Math Minerals is an engaging math and counting game, inspired by the 'Math Vitamins' book and board game for children, originally developed for the American Suzuki Institute. Designed with young learners aged 3 to 7 in mind, this educational game offers accessibility across Desktop and Android platforms, providing an immersive and enjoyable learning experience.
Visual Designer
Game Strategy, Storytelling, Illustration, Wireframing, Prototyping & Testing, User Research, Visual Design, Animation, Quality Assurance, Flash Development, Usability Analysis
Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Flash, Actionscript 3.0, Camtasia
Adapting 'Math Vitamins' to a digital format presented several hurdles. Crafting a child-friendly UI/UX demanded careful consideration and thoughtful design, maintaining a balance between entertainment and educational value. Ensuring seamless functionality across diverse mobile devices and systems required thorough testing and refinement.
Math Minerals was developed with a playful storyline and features interactive activities and puzzles that reinforce math concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and number recognition to keep children engaged. We utilized colorful graphics, animated characters, and intuitive controls to make learning enjoyable and accessible. Math Minerals underscores the benefits of regular board game engagement among children, which we found through our research, has been linked to enhanced proficiency in general math and counting skills.
Discovery and Planning: Our approach began with research focused on understanding the cognitive development and learning preferences of children. This phase involved aligning our game with the content and objectives of the original book and board game, allowing us to pinpoint key math concepts essential for this age group.
User-Centric Design: Drawing inspiration from beloved classics such as Candy Land and Angry Birds, our design centered on simplicity and interactivity. We crafted vibrant, visually stimulating graphics and implemented intuitive controls to create an immersive and enjoyable experience for young players.
Gamification Element: To enhance motivation and engagement, we incorporated a progress-tracking feature within the game. This gamification element not only incentivized children to continue exploring math concepts but also provided a sense of accomplishment as they advanced through the game's levels.
Iterative Testing: Throughout the development process, we conducted user testing sessions to gather feedback on design, functionality, and overall user experience. This iterative approach allowed us to fine-tune every aspect of Math Minerals, ensuring that it met usability standards and effectively facilitated learning objectives for our target audience.
Upon its release, Math Minerals quickly gained traction, amassing over 100 downloads and expanding its reach to a broader audience. The app's popularity was further propelled by positive word-of-mouth referrals and favorable reviews, reflecting its effectiveness in engaging and educating young learners.
By prioritizing these user-centric design, simplicity, and visual engagement, Math Minerals not only achieved its goal of providing an enjoyable and accessible learning experience but also garnered recognition and adoption among its target demographic.
Based in Seattle, WA
