Flow

The educational materials were not very engaging, so it was difficult to really understand how recycling works. Children struggled to connect everyday actions with environmental consequences, also because they didn’t receive immediate feedback. Moreover, there was a lack of a simple-to-use digital activity, easily projectable on interactive whiteboards or tablets, without needing to install complicated programs.

A four-stage journey — collection, sorting, transformation, and celebration — set in three ecosystems: river, lake, and sea. An interactive and easy-to-explore map, with blue markers and animated stickers, tells small stories and offers practical tips. A narrative sidebar, with avatars, guided texts, and forward/back buttons, accompanies teachers and students throughout the experience. A digital assistant, “Ask something,” based on an artificial intelligence assistant, immediately answers children’s questions and curiosities.

We conducted a preliminary analysis phase to define the language, characters, and level of complexity most suitable for children. The first prototypes created were tested to align the graphic elements and the narrative sequence. The work was organized into weekly work cycles: the first dedicated to creating the base map and managing the markers, the second to developing the sidebar and the chat, and the last to optimization.

The experience keeps attention high thanks to light games and animations that reward curiosity. Teachers have ready-to-use tools at their disposal, easily integrated into lessons. An interactive chat helps continue the discussion, promoting personalized learning and offering insights on the most common questions.