Amplify
Interactive Public Engagement Activity for Children
Problem
The Psychosis Research Group was nominated by the university to design a public engagement activity to explain the science of psychosis to 8–12-year-olds. But as psychosis is a sensitive and often misunderstood topic, we needed to find a way to explain it without causing confusion or distress.
Goal
To create a safe, engaging, and age-appropriate experience that helps children understand how the brain interprets the world, including how perception can sometimes be surprising or different.
Solution
We developed Guppy’s Brain Fayre Story Game; an interactive digital story animation that uses illusions and playful dialogue to help kids explore how the brain interprets reality. It introduces the science behind perception in a gentle, imaginative, and trauma-informed way.
Company
Psychosis Research Group at University of Glasgow
Role(s)
UX Designer/ Illustrator
Team
UX Designer/ Illustrator
2 Research Assistants (Mental Health & Wellbeing)
Professor of Clinical Psychology
Professor of Psychological Therapy
Methods
Trauma-informed design thinking
Co-design and lived experience feedback
User-centred design for children
Prototyping and iteration
Storytelling as an educational tool
Live public presentation and facilitation
Deliverables
Illusion research
Co-design feedback summary
Storyboard and user flow
Narrative script and voiceover dialogue
Animations
Prototypes
Interactive website
Activity concept plan and presentation materials
Risk assessment documentation
Tools
Notion
Figjam
Figma
Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
Audacity
Canva
Framer
Timeline
20 days
UX/ UI Design
Inclusive Design
Mental Health Education
View website
Problem Statement
This project was created in collaboration with the Psychosis Research Group at the University of Glasgow. The team was nominated to design a public engagement activity to explain the science of psychosis to children aged 8–12. Given the sensitivity of the topic, the challenge was to communicate how the brain interprets reality in a way that is safe, engaging, and trauma-informed.
Through research and feedback, we decided to focus the learning on perceptional differences, exploring how brains make sense of the world in unique ways. The key takeaway message of the display is that people can see and hear things differently, and that it's important to be kind and curious rather than judgmental.
Who is experiencing the problem?
Children aged 8–12 (and their families/educators) unfamiliar with how perception can vary between people.
What is the problem?
There are few engaging or age-appropriate resources to help explain complex brain experiences, such as hallucinations, in a way that’s accessible and not frightening.
Why does it matter?
Misunderstanding these experiences can lead to fear, stigma, or alienation. Empathy and education at an early age can help shift perceptions and support mental health literacy.
Solution
As a solution, we created a narrative-led digital experience where users follow the main characters Guppy and Professor Kit McGumloch through a playful park experience into a magical "Brain Fayre". Along the way, they encounter well-known optical and auditory illusions that demonstrate how all brains sometimes make surprising guesses.
Process
2.1 Research
Methods used:
Lived experience feedback
Informal user testing (children aged 8–12)
Heuristic review of existing illusions
Trauma-informed UX principles
Key insights:
Children are naturally curious and enjoy puzzles and illusions
Framing perception as “brain guessing” reduces fear and increases engagement
Clinical terms should be avoided; metaphors and humour work better
Interactive play increases understanding and memory retention
Methods used:
Lived experience feedback
Informal user testing (children aged 8–12)
Heuristic review of existing illusions
Trauma-informed UX principles
Key insights:
Children are naturally curious and enjoy puzzles and illusions
Framing perception as “brain guessing” reduces fear and increases engagement
Clinical terms should be avoided; metaphors and humour work better
Interactive play increases understanding and memory retention
2.2 Ideation
We brainstormed metaphorical concepts that allow children to explore perception without diagnosing or pathologising. We landed on a whimsical park and “Brain Fayre” as the core metaphor — a safe, fun, exploratory space.
We then mapped out a character-led journey using known illusions (like Yanny/Laurel, Müller-Lyer, etc.) to demonstrate how brains make guesses.
Example concept visuals:
(Insert sketches of Guppy walking into the Brain Fayre or storyboard panels)
After the 2 training sessions, we had 3 development sessions where we brainstormed ideas;
Sound illusions
Dress up > VR experience; too scary
Animation/ Storytelling
2.3 Design
We created a story-driven interactive prototype using Figma, later built as a website in Framer. Each illusion scene was paired with:
Simple interaction (e.g. choose what you hear/see)
Dialogue between Guppy and Professor Kit
A safe, scientifically accurate explanation at a child’s reading level
Key design decisions:
Used friendly characters and illustrated scenes to reduce intimidation
Prioritised curiosity over instruction
Carefully worded all feedback to validate differences in perception
2.4 Testing
What we tested:
Understanding of illusions and story flow
Emotional response and comfort level
Navigation and pacing
With whom:
Informal testing with 4 children aged 8–12
Feedback from 1 person with lived experience of psychosis
Input from researchers and facilitators
Findings & Iterations:
Simplified scientific explanations further
Refined character dialogue to be more playful
Adjusted pacing to keep attention across the full walk-through
Testing with science centre staff and family members.
Changes: ensure that animations stayed at least 3 seconds before changing, but needed to ensure to keep attention as children's attention is short; originally watch animation and answer on quiz sheet, changed to interact with animation by selecting buttons
Too many illusions, reduce the amount to keep attention and not become repetitive
View detailed case study
Solution
Final Design Overview
An interactive website featuring:
A guided walk through a magical park
Illusion-based mini-games
Voiceover-ready dialogue and sound effects
A reflection space at the end ("The Reflection Tree")
Key Features:
Child-friendly explanations of perception
Audio and visual illusions like Yanny/Laurel, Ebbinghaus, Spinning Dancer
Physical illusion activity kit for events
Safe, non-clinical narrative framing
Message of empathy and curiosity at the core
Before/After Comparison:
(Optional visual: e.g., early script idea vs. final storyboard)
Results and Impact
My main focus was to bring the story to life via animation
Idea to have pixelated animation but made main characters not pixelated to stand out and be distint from rest of animation
Metrics
100% completion rate in informal testing
Ready for public launch at science centre event
Positive pre-launch feedback from parents, academics, and lived experience contributor
Qualitative feedback:
“It really helped me understand that other people might see or hear things differently—and that’s okay.”
— Child participant, age 11
“This is the best explanation of psychosis I’ve ever seen for this age group.”
— Academic advisor (psychosis research)
What worked well
Framing science through interactive story
Collaborating early with people who have lived experience
Building for empathy instead of diagnosis
What I’d do differently next time:
Present in touchscreen format to match similar experience as rest of exhibits
Plan for a more formal user testing phase with observation and feedback capture
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