Forest Quest

Forest Quest is an AR-powered app designed to encourage children to explore the Oberderdingen forest by blending outdoor adventure with engaging digital challenges and educational activities.

Context

A group project for the Media Interaction Production lecture, in collaboration with the Landratsamt Karlsruhe, Forestry Department and the Municipality of Oberderdingen.

My Role

Timeline

March 2024 (2 weeks)

UX/UI Design

Problem

The Decline of Outdoor Play in a Digital Age

As children increasingly favor digital games over outdoor play, physical activity levels are dropping, especially among 8 to 12-year-olds. The challenge is to use kids' interest in digital media to inspire them to explore nature and connect with the outdoors.

Solution

Inspiring Curiosity Through Challenges

Forest Quest is a two-level AR app designed to make exploring the forest both fun and educational. In Level 1, users explore stations along the Oberderdingen forest trail, taking selfies to unlock badges and quizzes as keepsakes. In Level 2, users embark on virtual animal hunts, collecting animal families to complete the challenge. Completing both levels earns an invitation to an annual tree-planting event with the Oberderdingen Forestry Office, encouraging environmental stewardship.

1

Explore the Oberderdingen Forest Trail

  • An interactive map shows users’ location on the forest trail.
  • Stations appear on the map, allowing users to access them quickly as they approach.
2

Collect Badges

  • Displays available badges, organized by Stations and Animal Families.
  • Users tap badges at each station to complete challenges, collecting all badges to unlock the tree-planting invitation.
3

Complete AR Challenges

  • Open the AR camera to tackle station-based challenges.
  • Users take a selfie to earn their badge and create a digital memory.
4

Find and Collect Animals

  • Users receive notifications when an animal is nearby.
  • Use the AR camera to "catch" animals and collect enough to form complete families.
5

Interactive Exploration

  • Discover and interact with 3D objects on the forest trail using the AR camera.
  • Users can take selfies with these objects to enhance their experience.
6

Complete Quizzes at Home

  • Each station has a unique, themed quiz that users can complete to learn more about the trail.

Impact

Cultivating Young Environmental Stewards Through Interactive Learning

Forest Quest transforms forest exploration into an engaging adventure, attracting young visitors to the Oberderdingen trail. The app fosters a deeper connection to nature through AR challenges, virtual animal collections, and knowledge-based quizzes. By inviting users who complete the app’s levels to participate in an annual tree-planting event, Forest Quest strengthens community involvement and environmental responsibility among youth.

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