Pet Play House
Pet PlayHouse is designed to support children in clinical settings through an engaging and educational mobile game.
Category
Company
Starlight Children's Foundation
Year
2022
Problem
Children undergoing medical procedures often experience stress and fear, which can affect their overall experience and wellbeing. Existing solutions provide limited engagement or distraction, leaving a gap for a digital tool that is both accessible and enjoyable to help children relax before procedures.
My role
I was part of a team of four multidisciplinary designers at RMIT tasked with designing and presenting a digital solution to the Starlight Children’s Foundation. My focus was on the app design, including UX, UI, and overall product design, while collaborating with the team to align the solution with the foundation’s values and objectives.
Focus
UX, UI and Product Design
Platform
iOS and Android mobile app
Define
Research
Play Kids
PlayKids
Baby Panda's
Hospital
While researching the market and competitors, we found that numerous digital projects already existed, each addressing specific needs. Today, children can learn and engage in interactive activities anytime, anywhere.
Growing up with technology, children are comfortable using devices like iPads and iPhones. This makes game development a powerful tool for supporting children in clinical settings, providing distraction, engagement, and comfort during procedures.
Target audience
01
Age group
5-10
Technical maturity
2/5
A curious and imaginative 7-year-old undergoing treatment in a clinical setting, where unfamiliar surroundings can feel intimidating. He enjoys creative activities that let him express himself and learn through play.
Ideation
The cornerstone of effective user-centric creation
In this phase, I reflected on the research, planned the remaining design stages, established a basic app structure, and facilitated communication across team members to ensure alignment.
User journey
Mapping user interactions revealed key needs and pain points, guiding the design to improve usability and overall effectiveness.
Wireframes
To refine the app’s structure, we iterated on multiple design variations, tested feature combinations, and assessed usability across different approaches. This process was key to identifying the most effective solutions, reducing potential risks, and ensuring the app aligned with both user needs and project goals.
Accessibility
Accessibility was a key priority in this project. I designed and implemented voice control features to support children with limited hand mobility, ensuring the app remained inclusive, usable, and effective in clinical environments.
Design
High-Fidelity Interface Design
With wireframes and low-fidelity sketches in place, I moved into Figma to design the app’s interface, focusing on layout, navigation, and UI elements. This phase involved transforming initial concepts into polished, interactive designs.
Design System
We established a design system early in the project to ensure consistency and efficiency across the product. This included defining core elements such as colours, typography, iconography, and component styles, which served as a foundation for scalable and cohesive interface design.
From wireframes to polished interfaces
In the high-fidelity stage, I transformed concepts into polished designs focused on engagement, usability and accessibility, creating an appealing interface, a seamless experience for diverse users and essential features for clinical contexts.
Feature 1
Meet Your Companion
Pick an animal friend to guide you through your medical journey. Each companion adds a fun and comforting element to the experience.
Feature 2
Environment - Pick Your Adventure
Escape the clinical setting by selecting an immersive environment. Customize your experience and make your journey more engaging and enjoyable.
Feature 3
Guidance - Your Companion by Your Side
Your animal friend stays with you throughout the journey, offering guidance and support to help you navigate challenges and feel confident along the way.
Feature 4
Mini Games - Fun and Engaging Distractions
Play a variety of games and activities designed to capture attention and provide a playful break from the clinical environment.
Feature 5
Hands-Free - Voice Control for Accessibility
Enable voice recognition to navigate the app and play games using your voice, making the experience more accessible for children with limited hand mobility.
If I had more time
• Conduct additional usability testing to gather deeper insights and refine the app experience
• Explore more engaging mini-games and interactive features to boost distraction and enjoyment
• Expand accessibility features
Key takeaways
This project deepened my understanding of designing for sensitive and specialised user groups. I learned how to balance engagement, usability, and accessibility in a context where user comfort and emotional wellbeing are paramount.
Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team helped me refine my ability to communicate design decisions effectively and incorporate feedback from both peers and external stakeholders.
Finally, the experience reinforced the importance of empathy-driven design, showing how thoughtful digital solutions can create meaningful, positive experiences for children in clinical settings.