Selected work
Animal Discovery
Turning wildlife facts into a local adventure.
My role: Project Lead · Concept · Graphic Design
The City of Dublin wanted children to learn about local wildlife—and know where to turn for nature education. I led the concept and visual direction for Animal Discovery, working with City staff and Game-U to turn seasonal animal information into a browser-based game.
This project could not have been completed without the help of City of Dublin staff (Economic Development, Nature Education, Parks & Recreation, Communications & Public Information) and our amazing game developer Game-U.
The challenge
A chart could share facts. Could it spark curiosity?
The original request was a fridge magnet showing when local animals are active. Discovery conversations revealed a more useful goal: help elementary-aged children explore and learn.
A static magnet had limited space and offered no way to measure engagement. I reframed the brief around participation rather than simply distributing information.
The starting point: seasonal wildlife information · Tap to expand
The approach
Make learning feel like discovery.
Conversations with the Nature Education Coordinator helped identify elementary-aged children as a key audience. A game could make the same wildlife facts something they actively searched for.
I found Game-U, a local business teaching coding and game development, to bring the idea to life. Their instructors ran a student design competition, then supported development of the winning concept.
Launch day with Mia, Game-U, and City staff · Tap to expand
The experience
Student Mia Martinez’s winning concept introduced Maggie the Magnifying Glass. Mia developed the game with instructor support and received a $500 college scholarship. I led the project, concept, and graphic design—not the game development.
Explore. Discover. Learn.
Players choose a Dublin location, search a 360-degree scene for wildlife, and open animal facts. A checklist tracks discoveries, while seasonal updates reveal which animals are active throughout the year.
Choose a familiar Dublin location · Tap to expand
Search a 360-degree scene for wildlife · Tap to expand
Track discoveries across the seasons · Tap to expand
Learn about each animal you find · Tap to expand
Testing and real-world use
Game-U instructors, City staff, teachers, and students tested prototypes. Survey feedback was mostly positive. Nature Education then used the game during classroom visits, camps, and classes.
Students exploring Animal Discovery · Tap to expand
Learning through play · Tap to expand
Animal Discovery in use · Tap to expand
The scope reflected the available budget and team: a desktop-browser experience, with seasonal updates planned through 2020.
The impact
50,000+ reached. A new learning resource.
The launch reached 50,000+ residents and followers through City communications. The Nature Education page saw a 500% increase in followers after launch.
Campaign reach and follower growth; these figures do not represent game-player counts.
The game also gave educators a reusable resource for classroom visits, camps, and classes, supported by a new nature-focused communications strategy.
The takeaway
The strongest solution wasn’t a better magnet. It was a more engaging way to connect children with local wildlife, connect families with nature education, and bring a local learning business into the project.