Design System: The Underdogs
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.
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
02.
Picture book and app encouraging habit building
03.
Website and subscription box encouraging donations in lieu of gift giving
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 Book
The Underdogs App
