game - Hygiene Hero

Hygiene Hero Cup is a digital extension of the World Shoe Fund's mission to promote global health through hygiene education and shoe distribution. Developed in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center, this game brings their impactful Wash and Wear Program to life.

ROLE: game designer, environment artist

Software: Unity, Maya, Substance Painter

TEAM SIZE: 6

TIME: Sep 2024- Dec 2024

GENRE: Educational

Read the CMU feature

Responsibilities:

Game Designer

designed 2 game levels (level2&3) and outside world (game lobby)

Concept & 3D artist

drafted concept art, modeled environmental art

VFX

customized waterfall and water surface

GAME DESIGN

Game Concept: Combining Gameplay with Hygiene Education

The inspiration for this project stemmed from the reality in some impoverished areas of Africa, where many children lack shoes and basic hygiene knowledge. This often leads to foot injuries, infections, and even long-term impacts such as missing school. Our game aims to educate children about hygiene through fun and engaging gameplay.

Gameplay: Merging Games with Sports

After discussions with the client, we decided to set the context of the game as an “Olympic-style hygiene competition,” combining gameplay with sports for each level.

Level 1 - Hygiene Jump

This level features the traditional African sport of high jump. After completing a tutorial on proper handwashing, players must answer questions about the correct steps to successfully jump over obstacles. Repetition ensures players retain the handwashing process.

Level 2 - Soap Surfing

In this visually dynamic level, players shrink to a microscopic scale and surf on a soap bar across a giant foot, eliminating bacteria, mites, and other pathogens along the way. Players witness bacteria up close, emphasizing the importance of hygiene.

Level 3 - Shoe Dash

This level features an endless runner where players collect shoe parts to assemble a complete pair. Barefoot players face obstacles such as bricks and nails, common hazards in African settings, which reduce health and cause characters to express pain. Wearing shoes eliminates damage from obstacles and enhances the running animation with vibrant visual effects, like glowing footsteps. This design effectively demonstrates the protective power of shoes.

Cultural Integration

Embracing African HeritageSince our team lacked firsthand experience in Africa, we conducted extensive research to incorporate authentic cultural elements.Level One Scene Design:Set atop a volcanic lake in Rwanda’s national park, inspired by local volcanic hotels, the scene showcases Africa’s unique natural beauty.Level Two and Beyond:In Ghana, we incorporated the country’s national flower into shoe designs, symbolizing growth and aligning with the “Proudly Made in Ghana” branding.

Lmpala Lily (national flower in Ghana)

Fashion and Branding

Crafting a Cohesive Visual IdentityTo seamlessly integrate the game with the client’s branding, we drew heavily from the brand book:Core elements from the brand’s illustrations inspired our world-building.The game’s UI and color palette matched the brand’s visual tone.Circular and curved geometric designs were used throughout, ensuring consistency across visuals.This approach ensured the game not only served as an educational tool but also strengthened the brand’s identity.

World Shoe Branding

Playtest in Ghana: Bridging learning and impact

In the 12th week of development, our team traveled to Ghana (originally planned for Rwanda, but a new virus outbreak necessitated a last-minute change). Over two days, we conducted playtests at a local school with 190 students aged 9 to 16.

Ghana Students and Our Team

Pre & Post-Game Worksheet

To evaluate whether the game achieved its transformational goals, we designed a work sheet for each student’s responses. Remarkably, nearly every student’s drawings showed significant improvement before and after playing the game. For instance, while students were aware of bacteria on their hands and feet prior to the playtest, their initial drawings were vague. After playing, their illustrations became more detailed, accurately reflecting the bacteria as depicted in the game. This highlighted the educational impact of our work.

These feedback not only provided valuable insights into our target audience but also deepened my understanding of African culture and local needs. For me, this experience highlighted the importance of connecting with players to create meaningful, culturally resonant games. For more records of the playtest sessions, you can find additional details.

A Personal Journey of Growth

This trip to Africa was also a deeply personal and unique experience for me. It allowed me to connect closely with the local culture, traditions, and our target audience. The children we met were incredibly polite, adorable, and curious, making the experience even more memorable. I feel truly grateful and fortunate to have had this opportunity to learn, grow, and contribute through our project.

A student's painting on hygiene inspired by our game！

Ghana students and me

my lovely team

3D art

Outside World Environment Design Strategy

- Visual Inspiration

Since our game is designed for teenagers, the outside world (the game lobby with three level entrances) is crafted to deliver a competitive, energetic, and dynamic experience, I drew inspiration from Mario Kart and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics game, blending fast-paced gameplay with a vibrant, playful vibe to set the tone for the lobby.

- Design Choices

Flat Colors: Establish a lively and energetic atmosphere.

Geometric Shapes: Create a clean, polished aesthetic that aligns with the World Shoe brand identity.

Outside World Overview

Hygiene Jump

(level 1 gate)

Soap Surfing

(level 2 gate)

Shoe Dash

(level 3 gate)

Level 1 Environment - Hygiene Jump

The game is set in a stunning volcanic lake, inspired by the real volcano in Rwanda National Park. Players stand on floating leaves and jump through hurdles as part of the challenge. The spectator seating is modeled after the luxurious hotels located on the volcano, blending natural beauty with modern architectural elements to enhance the immersive atmosphere.

Volcano and surrounded hotels in Rwanda National Park

Level 1 Environment

Level 2 Environment - Soap Surfing

Since the player shrinks to a tiny size and surfs on a foot, we aim to achieve highly detailed texture development using Substance Painter and Designer. This allows us to create realistic layers and intricate details for the foot's surface.

Level 2 environment

Additionally, I conducted extensive research on the types of bacteria commonly found on feet. Based on this research, I created models and animations for these bacteria to evoke a sense of disgust in players, making the act of eliminating them both satisfying and enjoyable.

Hookworm

(reference & modeling)

Scabies Mite

(reference & modeling)

Level 3 Environment - Shoe Dash

In this level, I incorporated the brand's visual elements into the design of the ground, ensuring consistency with the overall aesthetic. After our visit to Africa, I also added traditional African houses in the background to enhance the cultural authenticity of the scene.

World Shoe Brand Pattern

Level 3 Environment

aRT dIRECTION

Team Poster

Team Logo

Game Font

Following the creation of our team logo and poster, we adapted the World Shoe brand’s color palette and incorporated it into a unique scheme tailored for the game. We also selected a cohesive set of in-game fonts to enhance visual consistency.

I began creating concept art in Illustrator to communicate my vision with the team. Drawing inspiration from the curved and geometric elements used in our logo and poster design, I incorporated these patterns into the artwork. Flat colors were used to convey a clean, modern style that aligns with the game’s blend of fashion and gaming aesthetics. This non-traditional approach allowed me to explore innovative techniques that suit the project’s unique identity.

Game Color Palette

Concept Art - Outside World

Concept Art - level 1 (Hygiene Jump)

Concept Art - level 2 (Soap Surfing)

A Game of Humanity, Charity, and African Culture

This meaningful project combined humanity, charity, and African culture, presenting unique design challenges.

As a designer and artist, I tackled these complexities head-on.

Let me share how I contributed to bringing this vision to life.

Regina Xia

FASHION