Chirping Habitat
I designed and crafted an interactive, immersive experience and data visualization within a 360-degree projection cube to foster empathy for animal and environmental heritage.
Emma Li - Researcher&Designer
2024.04-2024.06
UX Design, Space Design
TouchDesigner, Adobe AE,PS
Team work
Maker: Emma Li(post-production), Ash Yang(voice over)
Birds are losing or altering their unique sounds to adapt to the change in their habitats under the influence of urban city planning. Chirping Habitats offers an immersive simulation of three distinct ecosystems – bushland, heathland, and coastal heath – in Lake Macquarie. Through the use of diverse bird sounds, contrasting visualizations, and user interaction, the experience delves into the significance of the species of concern nurtured by the land in Lake Macquarie.
Project Background
Once a sanctuary for diverse bird species, Lake Macquarie has become increasingly impacted by urban development, leading to habitat loss that forces birds to alter or lose their distinctive songs to adapt to the changing environment. Alarmingly, this has also pushed more bird species toward endangerment.
I’ve always been passionate about using design to strengthen the bond between humans and nature. This project perfectly aligned with my values, combining ecological storytelling and immersive design to inspire empathy and awareness for environmental conservation. By focusing on preserving bird habitats and fostering emotional connections, it allowed me to explore the intersection of ecological storytelling and innovative design, bridging the digital and physical worlds to create meaningful connections between people and the natural world.
Pain Points
Once known as "Bird Island," Lake Macquarie is now facing habitat loss and a decline in endangered bird species due to urban development.
At the same time, a lack of public awareness about bird and habitat conservation has led to an ecological and cultural crisis for bird populations.
Project Objective
By raising public awareness of bird and habitat conservation, this initiative aims to encourage reflection on the impact of human activities, protect bird habitats, and preserve ecological culture. It fosters an emotional connection between participants and nature, inspiring a lasting commitment to environmental stewardship.
Concept Development
Understanding the urgent need for bird habitat preservation and the role of ecological storytelling, I sought to create an experience that not only raises awareness but also fosters an emotional connection between people and nature. The pain points revealed a critical gap—habitat loss and declining bird populations are worsening, yet public awareness remains low.
With this in mind, the concept development phase became a pivotal moment where research transformed into action. In the concept development phase, I focused on refining the Chirping Habitat's vision by designing interactive visualizations and incorporating bird song waveforms. By testing audio and interactive elements, I aimed to create an engaging experience that fosters user connection while raising awareness of endangered species in Lake Macquarie. This phase allowed me to combine my passion for storytelling and environmental conservation with thoughtful design.
01. Original Concept and Presentation
-Screen Design
Highlighting the significance of nature at Lake Macquarie for the endangered species that inhabit the area
Emphasizing the potential disruption caused by human intervention.
02. Presentation Refining for Initial Prototype
-Screen with Presentation
Decision on using bird songs to depict extinction and present a variety of birds in Lake Macquarie other than the species of concern.
Presenting the birds in a style of hand sketches inspired by Sketch Animals by teamLab.
A layer of waveform visualisation would be generated spreading like feathers in behind when the user touches the bird. The waveform of the endangered bird is less visible, and the volume is lower, symbolizing the endangered bird’s adaptation to other bird songs.
Protyping & Testing
Prototyping was a rewarding phase where the design took shape, allowing me to understand how it connected with real users. Testing the interactive experience, visuals, and bird sounds with 18 participants gave me valuable insights into what truly engaged and connected people to the message of conservation. Their feedback became the foundation for refining and enhancing the design, ensuring it was not only intuitive but also emotionally impactful.
01. Cardboard Lo-fi Prototype
To bring the cube’s concept to life, I expanded on the simple schematic design and paired it with rendered videos, creating clear visual references that made gathering feedback more intuitive and effective.
02. Project Explanatory Poster
I made a project poster to visually narrate the concept and background research, making it easy to grasp the experiences and story behind the design at a glance.
03. During the Test
During testing, I brought the concept to life using low-fidelity models and video prototypes with audio components, giving users a range of interaction experiences. I also ensured a respectful and ethical process by obtaining consent before recording their feedback and reactions.
04. Interview data
I conducted user testing with 18 participants, followed by semi-structured interviews with each tester. The data gathered is summarized below:
I gathered valuable feedback through interviews, using participants' insights to refine and evolve the design. Their input directly shaped key iterations, ensuring the final solution was both user-centered and impactful.
Design Solution
Chirping Habitats is an immersive simulation within a 360-degree projection cube that recreates three distinct ecosystems—bushland, heathland, and coastal heath—of Lake Macquarie. The design includes a passive mode when unoccupied, along with interactive modes for single and multiple users. Visitor interactions with the exhibit are illustrated through a video and a detailed storyboard.
Storyboard for Concept
Visitor interactions - a passive mode when unoccupied, along with interactive modes for single and multiple users - with the exhibit are illustrated through a detailed storyboard.
Project Highlights
Dynamic particles visually represent bird populations and their survival status, enhancing viewers' intuitive understanding of ecological imbalance and the crisis facing endangered species.
Particle Dynamics
Viewers can participate in an interactive game on screen, attempting to connect different bird species to protect them. Despite their efforts, the endangered bird population continues to decline, and particles gradually fade, directly conveying the destructive impact of habitat loss and prompting reflection on human influence on the environment.
Interactive Multiplayer Game
The size and movement of particles respond in real time to the pitch and rhythm of birdsong, blending sound and visual dynamics to provide a more immersive experience, allowing viewers to not only "hear" but also "see" the shifts in bird sounds.
Real-Time Visualization of Birdsong Changes
Through a dual sensory experience of birdsong and visual changes within a 360-degree panoramic projection, viewers are fully immersed in the diverse habitats of Lake Macquarie’s birdlife. The predominantly dark visual tones contrast sharply with lively birdsong, intensifying emotional impact and fostering a deeper connection to the natural environment.
Multi-Sensory Immersive Experience
My Reflection
In the "Chirping Habitat" project, I applied interaction design processes and tools, such as brainstorming and mind mapping, to clarify project goals and design considerations.
In terms of teamwork and leadership, my team and I adopted a flat structure to encourage active participation from everyone. However, this approach led to issues with procrastination and communication inefficiencies. I realized that the lack of a clear leadership role and regular check-ins affected our project’s progress, highlighting the challenges of effective collaboration in a design project.
The iteration and user testing phases underscored the importance of real-world validation and user feedback. Due to missed field research, some design aspects lacked alignment with real-world context, impacting effectiveness. This experience taught me the value of early, context-specific research—such as conducting field studies for environment-related projects like ours—to ground the design in real-world insights. Alongside early research, continuous testing is essential to refine the design and meet user needs effectively.
Visually, I enhanced the design's impact by incorporating the natural aesthetics of bird habitats to strengthen the ecological message. During prototyping, I used low-fidelity models and video prototypes with audio to offer varied interaction experiences. I learned that it’s essential to focus not only on presenting creative concepts but also on thoroughly considering user experience.