COLLABORATIVE DESIGN PRACTICE TASK 1
23/09/2025 - 26/10/2025
DAVIES ANNIKA ANGELA
COLLABORATIVE
DESIGN PRACTICE
BACHELORS OF DESIGN IN CREATIVE MEDIA
TASK 1:
PROPOSAL
INSTRUCTIONS
For this module we are to
- Work collaboratively in multi-disciplinary groups
- Develop clear and creative project briefs
- Design concepts that align with the intended user experience
- Create prototypes or mock-ups based on these designs
- Ensure the prototypes are suitable for user testing
- Apply all outcomes specifically to a table-top game project
WEEK 1 - WEEK 4
In this week we were briefed about what the game is about, as well as playing
the game to get a proper understanding of the tabletop game. We chose
Sugar high as our game. It is a game used
for educational purposes and teaches about the science behind how sugar turns
into energy. (cellular respiration).
After we played the game we had a few pain points which were
- Gameplay often felt cluttered
- Visual elements were confusing
- The overall experience felt disconnected from the game’s theme.
Assets from client
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RESEARCH
We then did research on what our game could look like based on what our
clients requested as well as succesful games that involve sugar or candy as
well as popular card games i.e candy crush and uno.
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brainstorming
My Ideas
For this mood board, I explored visual ideas for
Sugar High by focusing on making the
game feel cute, fun, and playful, in
line with what the client wants. I was
especially drawn to
candy-inspired visuals,
pastel and
bright color palettes,
and rounded, friendly illustrations, as
these elements help create an
inviting and
light-hearted experience. The use of
expressive food characters adds
personality and humor, which makes the game feel
more engaging and
memorable rather than
overly educational.
Typography also plays an important role
in this direction. I looked at
bold, rounded, and
hand-drawn style typefaces that feel
playful and
energetic, helping to reinforce the
fun tone of the game. These types of
fonts are easy to read while still adding character, which is important for
a tabletop card game where clarity and
visual appeal need to work together.
Overall, this mood board helped me define a cohesive visual direction where
illustration style, color, and typography all work together to support a
cheerful and cohesive Sugar High game
experience.
USER PERSONAS
PROBLEM STATEMENT
- Teenagers need a visually engaging and relatable way to learn about food and nutrition
- The current Sugar High prototype lacks visual appeal, consistency, and excitement
EMPATHY RESEARCH
- After completing empathy mapping, we moved into the Define stage to develop the concept and theme for Sugar High
- We used mood boards and art direction to explore visual and thematic directions
- Our goal was to reimagine the game to be more engaging, educational, and character-driven
- The redesign maintains a strong connection between gameplay and bioscience concepts.
MOODBOARD
initial moodboard
This mood board captures a
bold, playful, and
high-energy visual direction inspired by sugar, snacks, and pop culture. It features
bright, saturated colours
like pinks, oranges, yellows, and
blues, which immediately create a sense of fun and excitement. The use
of cute illustrations, candy motifs, and exaggerated graphics makes the
theme feel youthful and approachable, aligning well with a teenage
audience.
The typography is
rounded, chunky, and expressive,
reinforcing a light-hearted and game-like tone rather than something
overly scientific or serious. Elements inspired by snack packaging, pop
art, and sticker-style graphics give the board a contemporary, trendy
feel that feels familiar and relatable.
Overall, the mood board communicates a direction that is
cute, energetic, and visually
stimulating, helping transform the Sugar High game into something that
feels engaging, character-driven, and fun—while still setting the stage
to subtly introduce bioscience concepts in a non-intimidating way.
Final moodboard
This mood board presents a
warm, earthy, and comforting visual direction inspired by natural sugars and baked foods. The palette of
browns, caramels, beiges, and creams
creates a cozy, approachable tone
that feels grounded and familiar.
The cookies play a key role in softening the theme, their round shapes, star cut-outs, and textured surfaces make them
feel cute, friendly, and inviting rather than overly serious or
scientific. This adds a sense of charm and playfulness while still staying
true to a realistic food aesthetic.
Overall, the mood board balances
educational clarity with visual warmth, using cute cookie imagery to make nutrition and bioscience concepts
feel more engaging, comforting, and easy to understand.
TYPOGRAPHY
Baloo 2 font
Baloo 2
- Mainly for headings
- The font was chosen for its bold, rounded letterforms that feel playful and approachable
- It adds a sense of warmth and friendliness, making titles and headings inviting
- The font maintains strong readability despite its expressive style
- Its curved forms align well with the game’s lighthearted and engaging tone
Poppin font
Poppins
- Features a clean, modern sans-serif style that improves readability and accessibility
- Helps keep gameplay instructions and educational content clear and easy to follow
- Balances the playful title font with a more structured, professional tone
- Its geometric form reduces visual clutter and supports a polished design
- Maintains an approachable feel while ensuring clarity in longer text sections
FINAL PRESENTATION
REFLECTION
Experience
I found the experience to be quite eye opening when it comes to working with a client but also the brainstorming process was interesting as well because we needed to be creative but at the same time make sure we continuously keep our target audience into consideration. I enjoyed playing the game in week one and actually found it to be engaging.
Observation
I observed that it is important to consult with the lecturers and found it really eye opening when Dr Luqman gave his opinion on certain aspects of the game and how to maintain consistency in the game as well as making it industry standard. I observed that empathising with target users is incredibly important to streamline the design process. As a team we also discovered that the users prefer very simple and cute visuals.
Findings
One of my important findings from this process was realizing how important conceptual alignment and user-centred design are in creating an enjoyable tabletop experience. We also found when it comes to games like this simplicity is key and research on succesful games like uno give good insight on the initial stages of a project like this.
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