Buccaneer: Gamified History App

Project Type: UI Design & Research

Role: Solo-Project

Timeline: February 2021

Tools: Figma, Illustrator, After Effects

Overview: An interactive app for use on a personal tablet or museum kiosk. The intention was to create an experience that allowed a user to explore pirate history in a unique, gamified, and informative experience.

Introduction

For this project, I wanted to bring my passion for pirate history to life in a way that could be enjoyed by both enthusiasts like myself, as well as a younger audience looking to learn more about the "Golden Age of Piracy."

User Personas

01 The Captain 

An enthusiast looking to learn more for personal interest. Likely motivated by both content as well as visual design.

02 The Lad

A younger user looking for information for things such as reports and papers. Cares most about the information rather than presentation.

03 The Corsair

A person visiting a museum and is interested in learning more about the history of pirates. Looking for a quick experience and has a casual interest in pirate history.

User Flow

The flow is motivated by user decisions at all stages. The user chooses to view and explore what interests them most. 

Moodboard

Titled "Buried Treasure" this moodboard sought to keep the focus on an illustrative and adventurous style, fit for the ideals commonly associated with a pirates life.

Sketchwork

Initial sketches exploring potential iconography and overall layout. I made note to also explore the historical facts that would be included to help better realize the project as a whole.

Wireframes

The first wireframe was developed based on the previous sketch work. Content layout and basic information hierarchy were established prior to stylization.

Design Mockups

The final designs for every screen. I was sure to keep the theme consistent on every screen, and gave text elements a bold and modern feel befitting a pirate adventure.

Conclusion

The main takeaways I learned from this project were how to demonstrate data and information in an engaging way through visual theming and the important role interactivity can play in making an experience memorable.