Inspired by the Tamagotchi form factor, Seacrest follows the story of Lily and Lila during a serene hometown summer.
Audio: Fortnight by Taylor Swift
BACKGROUND
The Tamagotchi was a toy released in 1997 that featured a limited interface. Users could nurse a baby pet monster to life by maintaining its health, energy and playtime.
By translating this user experience into a modern context, Seacrest aims to reimagine what types of experiences can evolve from limited user touchpoints.
PRODUCT
Seacrest is a magical crest that soars over the town of his namesake. Wherever Seacrest flies, strong relationships seem to follow.
This experience follows Lily and Lila, childhood friends visiting their hometown. The user controls different dates and destinations for the girls in town. Wherever they go, Seacrest seems to follow.
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Where to?
Users can take Seacrest to 4 different locations where Lily and Lila share quality time.
User guidance and messaging.
In the Tamagotchi form factor, there are only 3 physical buttons to engage the digital screen. As such, the user interface has to help guide the user to ensure they can easily navigate the space.
Full Prototype Walkthrough
What's after Seacrest?
The main takeaway I had from this project was balancing concept and practicality. I tackled this by being specific in my copywriting and my messaging about the different interactions about Seacrest.
I spent a lot of time developing the art style of my Tamagotchi, and how the interface design could be incorporated/complement the art style. While I enjoyed getting able to draw different scenes and characters, it definitely pulled more of the focus on the animations, rather than the interactions themselves. I had to lean in to storytelling and messaging in the animation to continue the interaction design, simplifying the amount of inputs the user does themselves.
Seacrest as it stands is meant to focus on storytelling and animation, with a streamlined and simple user interface that spotlights the art style and the character designs.
