Otter Academy
Personal Project
Teaching children about endangered or threatened species to inspire action through an interactive iPad application.
Overview
Otter Academy, a subscription-based educational program that teaches children about endangered species and their importance to the environment. With human activity pushing more species toward endangerment, many people overlook their crucial role in maintaining ecosystem balance. Otter Academy raises awareness by highlighting lesser-known animals, educating kids on the threats they face, and encouraging action through petitions—empowering the next generation to become advocates for wildlife conservation.
Role
UI/UX Designer, Digital Illustrator
Tools
Figma, Adobe AfterEffects
Skills
Visual Design, User Experience Design, Illustration
Inspiration Behind Horseshoe Week
Growing up in a shore town, I wanted to begin the Otter Academy experience with a personal touch—one that paid homage to home. For several summers, I worked at my local nature center, caring for animals in our “nature nook,” which housed turtles, snakes, spiders, and an array of marine life, including fish, seahorses, an octopus, and horseshoe crabs. I also assisted with our Seining on the Harbor program, where we used a seine net to scoop up fish and other sea creatures, giving kids a hands-on learning experience.
Most of the children who participated were under the age of 10, and for some, the experience was intimidating at first. However, letting them “rescue” the animals from the net and place them into water-filled buckets helped ease their fears. Observing the creatures up close while learning about their role in the ecosystem made them more comfortable and engaged.
Horseshoe crabs were a frequent catch since New Jersey is a prime breeding ground for them, and we often found them beached along the shore. Many children were initially scared of their legs and long, pointed telson (tail spine). But once I explained that their claws were harmless, their telson was simply a tool to help them flip over, and—perhaps most importantly—that they were ancient relatives of dinosaurs, their fear quickly turned into fascination. After all, who wouldn’t want to learn about real-life dinosaurs?
Turning Real-Life Exploration Digital
I designed the academy to bring the hands-on experiences of summer camp kids and out-of-state visitors into a digital space—making them accessible to children everywhere. In a place like Cape May, we have the ocean at our fingertips, teeming with sea life. But what about kids in Arizona? And vice versa—they grow up surrounded by lizards and rattlesnakes in a completely different ecosystem.
Rattlesnakes, for example, may seem dangerous to us, but they aren’t out to harm us. This digital experience gives kids the opportunity to explore the unknown, discover new environments, and learn about animals they might never encounter in their daily lives. By targeting younger children, my goal was to spark a sense of wonder early on—one that could grow into a lifelong passion for wildlife and conservation, encouraging them to advocate for animals and their habitats into adulthood.
To ensure accessibility, I chose the iPad as the most optimal way to experience the academy. Approximately 72% of U.S. households have access to a tablet, with many purchased specifically for children. Schools have also integrated tablets into the classroom, meaning most kids are already familiar with the technology. This made the iPad an ideal platform for engaging young learners in an intuitive and immersive way.
Daily Labs
Labs teach children about at-risk animals, covering anatomy, diet and ecosystems. This fosters curiosity and builds empathy.
Mini Games
Games reinforce learning by letting kids protect species from predators and gather food, while also developing counting and reading skills.
Pet Nursery
Caring for virtual species teaches responsibility and empathy, inspiring real-world action through cleanups, donations, and petitions.
Illustrations
Challenges
Designing my first game for children required a shift in approach, balancing simplicity, engagement, and accessibility for young users. Crafting an intuitive card-matching experience meant refining interactions, ensuring clear feedback, and keeping the visuals fun yet functional. Additionally, illustrating custom sea creatures pushed me beyond my usual UI/UX skill set, requiring multiple iterations to achieve a style that was both recognizable and appealing to kids.
Takeaways
This project deepened my understanding of child-friendly UX, gamification, and illustration, reinforcing the importance of playtesting and visual clarity. Adapting to new challenges strengthened my versatility and problem-solving in interactive design.
I'm excited for the next opportunity to explore a project like this, using my illustration skills to create engaging and educational experiences for users.
