Ecolution: What’s the future you want to see?

Project Description

Our team received a mysterious brief. Create a detailed settlement plan on the MS-Dos Island, an imaginative isolated environment in the Pacific Ocean untouched by human lifeforms. This island is surrounded by healthy coral reefs and is inhabited by wild species like the beautiful, endangered Takahe birds. In this project, we had to navigate ambiguity through sustainable research, design thinking, and an extensive, detailed 10-year project plan.

Problem

During the ideation phase, our team compiled all of the research we gathered only to realize that all other ideas we brainstormed paled in the knowledge of how dire the global climate crisis is. Rising sea levels and global warming would submerge the island in a matter of years, so we couldn't justify creating a new civilization on a ticking clock. Based on the brief we were given, our team originally thought about tourism and human settlement on the MS-Dos Island but the destructive practices of both concepts combined with global climate issues nudged us towards a different path. Instead, we refocused our efforts on asking how we could protect the island and environments like it. Our final decision was to create a civilization within a VR game using the island to simulate the impacts of global warming.

Insights

Settling on the island may pose environmental problems in the island. The island may eventually go underwater due to the effects of climate change. Experiencing the effects of climate change may be an effective way to promote action.

Solutions

Ecolution is an interactive VR game that uses MS-DOS island to simulate the impacts of global warming. The game implements behavior design methodologies to nudge players toward sustainable living and a healthier state of mind.