Overview

A STEM-focused after school educator needed a better way to assign homework. They knew they wanted an online solution to this problem, but didn’t know how to start building an experience like this. So, they contracted my team to consult on a plan.

The first program they decided to expand online was their entrepreneur course for 12 to 13 year old children.

Execution

After our first workshop, the client decided they wanted a new short experience every week that delivered motion graphics, quizzes, and learning activities designed to reinforce the lessons learned in the classroom. But, they didn’t know how to tie these experiences together week to week, and keep the kids invested in a semester’s worth of online content.

Research revealed that an audience at this age engages better when they have some sort of control over the experience. This was tricky, because the content was based on an established linear curriculum. We couldn’t disrupt this flow, so we introduced a persistent element we could allow control over: a customizable mentor.

This mentor would act as a guide throughout the experience, quizzing the user and teaching the main topics. Each exercise would reward the user with currency they could spend on customizations for this character. We even fleshed out a system where these customizations could change certain aspects of the main experience, such as mentors with sports-releated accessories making sports references when talking to the learner.

Because they were already a part of the client’s brand, and they offered more playful customization options, we decided these avatars should be robots. This resonated well with the client, and shaped our recommended look for the activities. This also helped avoiding gender and cultural biases in the character designs.

With a concept and framing device decided, I provided wireframes of some of the learning activities, color and font studies for style considerations, and a sample set of storyboards to establish a look for the motion graphics.

Outcome

In a short amount of time, my team was able to deliver a comprehensive style guide for the experience, as well as a scalable outline of activities to create an engaging online supplement to their existing classroom program.