The Koala Spot and Save app was developed during my time at Hyper Theory, in collaboration with the Social Marketing at Griffith University team. The project aimed to create an engaging mobile and tablet game that would educate players about koala conservation and encourage real-world action.
As the Lead Designer, I was responsible for designing the game’s user experience and user interface system in Figma as well as creating the branding and reworking and adding extra illustrations. I worked closely with Frank (Unity developer) and Abbey (illustrator) to bring the experience to life.
The Challenge: Creating an Engaging Learning Experience
The initial game concept featured three simple levels designed for a younger audience. However, after our first concept presentation, the client decided they wanted the experience to appeal to a broader audience to include adults. This meant rethinking the approach to engagement, challenge, and education while maintaining an intuitive and enjoyable gameplay experience and staying on track to deliver the project on time and budget.
I asked myself:
- How do we create an experience that makes players care about koalas?
- How do we balance education with engagement, ensuring players learn and retain information while having fun?
- How can we motivate players to take real-world action for koala conservation?
The Solution: A More Immersive and Interactive Experience
Through user-centered design principles, I refined the game to include:
✅ More immersive interactions – I introduced ambient bird and forest sounds, as well as sound effects for player actions, to create a richer experience.
✅ Progressive learning – Rather than overwhelming players with information upfront, I designed an in-game "info" button, allowing them to access educational content when needed.
✅ Challenging, yet accessible gameplay – I added game mechanics that tested players' knowledge of koalas rather than just presenting facts.
Encouraging Real-World Conservation Action
At the end of the game, players are encouraged to take real-world action, with direct links to:
🦘 QWildlife, iNaturalist, IFAW, and Citizen Science initiatives, making it easy for players to report koala sightings and contribute to conservation.
Expanding the Experience: Time Trial Mode
To increase engagement, I introduced a Time Trial Mode with a leaderboard, encouraging players to complete all levels as quickly as possible. This feature made the game more competitive and engaging, appealing to a wider audience.
My Role in Development & Collaboration
I played a key role in bridging design and development, ensuring smooth execution of the project by:
🎨 Delivering detailed UI/UX assets and ensuring they were in the correct formats for Unity.
📋 Briefing and coordinating with our developer, Frank, to ensure seamless implementation.
⏳ Managing constraints – Working within a tight budget and timeline while still delivering a high-quality, engaging experience.
Opportunities for Future Improvements
With more resources, I would have loved to:
📢 Add voiceovers for Talia, the ranger, to enhance storytelling and ease of gameplay.
🎬 Introduce more animated interactions for koalas and the ranger.
📚 Expand educational content with additional feedback and player insights.
Key Takeaways
This project showcased my ability to:
🔹 Take a simple concept and turn it into a rich, engaging user experience.
🔹 Balance educational content with fun, interactive gameplay.
🔹 Think strategically about user motivation and real-world impact.
🔹 Collaborate across disciplines (illustration, development, and marketing) to deliver a polished product.
With the game still in development and in the publishing phase, the full playable game does not have a release date as yet unfortunately. A prototype version is available here. The Koala Spot and Save app is more than just an app or game, it’s an experience designed to educate, inspire action, and create real-world conservation impact.
