Gaming with sustainability and the life below the waves : How to stimulate a peaceful co-existence with our plante's water and the life there-in through engaging experiences

Abstract: In 2015 the UN completed a list of environmental and social goals, one of these goals is the “life in the water” goal, or goal 14. It focuses on the factors endangering the diversity and the ecological balance in the water. However, the goals are formulated with a focus on changes to be done by countries or bigger organisations, not by individuals. This project focused on creating a design for a technical solution that teaches and motivates youths how to help take care of the planet. To do this a design process consisting of a pre-study, concept phase and a workshop were done. The pre-study consisted of interviews, a questionnaire and a pre-study of similar digital games. The interviews focused on how youths and what values and knowledge youths are taught today. These interviews informed a questionnaire that focused on how and what the students were taught about taking care of the oceans. The last part of the pre-study was a review of games with focus on the environment, which was later used to inspire the design process. The concept phase consisted of three iteration phases of concepts and the last phase created the concept tested in the following workshop. Each iteration ended with a discussion of concepts were one or two concepts chosen to focus on. The final concept was a type of exhibition of two digital minigames or simulations and one physical simulation. The three prototypes were linked, in a wizard of Oz type of style, where two of the prototypes, the physical and one of the digital prototype, influenced the environment in the last digital prototype. The collective prototype seemed to inspire engagement and interest from the participants and was mainly received as a good idea. The workshop was held with youths between 12-16 years old and resulted in feedback and a proposition to a redesign.