Emerald Land
Enhancing green shopping habits through gamification
Emerald Land is a screen-based interactive game system that rewards eco-conscious shoppers with game points collected from sustainable shopping, all while enhancing their sustainable shopping habits through gamification.
Game Design
UI/UX
Animation
Sustainability
2023
The majority of shoppers hold the perception that sustainability is important but consumers don’t want to pay a premium for eco-friendly products because they don’t believe shopping sustainably can possibly make a difference.
The Problem
This project leverages game design elements to highlight the value of sustainable grocery sourcing, helping customers who may not initially recognize the importance of sustainable consumption. By introducing a gamified, interactive system, the project seeks to engage shoppers through play while offering transparent insight into each product’s environmental and social impact.
The Solution
01. Process
Step 1: Define eco value
When I began this project, which focuses on encouraging sustainable shopping through gamification, one of my first challenges was figuring out how to assign game points. I decided that each grocery item would receive an "eco-value" based on the eco-labels it carries. The labels on food packaging, such as the USDA Organic label or the EU Organic label, are categorized into specific sustainability groups (shown on the left), and the more groups a label meets, the higher its eco-value.
For instance (shown on the right), the EU Organic label meets criteria for animal welfare, biodiversity, and maintaining clean soil and water. A product like "Organic Star Anise from Sun Farm," which qualifies for both the EU and USDA Organic labels and comes in environmentally-friendly packaging, would earn an eco-value of 42 points in the game. Purchasing it in the game would reward the player with 42 points.
Step 2: Storyline Development
Players will take on an avatar and earn points based on how sustainable their shopping decisions are.
Step 3: User Journey
To connect the virtual game world with the real supermarket environment, I mapped out the users' journey in the supermarket and identified what technology (RFID & Computer vision) would be involved in the process to support the system's mission of gamifying eco-labeling to incentivize sustainable shopping.
Step 4: Identify Key UI Features
In the last step, I outlined the game's information architecture and identified several key features that would integrate game elements into the shopping experience. To ensure that these features are seamlessly integrated into the game system, I created wireframes of the interface to explore their implementation.
02. Design Solution
Emerald Land is a screen-based interactive game system that rewards eco-conscious shoppers with game points collected from sustainable shopping, all while enhancing their sustainable shopping habits through gamification.
The styleframe of Emerald Land is designed with a gentle and approachable aesthetic, incorporating soothing shades of green, blue, and orange. The color green takes center stage across all frames, evoking a sense of environmental responsibility and sustainability.
This game is for everyone who shops at supermarkets, and its delightful design is sure to captivate and engage users of all ages.
Styleframe
01. Emerald Land Intro Video
02. Installation & Technology
The screen is installed on the center of the shopping cart handle. The screen device is also equipped with RFID/NFC reader that can detect what items you put in the cart, and what items are nearby the cart and their eco values.
03. Character Design
In this game, you get to be the proud owner of a magical land, inhabited by a variety of delightful elves. As you make sustainable grocery purchases, the elves will start planting various items on your land that meet your chosen eco-labels and sustainable criteria.
04. Landscape Design
05. Key Features
Choose Characters
View Eco Value
The built-in sensors can detect the most sustainable products near you. The system will collect sustainable game points based on your purchase and the eco-label and sustainable criteria those products meet.
Greenswap
The system can also find similar products with lower environmental impact, and encourage users to swap to a greener product.
Build Your Land!
With each eco-friendly decision you make, your land will flourish with a diverse array of plant and animal life. For instance, if you excel in choosing products that care for animal welfare, your efforts to reduce CO2 emissions will result in cleaner and fresher air, which in turn will attract more farm animals to your land. As a result, you'll be rewarded with a new addition to your growing collection of livestock - a charming pig, perhaps!
