy matching as part of the puzzle rather than a separate game type.

A — Drag-only matching: Reduces interaction to simple selection, breaking the assembly concept used elsewhere.

Activity 1: Energy & Water Conservation

A — Swappable pieces require pre-stored alternative pieces that complicate the initial experience.

B — Binary on/off toggle: Oversimplifies sustainability into yes/no, losing the chance to show relative impacts.

Activity 2: Waste Sorting

In the puzzle's second interactive challenge, players sort waste items into appropriate recycling and disposal bins

A — Rotating cylinders: Smooth rotation lacks confirmation; children can't feel "landed."

B — Token drop in bins: Removes the puzzle-assembly metaphor central to the rest of the system.

Activity 3: Forest Layers

In the puzzle's fourth interactive challenge, players select strategic locations for different tree species to establish wildlife habitats, considering various environmental factors.

A — Hexagonal placement on matching soil: More open-ended, but the layered ecosystem structure becomes invisible.

Activity 5: Renewable Energy

In the puzzle's fifth interactive challenge, players learn about different renewable energy sources and match each type to its corresponding power generation method.

B — Swap + place design maintains consistency with the project's core "assembling the correct image" concept, treating energy matching as part of the puzzle rather than a separate game type.

A — Drag-only matching: Reduces interaction to simple selection, breaking the assembly concept used elsewhere.

Prototype

System Architecture

The poster (594mm × 841mm) features five puzzle modules in numbered zones, each representing a sustainability challenge. Accompanying booklets provide knowledge and mission guides.

Click each zone to explore design details and interaction mechanics.

Energy & Water Conservation

Players identify overconsumption in a household scene and flip puzzle pieces to reveal sustainable alternatives.

Waste Stream

Waste Stream Players sort waste items into the correct bins by rotating tactile cubes.

Ocean Rescue

Players remove pollution tokens from the ocean. A green LED indicates success and unlocks a compartment with forest clues.

Reforestation

Players assemble plant variety pieces according to forest stratification—from forest floor to canopy, building a complete ecosystem.

Power Grid

Players re-match renewable energy source tokens with their correct power generation methods and applications.

Energy & Water Conservation

Players identify overconsumption in a household scene and flip puzzle pieces to reveal sustainable alternatives.

Waste Stream

Waste Stream Players sort waste items into the correct bins by rotating tactile cubes.

Ocean Rescue

Players remove pollution tokens from the ocean. A green LED indicates success and unlocks a compartment with forest clues.

Reforestation

Players assemble plant variety pieces according to forest stratification—from forest floor to canopy, building a complete ecosystem.

Power Grid

Players re-match renewable energy source tokens with their correct power generation methods and applications.

Energy & Water Conservation

Players identify overconsumption in a household scene and flip puzzle pieces to reveal sustainable alternatives.

Waste Stream

Waste Stream Players sort waste items into the correct bins by rotating tactile cubes.

Ocean Rescue

Players remove pollution tokens from the ocean. A green LED indicates success and unlocks a compartment with forest clues.

Reforestation

Players assemble plant variety pieces according to forest stratification—from forest floor to canopy, building a complete ecosystem.

Power Grid

Players re-match renewable energy source tokens with their correct power generation methods and applications.

Energy & Water Conservation

Players identify overconsumption in a household scene and flip puzzle pieces to reveal sustainable alternatives.

Waste Stream

Waste Stream Players sort waste items into the correct bins by rotating tactile cubes.

Ocean Rescue

Players remove pollution tokens from the ocean. A green LED indicates success and unlocks a compartment with forest clues.

Reforestation

Players assemble plant variety pieces according to forest stratification—from forest floor to canopy, building a complete ecosystem.

Power Grid

Players re-match renewable energy source tokens with their correct power generation methods and applications.

Energy & Water Conservation

Players identify overconsumption areas and flip puzzle pieces to reveal sustainable alternatives.

Waste Stream

Players identify overconsumption areas and flip puzzle pieces to reveal sustainable alternatives.

Ocean Rescue

Players remove pollution tokens from the ocean. A green LED indicates success and unlocks a compartment with forest clues.

Reforestation

Players assemble plant variety pieces according to forest stratification—from forest floor to canopy, building a complete ecosystem.

Power Grid

Players re-match renewable energy source tokens with their correct power generation methods and applications.

Prototype

Digital Prototyping for Physical Accuracy

Building an A1-scale physical poster with embedded electronics is expensive to iterate — every miscalculated dimension means wasted materials, fabrication time, and components. To de-risk the build, I prototyped the entire system digitally at 1:1 scale in 3D before cutting any material.

This digital-first approach let me simulate user interactions, verify mechanical functions at real-world scale, and catch dimensional and mechanical issues before they became fabrication problems.

Cube rotation clearance test

Verified sufficient spacing between rotating cubes to prevent jamming during 90° turns. Catching this issue in the digital stage to avoid problem that would have required re-cutting after fabrication.

Servo-driven door lock test

Tested a U-shaped servo mechanism for the Zone 3 → Zone 4 unlock compartment. Validated motor torque, component clearance, and release reliability before committing to the physical build.

Prototype

Playtesting & Iteration

Before final delivery, I ran 5 testing sessions using Think-Aloud Protocol + post-session interviews, observing how participants navigated the puzzle independently — no designer guidance, just the booklet and the help character. These sessions revealed several friction points:

Friction 1 — Cube rotations lacked self-validation

Observed: Participants struggled to verify if their cube rotations were correct, repeatedly checking for external confirmation.

Why it mattered: Self-validation is core to the "discover solutions independently" goal. If users need adult confirmation, the autonomy collapses.

Fix: Redesigned cube faces with a visual alignment system — correctly rotated pieces form a complete picture, giving immediate self-validation without external feedback.

Friction 2 — RFID readers failed intermittently (hardware diagnosis)

Observed: The RFID readers detecting energy tokens failed inconsistently across sessions — not a usability issue, but a system reliability one.

Diagnosis: Traced the issue to voltage instability affecting current draw across the readers.

Fix: Resolved through re-soldering connections, switching libraries, and stabilising power through capacitor integration — diagnosed and repaired at the circuit level to ensure reliable operation.

Friction 3— Voice-over delivered knowledge too fast

Observed: The voice-over format delivered educational content too quickly without visual context, leaving participants unable to absorb the information while engaging with the AR scene.

Why it mattered: Educational content is the purpose of the AR reveal. If users can't process it, the learning loop breaks.

Fix: Redesigned the format using readable text and motion graphics, allowing learners to process information at their own pace while engaging with the AR scene.

Deliver - The Working MVP

Mission Briefing

Learners follow the numbered sequence on the booklet cover for each themed activity, read educational content, and understand the activity mission.

Energy & Water Conservation

-> Click each zone to explore the hi-fi interaction mechanics

Energy & Water Conservation

-> Click each zone to explore the hi-fi interaction mechanics

AR Discovery — Environmental Impact Reveal

Deliver - The final MVP product

Mission Briefing

Learners follow the numbered sequence on the booklet cover for each themed activity, read educational content, and understand the activity mission.

Energy & Water Conservation

-> Click each zone to explore the hi-fi interaction mechanics

AR Discovery — Environmental Impact Reveal

What I learned?

Assumptions vs. Actual Insights

Initial design concept came only from research and observations. Usability testing confirmed hypotheses like immediate feedback's value, but revealed unexpected friction. This reinforced that designing for children requires designing with them

Designing for Inclusion

I was initially drawn to visually striking designs with bold colours and varied typography—but the options felt overwhelming. I returned to fundamentals, studying accessibility-focused design guidelines and the reasoning behind each decision. This shifted my focus from aesthetics to inclusion.

If I had additional time, I would…

Market Viability

I would research the market viability of a collapsible or modular version. Hypothesizing that portability is key for classroom adoption, I’d refine the physical form factor to be more compact.

Expand AR interactivity

Currently, learners passively view the AR scene. I would add two-way interactions—allowing children to manipulate virtual elements, transforming passive observation into active engagement and strengthening memory retention.

PROJECT

Self-directed project

TOOL

Figma, Adobe Aero, Adobe CC Suite

CONTRIBUTIONS

Product Thinking

Game Design

Prototype

Coding

Electronics

Green Journey Adventure