Kill the Planet

An interactive, game-like experience that educates users on the effects of climate change. Through engaging interactions, users explore the consequences of their actions, revealing how easy it is to 'Kill the Planet.' By turning complex environmental concepts into tangible experiences, the project delivers an impactful and thought-provoking lesson.

Role Research | UI/UX | Motion Design

Duration 9 weeks

Software Adobe After Effects | Figma | Procreate

I developed an interactive, game-like experience designed to educate users on the effects of climate change. By engaging with the site, users can physically explore the consequences of their actions and learn how easy it is to 'Kill the Planet,' making complex environmental concepts more tangible and impactful.

Synopsis

Role Research | UI/UX | Motion Design

Software Adobe After Effects | Figma | Procreate

Duration 9 weeks

Kill the Planet

Role Research | UI/UX | Motion Design

Duration 9 weeks

Software Adobe After Effects | Figma | Procreate

Synopsis

Climate change is easy to overlook when its effects aren't immediately visible

In a society desensitized to harsh media, addressing this issue in a way that grabs attention and encourages engagement can be challenging. How can we make conversations about climate change harder to ignore and easier to understand?

This project reveals how small actions can lead to devastating consequences

Players are challenged to ‘kill the planet’ as quickly as possible, revealing how small actions can have devastating effects—like a single click wiping out an entire fish population.

Research shows that young adults learn about climate change most easily and quickly through environmental social media platforms.

Reliable information about climate change is often found on unengaging websites, making it less consumable.

Research shows that young adults learn about climate change most easily and quickly through environmental social media platforms.

Reliable information about climate change is often found on unengaging websites, making it less consumable.

RESEARCH

User Research - Comparative Analysis

Comparative Analysis

Combining Information with Interactive Gameplay

This project draws inspiration from Outrider and SpaceTour, both of which incorporate a central interactive element that lets users engage with information at their own pace without disrupting the overall experience.

Key Takeaways

Intuitive interactions
Prioritizing essential information
Balanced information-to-visual hierarchy

What I could do better

Creating more engaging interactions to enhance user involvement.

Implementing a visually exciting style to balance out the weight of the topic.
Integrating information within the scene rather than presenting it beforehand.

Comparative Analysis

Combining Information with Interactive Gameplay

Key Takeaways

Intuitive interactions
Prioritizing essential information
Balanced information-to-visual hierarchy

What I could do better

Creating more engaging interactions to enhance user involvement.

Implementing a visually exciting style to balance out the weight of the topic.
Integrating information within the scene rather than presenting it beforehand.

Visual Direction

Refining the idea into the appropriate style that best matches the tone of the overall message.

Style 1

I aimed for an apocalyptic style that conveys a strong sense of urgency. The earth illustration feels familiar yet slightly off, creating an unsettling atmosphere that reinforces the theme.

Style 2

While this style shares some similarities, it leans too far into a futuristic aesthetic. The futuristic look often evokes feelings of progress and hope, which wasn’t the intended message. Instead, I wanted to emphasize urgency and unease, which this approach didn’t fully capture.

EXPLORATION

Storyline - Sketches - Interations

Storyline

Crafting an Ironic Narrative

To make this successful, I needed to develop a storyline that satirized human decision-making in a humorous way—pushing the irony just enough to highlight poor choices without sending the wrong message.

I drew inspiration from Exploding Kittens, as their style perfectly captured the playful yet satirical tone I wanted to achieve.

Sketches

I hand-drew every asset and sketched all the text

I wanted this piece to feel cohesive and true to my style. Rather than using pre-made assets that wouldn’t blend seamlessly, I chose to create everything myself—ensuring both consistency and a higher level of quality.

Iterations

Seamless interactivity should feel instinctive, guiding users through engagement with minimal onboarding

I explored different interactive elements to determine how users would engage with damaging the planet. A progress indicator provides real-time feedback, reinforcing cause-and-effect as their actions take effect.

These options didn’t make the cut

Option 1 created confusion around the interactive elements—how they impacted the Earth and how multiple objects would react.

Option 2 lacked clear hierarchy, making the buttons feel unintuitive among other graphical elements.

EXECUTION

Refinement - Solutions - Key Features

Onboarding

The intro video features a narrator with a voice reminiscent of nature documentary shows. This familiar tone, typically associated with celebrating the beauty of the natural world, creates an ironic contrast in a game centered around destroying the planet.

In the intro video, there is a narrator familiar to one from nature documentation shows. Because that voice is familiar, and typically found in nature shows I found it ironic being in a game that had to do with killing the planet.

Driving the Narrative

To reinforce the game-like experience and align with the core interaction, I designed three distinct climate disasters for users to choose from. Each option represents a major cause of climate change, allowing the user to choose a topic they are interested in.

In the intro video, there is a narrator familiar to one from nature documentation shows. Because that voice is familiar, and typically found in nature shows I found it ironic being in a game that had to do with killing the planet.

Interactivity

This section enhances user engagement by incorporating immersive sound effects—button clicks, boats, and trash splashing into the ocean—creating a tangible connection between actions and their consequences. Each interaction visibly damages the Earth, with point additions reinforcing progress and ensuring users understand the impact of their choices.

In the intro video, there is a narrator familiar to one from nature documentation shows. Because that voice is familiar, and typically found in nature shows I found it ironic being in a game that had to do with killing the planet.

“YAY!” turns to “Oh no...”

This moment delivers ironic, consequence-based feedback—using a celebratory tone to reveal the irreversible damage caused by the user. It marks a climactic shift from playful interaction to harsh reality, forcing reflection through emotional contrast.

In the intro video, there is a narrator familiar to one from nature documentation shows. Because that voice is familiar, and typically found in nature shows I found it ironic being in a game that had to do with killing the planet.

Educational

This is where users can explore more about overfishing and access external resources. By easing them into tough topics through engaging interactions, I aimed to capture those who might feel overwhelmed by heavy information upfront.

In the intro video, there is a narrator familiar to one from nature documentation shows. Because that voice is familiar, and typically found in nature shows I found it ironic being in a game that had to do with killing the planet.

OVERVIEW

This project was so much fun! I deep-dived into user research, exploring how to integrate game-like UI into an educational setting.

My main focus was the real issue at hand—climate change—and how I could use ironic humor to teach people about it in an engaging way.

I’d love to see how this project could evolve with physical interactions, possibly as an exhibit experience.

I learned a lot, but I have a lot to learn

Takeaways

Climate change is easy to overlook when its effects aren't immediately visible

In a society desensitized to harsh media, addressing this issue in a way that grabs attention and encourages engagement can be challenging. How can we make conversations about climate change harder to ignore and easier to understand? ignore and easier to understand?

This project reveals how small actions can lead to devastating consequences

Players are challenged to ‘kill the planet’ as quickly as possible, revealing how small actions can have devastating effects—like a single click wiping out an entire fish population.