In depth research/development of UI can be found here.

The UI should be colourful and stand out as my audience is younger kids and they need to be intrigued by what is appearing on their screen. I’d like it to catch their attention so they can take the time to process what is on the screen. I had some suggestions, after showing this to others, that it might be too busy and seem overwhelming for the child. This will have to be tested in semester two. However, I believe that is can be successful if done correctly. Many of the pet simulator games I’ve looked at have quite bold UI designs, and the UI features are somewhat a key aspect to the genre. On the other hand, it might be more effective for the UI of the mini games and mindfulness activities to be more minimal, as the player will be focusing on the tasks and shouldn’t be distracted. Regardless, there should be a continuation of the cute, simple aesthetic that runs throughout the game. This can be achieved subtly by using rounded corners rather than sharp corners, for instance.

Mock Ups:

1. Pet arrival (experiment with transparency - lighter feel? High opacity might feel heavier and stray from the aim of lifting negative moods)

1. Postcard after pet has been adopted (closely replicate traditional postcard style)

1. Main screen

1. Close up of animal (clear font, multiple options need to be accessible)

Font used in these mock-ups:

The font should be clear, child-friendly, and have playful style. This is the example I have used in the mock ups, but I will experiment with others that could be more appropriate.