Humboldt Forum
It’s all about kids
Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz
Year
2021-2022
Location
Berlin
The Humboldt Forum has come up with something very special for children and families. In 5 family areas, geographically located throughout the 5 world continents, child-appropriate content can be explored with the help of both analogue and digital experiences. We had the pleasure of designing 3 of them and immersed ourselves in the worlds of Oceania, Cameroon and Amazonia.
01. Cameroon
In two interactive applications children can learn in a very simple way what colonialism is and what effects it had in Cameroon.
01. Cameroon
In two interactive applications children can learn in a very simple way what colonialism is and what effects it had in Cameroon.
What would you have done?
An interactive visual novel
In an interactive role play game, children can take on the role of 3 children in Cameroon. They meet Rudolf Manga Bell, the king of Cameroon during the period of German colonial domination and occupation. Their task is to inform the German Empire about the terrible injustice by means of a petition. In doing so, the children have to make important decisions and learn more about that time and colonialism in general. This was realised in an illustrated and auditive visual novel.
Tracing history
An panorama exploration
In this game, the children reunite with the characters from the visual novel. Four story locations can be explored as large panoramas: players search for the pictures used as the basis for the illustrations in the game, in other words the corresponding historical source material. The hidden archive photos provide information about life under occupation at the time and can be collected in a digital book with the goal to also see how life has changed and Cameroon looks like today.
How to adress difficult topics to children?
Both interactive stations are built around a complex and sensitive theme—colonialism—a subject challenging for children to grasp and potentially unsettling. How can we address such a difficult topic without exposing young minds to its harshest realities? With the guidance of curators and anti-racism experts, we developed a visual and narrative approach that balances truth with protection. These games present the topic in a way children can engage with: through an interactive world seen from their own perspective.
02. Oceania
Boat building and navigating through huge archipelagos - possible with the help of 2 interactive games
02. Oceania
Boat building and navigating through huge archipelagos - possible with the help of 2 interactive games
Build a boat
Build a boat and learn everything about it
In an interactive game, the children get to know Joji, a boat builder from Fiji. They help him to build a so-called Drua by playing through various mini-games. They saw, carve out the wood and weave the sail – and end up building a whole boat. Along the way, of course, they learn lots of exciting facts about Oceania and the boats there.
History of boats
An interactive multiplayer game
Up to four children/players can discover the world of Oceania at the same time on a huge, round touch table within the family area. Once they have chosen a boat type, they can steer it through the huge archipelago across the entire table. The task is to collect coins, which unlock stories and thus convey why different boat types are used by different island, how navigation on open waters works and much more…
How do we know this works and is fun?
User testings are key to creating meaningful interactive experiences for children. At different stages of development, we test the applications with our young target groups to ensure the interactions are intuitive and, most importantly, that the topics make sense to young minds. This process helps us refine both the design and the message, creating stations that are engaging, easy to use, impactful and fun to use.
03. Amazonia
Discovering the amazonian rainforest with help of a huge wall projection and several body tracking cameras...
03. Amazonia
Discovering the amazonian rainforest with help of a huge wall projection and several body tracking cameras...
Interactive Rainforest
An immersive wall projection
A huge sensory wall projection invites young visitors to immerse themselves into the Amazonian rainforest. Interactively they can discover stories and myths of the Indigenous Cultures of origin. Just by moving their bodies they can discover the magic of the jungle as well as the threats that modern society provides to that region. Playfully, they become part of the narrative themselves.
