This project, which was nominated for the DessauDesignAwards 2024, arises as the outcome of my master’s thesis research, focused on improving the interaction between 8 to 10-year-old children and technological devices.
DreamCraft is an interactive mobile role-playing game aimed at breaking the barriers between the virtual and the physical world, combining them. For the narrative to advance, users must carry out hands-on activities to create weapons, gadgets, bridges, and other elements that will help them throughout their adventure.
The main benefits of this game are:
-Mimicry between technology and the environment.
-Active exploration of the environment.
-Learning by doing.
-Social interaction.
The project stems from an initial research phase that investigated the risks and opportunities of children’s relationship with technology. Concerns such as screen addiction, passivity, or isolation coexist with possibilities of creativity, skill development, and social connection. Using Research through Design methodology, I collaborated with a class of 25 fourth-grade students in Málaga, conducting co-creation workshops and playful activities. These interventions explored hybrid ideas combining crafts with digital devices, maps of interests shared between kids and parents, and character design exercises to address screen time balance.
From these insights, DreamCraft was born. The game’s storyline takes place in Fantasia, a magical land threatened by Nachtmahr, a force that turns dreams into nightmares. To restore harmony, children embody characters such as the Magician, Engineer, or Botanist, each with unique skills that encourage collaboration.
Key features include:
Cooperative mode: multiple players in the same room must coordinate their abilities.
AR integration: blending the physical surroundings with the fantasy narrative, encouraging exploration.
Crafts and potions kit: a physical companion box with materials to build bridges, tools, and potions, reinforcing hands-on creativity.
User testing with nine children confirmed the project’s potential. Kids showed high engagement, strong collaboration, and a clear preference for the physical crafting part of the game. They often left the screen to interact with their peers or explore the environment, validating the premise that technology can act as a bridge rather than a barrier.
DreamCraft demonstrates that virtual and physical play are not opposing worlds but complementary ones. When designed responsibly, technology can encourage creativity, teamwork, and active exploration. The project highlights a pathway towards more balanced, meaningful interactions between children and digital media—transforming devices from passive entertainment tools into enablers of imagination, collaboration, and learning.
video explainervideo UXResearch GameDesign GamesForKids MasterThesis GraphicDesign GenerativeAI LeonardoAI videoeditor animator…This project, which was nominated for the DessauDesignAwards 2024, arises as the outcome of my master’s thesis research, focused on improving the interaction between 8 to 10-year-old children and technological devices.
DreamCraft is an interactive mobile role-playing game aimed at breaking the barriers between the virtual and the physical world, combining them. For the narrative to advance, users must carry out hands-on activities to create weapons, gadgets, bridges, and other elements that will help them throughout their adventure.
The main benefits of this game are:
-Mimicry between technology and the environment.
-Active exploration of the environment.
-Learning by doing.
-Social interaction.
The project stems from an initial research phase that investigated the risks and opportunities of children’s relationship with technology. Concerns such as screen addiction, passivity, or isolation coexist with possibilities of creativity, skill development, and social connection. Using Research through Design methodology, I collaborated with a class of 25 fourth-grade students in Málaga, conducting co-creation workshops and playful activities. These interventions explored hybrid ideas combining crafts with digital devices, maps of interests shared between kids and parents, and character design exercises to address screen time balance.
From these insights, DreamCraft was born. The game’s storyline takes place in Fantasia, a magical land threatened by Nachtmahr, a force that turns dreams into nightmares. To restore harmony, children embody characters such as the Magician, Engineer, or Botanist, each with unique skills that encourage collaboration.
Key features include:
Cooperative mode: multiple players in the same room must coordinate their abilities.
AR integration: blending the physical surroundings with the fantasy narrative, encouraging exploration.
Crafts and potions kit: a physical companion box with materials to build bridges, tools, and potions, reinforcing hands-on creativity.
User testing with nine children confirmed the project’s potential. Kids showed high engagement, strong collaboration, and a clear preference for the physical crafting part of the game. They often left the screen to interact with their peers or explore the environment, validating the premise that technology can act as a bridge rather than a barrier.
DreamCraft demonstrates that virtual and physical play are not opposing worlds but complementary ones. When designed responsibly, technology can encourage creativity, teamwork, and active exploration. The project highlights a pathway towards more balanced, meaningful interactions between children and digital media—transforming devices from passive entertainment tools into enablers of imagination, collaboration, and learning.
video explainervideo UXResearch GameDesign GamesForKids MasterThesis GraphicDesign GenerativeAI LeonardoAI videoeditor animatorWW…