Eco Hacks

Inspiration

It is estimated that with the current rate of population growth and natural resource use, we will reach the limits of our planetary system by 2100. Eco Hacks is a fun and engaging way to inspire players to make simple changes that have positive effects on the planet.

What It Does

Eco Hacks is a simple game that provides environmental hacks in the form of truth or dare. The skill is great for kids and adults and helps players make immediate, eco-friendly decisions.

How I Built It

I started by identifying the biggest barriers to changing eco-friendly habits, which are mainly lack of knowledge, time, and willpower. Through Eco Hacks, I created simple "hacks" that are easy to complete and incorporate into daily life. I developed the skill using Storyline and tested it with several users. Based on the feedback, the skill was highly engaging and something players would engage with on a weekly basis. In fact, several expressed the desire for more challenging dares!

Challenges

The main challenge I faced during development was presenting the environmental hacks in the most engaging way. I ultimately decided to gamify the experience by integrating the hacks in a format that most people are familiar with: Truth or Dare! I also gave Alexa a more humorous and sarcastic personality in her responses to make the game a bit more exciting.

Accomplishments

As an engineer and graduate student in sustainability, I'm proud to create a skill that can bring awareness to how to live more sustainably on a daily basis. I am also the founder Impactful Play, a company that designs voice-empowered games for the greater good.

Lessons Learned

With many people wanting to reduce their screen time, I learned that voice is a way to augment face-to-face and tactile experiences without forcing on-screen interactions. I also learned that surprise, personality, and humor can be important parts of the user engagement that makes a skill fun and delightful.

Next Steps

I plan to add more informative truths and more challenging dares on a weekly basis. I'm also in the process of adding a point system to track how many truths or dares are completed to encourage winning streaks and continued sustainable lifestyle choices. Lastly, based on ongoing feedback from users, I plan to create an Eco Hacks version for kids specifically relating to healthy eating behaviors. This version will challenge users to make eco-friendly (and kid-friendly) meals using creative recipes.

Built With

• storyline