Interaction - Bachelors

Green Journey Adventure – Interactive Puzzle poster

Green Journey Adventure puzzle poster is an interactive, sustainability-themed experience for children aged 6-8, teaching them to reduce their carbon footprint through hands-on puzzles and engaging educational content. Completing the puzzle unlocks an Augmented Reality experience, bringing their positive actions to life with a view of a healthier planet.

Problem space

Working memory plays a crucial role in transferring newly learned information to long-term memory (Alloway & Copello, 2013). A survey of over 1,400 educational professionals revealed that 60% were unable to list or use any strategies to support children with working memory difficulties in the classroom (Waterman & Miller, 2022). Children with limited working memory capacity struggle to hold and process information simultaneously. This leads to challenges in transferring information to long-term memory, resulting in easy forgetfulness and reluctance to participate (Forsberg et al., 2023).

Challenges in Children’s Environmental Sustainability Education

Traditional environmental sustainability education for children often falls short by focusing on isolated actions without providing a comprehensive view. This approach limits children’s understanding of how their actions impact broader environmental, social, and economic factors. Without a holistic perspective or visible outcomes that demonstrate the impact of their choices, children struggle to grasp the long-term effects of sustainability efforts. This narrow focus can lead to children easily forgetting information and feeling less motivated to participate in and engage with environmental concepts (Albar, Gauthier, & Vasalou, 2024).

Design Concept

The Green Journey Adventure is an interactive, sustainability-themed puzzle poster designed for children aged 6 to 10. Key features of this design concept include:
• A tangible puzzle poster with an incomplete image divided into five mission boxes, each representing an aspect of environmental
stewardship
• Character-driven narratives that introduce each mission, enhancing engagement and emotional connection
• Educational zines placed alongside mission boxes, providing context and information about sustainability concepts
• Sequential gameplay that guides players through stages of energy conservation, waste sorting, marine ecosystem protection,
reforestation, and green energy adoption
• Hands-on puzzle-solving activities that contribute to forming visual elements, gradually revealing the full image
• Arduino provides a multi-sensory feedback experience, using lights to guide players to clues for upcoming puzzle missions and actuators
to reveal AR indicators
• Augmented reality feature activated upon puzzle completion, providing visual feedback to showcase the positive environmental impact of
players’ actions

Design Response

The Green Journey Adventure is an interactive, sustainability-themed puzzle poster designed to foster environmental awareness and inspire action in children aged 6–8. This concept empowers young players to become environmental heroes through engaging, character-driven storytelling and hands-on problem-solving activities. The puzzle, presented as an incomplete image divided into five mission boxes, guides players through essential sustainability themes. Each mission encourages children to engage with practices such as energy conservation, waste sorting, marine ecosystem protection, reforestation, and green energy. Players tangibly interact with the puzzle, solving environmental challenges by assembling the correct image. The aim is to keep users engaged and entertained while they learn, striking a balance between fun and educational value.
After completing all stages and assembling the full image, players are prompted to scan the revealed AR tracking image with a device. This final augmented reality experience allows players to digitally interact with the AR scene by tapping on an AR button. Through these interactions, players can explore the corresponding cascading effects of their actions on various aspects of the environment and society.

DESIGN CONCEPT VIDEO

Cam Nhi Phung

Cam Nhi Phung is an interaction design student dedicated to making immersive, tangible experiences that combine storytelling and technology, engaging users through multisensory, interactive designs.