Energy Explorers
Client
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Service
UI/UX Design and Development
Date
Jan 2025 — June 2025
Team
Amar Pattabiraman, Dante Corsetti, Benjamin Bless, Amanda Roumbos
Tools
Unity (Game Engine), C# (Scripting), Figma (Wireframing & Prototyping), Aseprite & Piskel (Asset Creation), GitHub (Documentation)
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PROJECT DESCRIPTION
An interactive 2D educational game that was developed for the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum's Sustainability Center. Our team led the UX design and art development to translate topics of energy conversation in the household into an engaging tap-to-interact experience for museum visitors of all ages.
WORK COMPLETED
UX Research: Conducted a competitive analysis of game loops and on-site visitor observation at Adler Planetarium.
UI & Asset Design: Designed 2D pixel art assets and general interface components on Figma.
Unity Development: Scripted the object interaction logic and state machine in C# for environment triggers and counter.
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VIDEO
THE CHALLENGE
Museum visitors, particularly children and families were not thoroughly engaging with conservation topics and the Sustainability Center. The original screens featured long, unskippable videos that would play on each screen, which would not maintain the attention span of the typical visitor. The museum was looking for a way to make climate action feel more rewarding and fun within a 2-5 minute engagement window.
THE GOAL
Our objective was to develop a functional 2D/2.5D game in which players (from children to adults) can identify energy-wasting appliances in a virtual top-down view of a house, interacting with them to learn various conservation facts and reduce their carbon footprint at home.
RESEARCH METHODS
We executed observational research by visiting the Adler Planetarium in Chicago to observe visitor behavior. We completed a competitive analysis by researching existing games for inspiration, art styles, and gameplay loops such as Pokemon, Animal Crossing, etc. Additionally, we met with our stakeholders (a museum represenative) to gather sustainability facts/tips to incorporate.
RESEARCH INSIGHTS
During our observational research, we noticed that digital and interactive screens were the most engaging, while passive text-heavy exhibits were skipped over and ignored. From this, we ideated from the concept that gamification increases motivation and retention, especially for children (Kahoot, Duolingo, etc). This pushed us to opt for a gamified approach providing immediate feedback via trial and error. Our consultation with museum staff was the need for a "low barrier entry design" allowing players of all ages to immediately engage with sustainability facts without a steep learning curve.
USER PERSONAS
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IDEATION
During the ideation phase, we brainstormed 2D/2.5D top-down environment inspired by Pokemon and Animal Crossing to create a familiar home-like atmosphere for adolescents. We mapped out various interaction loops, focusing on how different household appliances and objects could serve as "teaching moments" for energy efficiency.
STYLE GUIDE
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SKETCHES
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LOGIC/ARCHITECTURE
The game's architecture is built in on a centralized state machine in Unity that tracks the status of all the household appliances. Each interactable object such as the fridge, TV, or lights is programmed with a toggle script that communicates with a counter that increases from 1 to 9 objects and also displays a specific sustainability fact. There is a direct causal link between the user's action and the visual feedback.
LOGIC MAP
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PROCESS DESCRIPTION
The development included a collaborative and cross functional workflow over six months from initial UX research to a technical build. Our team used Figma for ideation, Unity for game development and GitHub to push updated versions remotely, and we managed our assets through Aseprite and Piskel. We used a trial and error approach to coding, prioritizing a "low floor, high ceiling" design that allowed for easy museum visitor entry and educational value.
DESIGN CHANGES
The most significant design pivot occurred when we transitioned from a complex multi-room exploration game to a single room point-and-click interaction style. We originally planned for a playable character to walk through different rooms, but technical constraints and museum visitor flow had us remove the walkable character sprite to focus on a faster "tap-to-interact" UX. We also changes the UI from a 4:3 ratio to a 16:9 widescreen layout to ensure the game appeared native on the kiosk screens.
FINAL FEATURES
The final product features a fully realized 2D virtual home environment where players can interact with various appliances to manage their Carbon Footprint. This includes a counter with real-time feedback, custom-drawn Pixel Art that matches the museum's friendly brand, and an educational UI that surfaces verified energy-saving tips. The game also includes a "Start Screen" with a "watch" button to bridge the gap between the original video content and active gameplay.
IMPACT
We successfully replaced static video loops with an interactive kiosk that increases visitors' engagement. Upon observing museum patrons of all ages at the exhibit, they could navigate the "tap to interact" UI, allowing for a low barrier entry for this experience. Adults and children were also given the opportunity to learn more about various sustainability facts and lowering their household carbon footprint which provided a family wide education. We delivered a stable Unity based engine that includes an auto-reset state that allows the game to be ready for the next visitor.
GALLERY
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