Major Project 1
23/4/2026-27/7/2026
FENG SHIWEN / 0374595
Bachelor of Design in Creative Media
Taylor's University
Contents
During the initial proposal stage of Project 1, the core vision of the
project was established: to eliminate the stereotypes and unjustified
fears of the public towards common urban wildlife.
Initially, our scope was broader, covering various animals such as rats,
crows, snakes, and spiders. Our goal was to create an interactive
educational experience through engaging interactions, transforming the
public's "aversion" into "ecological empathy".
Problem statement: Many urban residents lack basic ecological
knowledge, which leads to unnecessary fear and hostility towards the
wildlife around them, often causing harm to these animals.
Core values: To bridge the gap in ecological knowledge, dispel
misunderstandings, and redefine the coexistence relationship between
humans and urban wildlife.
Initial User Survey Questionnaire
Initial Proposal Presentation Slide
Mid-project improvement
Following our mid term presentation, we received crucial feedback from our
lecturer, which marked a major turning point for our project:
Refining the Scope:
The lecturer suggested removing rats and crows to avoid an overly broad
topic, recommending that we focus specifically on harmless snakes and
geckos native to Southeast Asia/Asia. This shift makes the content far
more localized, relevant, and impactful.
Data Driven Insights:
Our quantitative survey results supported this design pivot:
- 91.4% of respondents reported feeling strong visual discomfort when viewing real, close up photos of snakes or reptiles.
- Most users expressed a preference for "practical knowledge" (e.g., what to actually do when encountering a gecko or a harmless snake at home) rather than dry, academic biological descriptions.
High-fidelity project production
Based on the research data and the teacher's suggestions, we developed a
completely restructured design plan before the Final Presentation:
adjustments to the visual style and upgrades to the core interaction (from
static QA to gesture card interaction):
- Adding scene illustrations at two character dialogues to enhance the richness of the visuals (here, from static illustrations to small animations and adding sound effects will be updated before Project 2).
- Upgrading the originally dull text questions and answers to a narrative style of small animals recounting their experiences, as well as adding "do or don't" gesture card selection interaction. When users encounter specific scenarios (such as "seeing a small snake crossing the pipe or in the garden"), they need to actively choose the response behavior, and gain the correct scientific popularization guidance through exploration and decision making.
Process of Creating Illustrations
High-Fidelity Figma Prototype
Hand-drawn Illustration Drive Folder
Final Presentation Slide
Project Timeline & MP2 Roadmap
Phase 1 (MP1 Submission): Replace all placeholder icons, complete the
hand-drawn illustration collection, and finalize the basic interaction
process.
Phase 2 (9-10 2026): Code front-end interactions
(HTML5/CSS3/JavaScript).
Phase 3 (11-12 2026): Introduce background music, integrate Lottie
micro-animated clips and paper art sound effects.
Phase 4 (Before MP2 Final): User testing, full responsive optimization,
and launching community submission wall.
Reflection
Experience
During the early stages of Major Project 1, I evaluated various
directons before landing on this topic, a decision heavily inspired by
my background. Growing up with a strong connection to nature, I have
always been fascinated by animals, especially reptiles. I never
developed a fear of snakes or geckos and have long dreamed of keeping
pet snakes or geckos myself.
However, I noticed a stark contrast in my friends' reactions. Whenever
we encountered these animals outdoors or at home, their immediate
impulse was intense fear, often accompanied by the urge to kill them.
While I initially struggled to understand this reaction, this strong
divide between my personal passion and public fear inspired me to
address this conflict through design, aiming to dissolve ungrounded
bias.
Observations
Through user interviews and survey research, I began to unpack the root
causes of this widespread fear: a lack of early education and ecological
exposure. Many people grew up without proper access to wildlife
information, leading them to assume that any animal appearing near their
home is inherently harmful, venomous, or aggressive.
In reality, the opposite is true. Common non-venomous species found
around Asian and Southeast Asian urban areas, such as Oriental Ratsnakes
(Ptyas mucosa), Beauty Ratsnakes (Elaphe taeniura), and everyday house
geckos, they are naturally skittish and will always choose to retreat
when sensing humans. What people perceive as "aggression" is almost
always a stress induced defense mechanism. Identifying this awareness
gap helped me pivot the project from simply showcasing animal traits to
explaining their defensive behaviors, fostering deeper empathy.
Findings
Target Audience & Aesthetic Choice: I envisioned this platform not
just as a childish cartoon book for kids, but as an engaging e-portfolio
accessible to children, teenagers, and curious adults alike. I needed a
style that felt comfortable and non-threatening to everyone without
appearing overly juvenile. The hand-drawn scrapbook aesthetic provided
the perfect medium, warm, approachable, yet sophisticated.
Striking the Balance Between Charm and Accuracy: This was my greatest
artistic challenge. Making the illustrations too cute or stylized would
undermine the platform's educational authority and adult appeal;
however, making them hyper-realistic would trigger visual discomfort for
91.4% of users once again. I resolved this by retaining key biological
identifiers (e.g., scale flow, gecko toe structure) while
softening harsh textures and colors, successfully striking a golden
balance between approachable charm and biological accuracy.
Final Thoughts
Looking back at the entire Major Project 1, my greatest improvement lies
in learning to think from perspectives that are completely different from
my own, while maintaining scientific accuracy and eliminating public fear.
This course not only gave me a satisfactory initial project prototype, but
also deepened my understanding of empathetic design in UI/UX. I am very
much looking forward to turning this project into a truly interactive
website in Major Project 2!
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