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Design System: The Underdogs

iPhone in Hand Mockup.png
Book Mockup.png

Team

Solo Project

Duration

4 Weeks

Context

MA Studio II: Introduction to Interaction Design

Tools

Adobe Illustrator,

Adobe Photoshop, Figma, Procreate

Design a product ecosystem that extends beyond the screen. Your solution must include multiple touchpoints across multiple channels. These components must work together in supporting a user or a community of users as they attempt to achieve some practical goal.

The Solution

A family-oriented system that encourages the adoption of sustainable habits by creating emotional connection and continued engagement with species conservation.  A humorous picture book sparks excitement for caregivers and children, which is then channeled into an app that guides users through taking actionable steps with delightful characters that represent under-acknowledged endangered species.

Educate
Inspire
Book
Information
Gallery
Engage
Notification Setting Screen
Notification
Territory Map.png

Define and Research

I initially chose the broad problem space of conservation efforts as a focus for my project.  My first step was defining the problem space by creating a territory map.

I then conducted user research to help me narrow my project focus through a survey (31 respondents) and interviews (6 participants).  I realized there is a focus on "bigger" and more "charismatic" endangered animals in most media, leaving many species that are under-appreciated and not widely known.  In my mind, these less talked about animals are the underdogs in conservation efforts, which led me to start imagining a team of superheroes...

Brainstorming

I created three distinct concepts for different design systems that would target conservation education.

01.

Website and campaign for social context

and awareness

Concept_01

02.

Picture book and app encouraging habit building

Concept_02

03.

Website and subscription box encouraging donations in lieu of gift giving

Concept_03

I was most excited to pursue design system two and feedback from my peers and professors indicated a similar preference for the "underdogs" concept.

The Components

To explain the potential of each component, I created mock-up pages of both the book and the app that establish playful yet informative language and vivid imagery.  I wrote and researched the content of these mock-ups while also designing and illustrating a character from The Underdogs team - Superfrog.  Additionally, I explored what the architecture of the app might look like through a flow diagram.

The Underdogs Cover

The Underdogs Book

Underdogs Book
Superfrog
Superfrog

The Underdogs App

Underdogs Home
Gallery of Saved Underdogs
Flow Diagram
Information Screen - Superfrog
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