Client:
Hushållningsällskapet Västra
Dimh's services:
concept development, game design, graphics, UX/UI, frontend, 3D modeling
As society and the education system continue to evolve, it is becoming increasingly important to ensure that young people acquire a broad and varied knowledge base. Professions that were once considered integral components of our cultural heritage risk becoming marginalized if they are not presented in a relevant and engaging way to young people.
Despite the significant influence and importance of the fishing industry to our nation, a concerning lack of knowledge about the profession has been identified among children in grades 4 to 9. This lack of awareness contrasts sharply with other professions, such as the agricultural sector, where educational initiatives have been launched to inform and engage the younger generation. One example of this is the existing website about the farming profession, which uses a combination of text, images, video, and quizzes to provide a comprehensive insight into the world of agriculture. Inspired by this successful model, Hushållningssällskapet Västra saw an opportunity to create a comparable platform for professional fishing.
Fiskaren i skolan (Fisherman at School) is an educational initiative for grades 4 to 9 in elementary school. The aim is to increase knowledge about Swedish commercial fishing and the journey fish take from boat to table. The hope is that the site will increase children's and young people's knowledge about fish and Swedish commercial fishing, its importance for Swedish food production and sustainable development, but also increase knowledge about various career opportunities in the fishing industry.
The initiative is backed by the Swedish Pelagic Federation PO, the Swedish Fishermen's Producer Organization, the Sea and Coastal Fishermen's Producer Organization, and the Swedish Inland Fishermen's Central Association. Also participating are the Gothenburg Fish Auction, Sjömatfrämjandet (Seafood Promotion) and Sweden Pelagic AB with its processing industry on Orust. The work of developing the material for the site has been carried out under the leadership of Hushållningssällskapet Västra and in collaboration with us at Dimh. The initiative has been financed by the Västra Götaland Region and the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
Links
fiskareniskolan.se
hushallningssallskapet.se
This is where we at Dimh came into the picture, with our unique understanding of gamification. With our deep knowledge of digital design and development, we were the obvious choice to realise Hushållsningssällskapet's vision. Having been involved in the development of Bonden i skolan, our team, consisting of developers, concept developers, 3D graphic designers and UX/UI designers, provided a complete solution that both informed and engaged the target group. By integrating gamification with educational content, we saw the potential to design a solution that would make commercial fishing both accessible and interesting for children and young people.
It all started when we received the request: "Can you create something that feels warm and inviting for children? We're thinking something along the lines of 'Pettson and Findus', but with our own unique twist." This initial idea became the cornerstone of our project. To turn this vision into reality, we started with basic sketches. The next steps involved a series of discussions and conversations with our clients. These interactions were crucial in achieving a common understanding and direction for the project, as well as ensuring that the end result would meet expectations.
In good and creative processes, you often end up with a different result than you originally intended. The result often exceeds initial expectations.
Sketches from Hushållsningssällskapet showing a simple concept of what needs to be on the page.
Concept sketches from Dimh in response to the sketches and discussions with Hushållsningssällskapet.
When we began working on the interface design and user-centered design, it was crucial for us to thoroughly understand and consider our target audience.
With them in mind, we created a graphic profile that not only reflected the theme of "fishing" but was also playful and engaging for the user.
In our quest to create a unique and memorable experience, we chose to think outside the box when it came to symbolic language. Instead of traditional design elements, we chose to incorporate symbols reminiscent of the lake and its surroundings. For example, we used wave patterns instead of the usual underlines and replaced conventional arrows with anchors. We also placed special emphasis on marking the icons with classic graphics that are characteristic of maritime communities. All of this contributed to creating an interface that was not only functional, but also visually appealing and emotionally connected to the core of the project.
When producing the images, we needed to rethink our strategy. Initially, we considered simple illustrations that could be refined later. However, traditional illustrations required the project design and decisions regarding the final image to be more fixed than they actually were at that point in time. To meet the need for flexibility in the final images, and to streamline time usage later on, we chose to create the environments in 3D. The result was over a hundred unique 3D models, ranging from the charming mascot Mozart to the depicted fisherman – all created by Dimh.
By using 3D graphics, we were able to meet the customer's request to easily add, adjust, and change the angles of the objects. If we had chosen traditional illustrations, each change would have required re-illustration, which would have been time-consuming. The end result was a 3D graphic with, despite its rich detail, has an illustrated and friendly appearance.
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