The wonderful world of symbiosis
Children can discover and learn about symbiotic pairs with an exciting animal-science themed matching card game
This project was designed for children to demonstrate the importance of working together. We, a team of 9 designers, created an original (physical & virtual) matching card game that informs the players how various organisms can benefit from engaging in symbiotic relationships.
Game Rules:
There are 26 cards total, one for each letter of the alphabet. Every letter represents an organism, and every organism pairs with another card. The goal of the game is to figure out which organisms are a symbiotic pair using the hints provided.
Q is for Quoll
Quolls are nocturnal, mountain dwelling creatures. During the day they burrow themselves into a hollowed out log or a shady, protected area, and during the night they hunt for food. The relationship they share with their partner, the vulture, is quite a vicious one. The quoll leaves leftover food for the vulture to pick at, and the vulture, by finishing the remains, protects the quoll from contracting any diseases from the carcass.
About the virtual experience
My partner and I chose to portray a less intimidating pair by using a light color palette consisting of pastel pinks and purples, and a friendly cartoon-style. An "On-click" interaction transitions the quoll into a nocturnal environment.
X is for Xantu's Hummingbird
Xantu’s hummingbird is a tropical organism that lives in symbiosis with its partner the perennial. The hummingbird helps to pollinate the flowers, while the perennials provide the hummingbird with sweet nectar to feed on. The hummingbird has full control over the direction it flies, which is why it is often referred to as a “precision flyer”. This extreme balance and control in flight aids in its ability to flutter between the flowers.
About the virtual experience
This humming bird's unique "precision flying" trait is mimicked in the 2D hand-drawn animation above. When the bird is tapped, it changes its hovering direction.
Z is for Zooxanthellae
Zooxanthellae (zoo-zan-thella) are single-celled dinoflagellates that live in symbiosis with many marine animals, one of which includes the well-known squishy invertebrate, jellyfish. The zooxanthellae perform photosynthesis, and provides nutrients gained from this process to the jellyfish. The jellyfish in return provides the zooxanthellae with “housing” or protection.
About the virtual experience
The vector illustration was created using adobe Illustrator, and animated with After Effects. The large sun dance party appears with an "on-click" interaction and represents the organism’s ability to perform photosynthesis.
Take a peek at the process
a systematic approach to creating innovative solutions that meet desired objectives while considering aesthetics, functionality, and user experience.
Group Brainstorming
Each designer was randomly dealt 3 letters from the alphabet. After the letters were distributed, we spent several days researching potential symbiotic pairs. Once all of the chosen symbiotic relationships were established, we paired up with the designers that had the corresponding symbiotic partner to our letter.
Concept Sketches (Q, X, Z)
We set strict guidelines for our matching game. A week was spent on finalizing the format of the cards. The final card must include the organism's name, generic information, an illustration, a hint symbol, and a region tab within the designated areas.
Thanks for checking out my work!
