Culinary Botany: Game Design for Environmental Awareness
Client: Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania
Designer: Christian Johnson
The Culinary Botany project is a card-based matching game designed to educate players about native, non-native, and invasive plant species while fostering curiosity and promoting sustainable practices. Created for the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, the game bridges environmental education with engaging gameplay.
This project showcases the fusion of game design, UX principles, and environmental education.
Project Highlights
Objective: To combat "plant blindness" and increase awareness of plant diversity by integrating key terms like native plants, non-native plants, and their roles in ecosystems.
Audience: Adults and families participating in indoor or outdoor educational programs, with gameplay lasting under 15 minutes for groups of 3-4 players.
Game Mechanics: A strategic card-matching system that encourages players to craft recipes using native plants while leveraging invasive species as competitive tools.
UX and Game Design Process
Conducted research on plant literacy and the effectiveness of gamification in education.
Iterative prototyping included feedback from multiple playtests to refine mechanics, balance gameplay, and align with user experiences.
Designed for both entertainment and education, with intuitive interfaces and clear iconography to aid learning.
Impact and Next Steps
Culinary Botany successfully increased curiosity about local flora, as demonstrated by enthusiastic player feedback. Planned expansions include adding regional variations, new recipes, and more diverse plant cards to enhance replayability and educational value.
