Unlocking children’s love for nature

Leading a team from Osynlig, I worked as Lead UX designer in helping Friluftsfrämjandet create a digital service to in general increase children’s knowledge of nature - specifically knowledge of Allemansrätten (The right to roam). This work included facilitating workshops to discover a concept of how to do this in a digital format - be it a game, tool, or physical object.

We landed in a concept that focused on using the mobile phone as a way to trigger kids to go out into nature - where they’d have tasks they needed to do. But at the same time we did not want the game to steal the children’s attention while out in the woods (similar to Pokemon Go) - as this would decrease their knowledge of nature and their surroundings since they’d be stuck with their phones.

The solution we ended up in was a game on the mobile or tablet that tasked kids with helping the different animals that live out in nature. Before they could they could do that however, they needed to answer questions regarding to Allemansrätten - teaching the children what they are allowed and not allowed to do.

When the answers were completed, they were given a task that required them to put down their phone, like going outside to build a small tower of pine cones and take a photo of it. Once finished, the photo was saved in-app and it was saved to their “book of nature”. The idea was that given enough time spent doing fun things in nature, children will come to learn to appreciate and like it - increasing their understanding of Allemansrätten.

My work consisted of leading the assignment from idea to concept, to early prototype and finished design including graphics, to budget and scoping and follow-up work.