TL;DR Summary
Prompt
Create an engaging and educational game to help players (especially children) learn veterinary science through fun, interactive challenges.
Solution
Designed a slot-machine-inspired game mechanic to test and reinforce animal-related knowledge while maintaining player interest. Focused on cognitive reinforcement through playful repetition and positive feedback.
Team
Aayushi Gandhi
Dana Billman
Brack Harmon
Zhongyou Wu
My Role
Game UX/UI Designer
Visual Design
User Research
Skills
Game Design Interaction Design Prototyping
Illustrations
Timeline
7 weeks
cONTEXT
Vet Quest is an educational game focused on veterinary science. The goal was to present essential concepts in a way that is engaging and accessible to young players. A slot-machine style interaction was proposed as a metaphor for knowledge recall—leveraging its visual and tactile feedback to keep learners motivated.
Previous testing showed users found flashcard-style repetition boring. This new mechanic introduced an element of surprise and joy while keeping the learning intentional and trackable.
Problem space
How might we create an experience that keeps children engaged while reinforcing core concepts in veterinary care?
rESEARCH
To design an engaging and educational experience for children aged 8–12, I conducted mixed-method research combining user interviews, observational playtesting, and design analysis. This helped identify what motivates young learners, where they struggle in traditional quiz formats, and how we could create a more playful yet educational environment.
User Interviews
I spoke informally with children to learn about their attention spans, digital play habits, and what makes an educational game feel “fun.”
Key Insight:
Games with clear rewards, visuals, and freedom of choice performed significantly better than rigid quiz apps.
Observational Playtesting
Rather than running a formal usability test, I observed children as they interacted with early learning apps and my initial prototype.
This helped me identify patterns in hesitation, engagement, and drop-off moments. Most engagement happened where visual feedback and freedom of interaction were introduced.
Game Design Analysis
I reviewed the Game Design Document (GDD) to align learning goals with mechanics. The whiteboard brainstorming session mapped interactions across core loops—from slot spins to pinboard rewards—and highlighted points of delight and reinforcement.
Insight Table
Translating Research Into Design
Based on all findings, I structured the design to reflect three main constraints:
Mobile Platform Constraints
Since Vet Quest was designed for mobile play, I had to simplify UI elements while ensuring clarity. Slot-machine-style interactions were chosen for their familiarity, quick feedback loops, and compact layout.
Integration of Education into Game
The challenge was to embed veterinary knowledge (e.g., animal classification, behavior, environments) without it feeling like a quiz. We introduced subtle interactions like choosing correct animal-related categories through spins and match sequences.
Alignment with Instructional Goals
Each interaction was backed by learning outcomes. The categories and “Respin” mechanics were structured to reinforce key content themes, like species traits, diet, and care protocols.
design
To translate research into actionable solutions, I began by conducting a design audit of early concepts shared by other team members. These initial designs—though functional—didn’t resonate well with our stakeholders or user base. Feedback highlighted issues with clarity, visual appeal, and the emotional connection needed to keep children engaged.
Audit of Early Concepts
Early sketches and interface ideas featured basic slot-machine mechanics and minimal visual styling. However, the client felt these designs lacked the playful energy and color that would excite young players. Based on that feedback, I evaluated what worked and what didn’t, identifying improvement areas around visual hierarchy, call-to-action clarity, and reward feedback.
Initial Iterations by the GDD Team
In response, I redesigned the slot interaction UI using a brighter, more animated style that leaned into playful game elements—like glowing buttons, bold animal imagery, and celebratory feedback. I also introduced an island setting as a motivational backdrop, allowing users to customize and evolve their environment as they progressed.
Wireframing & Testing
Started with hand sketches, then built low-fi wireframes to test layout options and interaction timing. Used Figma for flow testing and created basic animations to communicate win states.
Tested prototypes with 5 users and adjusted:
Made "Spin" button more prominent.
Improved clarity of visual match cues.
Added celebratory feedback (confetti + gold coins) after correct answers.
Gameplay Flow
The final game flow begins with a session prompt, guiding users to choose categories and difficulty levels before spinning for answers. Each action—correct or incorrect—triggers immediate feedback, keeping kids motivated through rewards and replay loops.
Gameplay
PROPOSED SOLUTION
To bring the game vision to life, I designed a simple and joyful slot-machine interface that kept children engaged without overwhelming them. The final game screen featured a large central animal image to anchor the user’s focus, along with three dynamic spinning slots that presented vocabulary choices. Clear call-to-action buttons like “Spin” and “Confirm” supported independent navigation, even for early readers.
The design included animations, sound cues, and rewarding visual feedback—such as gold coins and stars—to reinforce learning without adding pressure. Instructional content was embedded within the interactions, making knowledge reinforcement feel like part of the game, rather than an assessment. This helped teachers track progress while keeping learners motivated.
Creating Assets
I designed bright, colorful screens to resonate with younger players while maintaining a professional tone for educational content.
Developed a cohesive style guide for typography, buttons, and icons.
Added animations for feedback, such as successful spins and rewards.
icons for the game
1. Designing the Slot Machine Interface
The slot machine is the heart of Vet Quest’s gameplay. Our goal was to make it intuitive, visually exciting, and educational.
Key Design Features:
Dynamic Spin Button: A brightly colored, central button encourages interaction.
Reels with Visual Categories: Icons representing animals, instruments, and other topics spin smoothly, creating anticipation and excitement.
Feedback System: Celebratory animations and sounds for correct answers keep players motivated.
Spin the slot machine Screen
Respin Screen
Winning Round Screen
Game Over Screen
Earned a playcoin screen
Correct Answer Screen
2. Personalized Learning Path
To make learning engaging, we designed a system that lets players choose their preferred topics.
Highlights:
A topic selection screen with clear icons and modular cards.
Progress tracking with visual indicators to show mastery of each topic.
Adaptive difficulty levels to match the player’s learning curve.
Choose Level Screen
Choose Category
3. Reward System
We integrated a reward-based system to keep players motivated and enhance replayability.
Core Elements:
A reward slot machine where players use coins earned from correct answers.
Visual feedback like animated confetti, badges, and progress bars.
A pinboard feature that players customize as they unlock achievements.
Rewards Slot Machine Screen
Pins, Money and Bust Rewards
Busted Screen
Results
Final thoughts
The redesigned Vet Quest experience successfully transformed a traditional quiz format into an engaging, self-guided educational game. Through usability testing and gameplay analytics, the new design demonstrated both effectiveness and enjoyment. Most users (95%) were able to complete tasks without adult assistance, indicating that the interface was intuitive and the instructional content was age-appropriate. The error rate remained below 5%, showing that interactions such as selecting terms or using the spin feature were easy to understand and execute.
User satisfaction was high, with an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 on a child-friendly smiley scale. Players described the experience as fun, motivating, and easy to navigate—often returning to play again. These results highlighted that our slot-machine-inspired mechanic not only held attention but also reinforced learning through repeated, joyful interactions. The client noted improved content retention and expressed interest in expanding the game with new topics, confirming the solution's potential for long-term impact.
95%
Task Completion Rate
Less than 5%
Error Rate
4.6/5
Satisfaction Score
Reflection
This project was a powerful exploration of how playful interaction can enhance learning, especially for younger users. It taught me how to balance educational depth with engaging mechanics—something that’s often hard to achieve in serious games.
Design with purpose: I learned how to embed educational goals into playful interactions without making the experience feel like a test.
Simplify for younger audiences: Clear iconography, minimal text, and delightful feedback helped make the interface age-appropriate.
Prototype with intention: Small interaction tweaks—like where a button goes or how an animation plays—can significantly impact player engagement and learning retention.
What I Could Have Done Better:
While the final experience met user and client expectations, a few things could have elevated the process and impact further:
Accessibility first mindset: Designing with features like sound toggles, narration, and contrast settings from the start would have improved inclusivity.
Progress tracking for educators: A performance dashboard would have allowed teachers to monitor individual learning trends and guide instruction more effectively.
