Write your WildQuest,
one paw-print at a time.
WildQuest is an interactive wildlife adventure at Borealis Park, a reimagined zoo experience, that empowers kids and teens to explore on their own terms. At its core is SnapPaw, a screen-free RFID-enabled slap bracelet that transforms a zoo visit into a personal journey of discovery.
Designed to spark curiosity and foster independent exploration, SnapPaw reveals hidden interaction points, animated animal encounters, and collectible badges through movement and play.
Durable, intuitive, and made with ages 3-13 in mind, SnapPaw helps young guests connect with wildlife and write their WildQuest, one paw-print at a time.
Project Summary
Zoos struggle to create meaningful visitor engagement, as many guests leave without developing a deeper connection to nature or curiosity about wildlife, while fragmented systems for tracking animal health, monitoring habitats, and managing operations lead to inefficiencies in care, resource management, and conservation efforts. The lack of integrated technology and automation further burdens staff with manual tasks, reducing their capacity for direct animal care, enrichment, and medical attention.
Over the course of 10 weeks, we established our core problem and designed a reimagined zoo experience addressing both human and animal needs. During the second 10 week sprint, we designed WildQuest, our focused contribution within this larger vision.
Goal
To reimagine the zoo experience by designing systems that alleviate the burden on zookeepers, improving operational efficiency, animal care, and staff well-being.
Our mission is to reimagine the zoo experience by creating an interactive, emotionally-driven journey that fosters meaningful connections between guests and wildlife. Through immersive storytelling, tactile engagement, and thoughtful integration of technology, we aim to spark curiosity, inspire empathy, and encourage a lasting commitment to conservation efforts.
Process and Exploration
Designers
Sarah Thongsouk
Elle Pylate
App and Website
Cole Thompson
Illustrations
Nathan Wong
Team
Duration
20 weeks
Research: 10 weeks
Designing: 10 weeks
Tools
Digital
Figma
Rhino
AI integration
Illustrator
Physical
Shop Tools
Skills
Design Research
Rapid Prototyping
High-fidelity Prototyping
Experience Design
Storytelling
Low Retention Rates
Over 60% of zoo visitors leave without significantly improving their conservation knowledge, leading to low repeat visits.
Lack of Direct Engagement
Only 34% of visitors aged 2-13 feel they truly learned something new during their zoo visit.
Barriers to Emotional Connection
Physical barriers reduce emotional engagement by over 40% compared to exhibits using perceived proximity.
Zoo Reimagined
The reimagined zoo experience is a comprehensive design proposal that prioritizes the needs of zookeepers and animals while redefining how guests engage with wildlife. It envisions an integrated platform that transforms zoo operations by providing real-time animal tracking, interactive educational experiences for visitors, and centralized tools for proactive habitat management and care.
Designed for a fictional wildlife park, this WildQuest serves as a forward-thinking prototype for modern zoos, combining spatial design, storytelling, and smart systems to support animal welfare and streamline keeper workflows. While guests remain secondary users, they benefit from immersive, emotionally resonant environments that inspire curiosity, foster empathy, and promote conservation awareness.
Why Aren’t Guests Engaged?
The reimagined zoo experience is a comprehensive design proposal that prioritizes the needs of zookeepers and animals while redefining how guests engage with wildlife. It envisions an integrated platform that transforms zoo operations by providing real-time animal tracking, interactive educational experiences for visitors, and centralized tools for proactive habitat management and care.
Designed for a fictional wildlife park, this WildQuest serves as a forward-thinking prototype for modern zoos, combining spatial design, storytelling, and smart systems to support animal welfare and streamline keeper workflows. While guests remain secondary users, they benefit from immersive, emotionally resonant environments that inspire curiosity, foster empathy, and promote conservation awareness.
SnapPaw
SnapPaw is a screen-free, wearable device that enhances guest interaction throughout the WildQuest system. Distributed at the entrance and returned at a kiosk, it takes the form of a durable, water-resistant silicone slap bracelet with an embedded RFID chip. The bracelet activates location-based experiences like interactive signage, environmental effects, and audio storytelling tied to conservation themes. As part of the Guest Experience Enhancement initiative, SnapPaw encourages exploration and reinforces learning through multisensory engagement.
Tai
The Interactive Display at Tai the Tiger’s exhibit enhances the Siberian tiger exhibit through a narrative-driven experience blending digital signage with environmental storytelling. Housed in a sculpted rock enclosure, it activates hidden hieroglyphics and animated content when triggered by a SnapPaw device. This dual-mode setup offers basic educational information to all guests while providing an enriched layer for WildQuest users. The experience culminates in a digital tiger animation that guides visitors toward the real exhibit, fostering emotional engagement and accessible learning.
