A case study for SeeFuture, an EU project

Tidsresan

From vague idea to time-traveling suitcase

Client: SeeFuture
We did: Led brief-writing process, creative development, prototype, production
Became: An adventure game for preschoolers

01 Brief → Direction

Multiplayer brief writing

SeeFuture had a mission: get kids into STEAM (science, arts, etc).

But every voice on the team had a different sense of how. Multiple vague ideas.

We invited everyone into one room. Science center. Education dept. So many preschool teachers.

After a series of curated questions and a lot of carrot soup, agreement on what was needed:

A classroom experience that didn’t require lots of additional work from teachers.

Our digital sprint portal works the same way… only we mail you the carrot soup. Yes, for real.

Preschool teachers sitting on the floor in a workshop

A wall of sticky notes under the heading: games children love — “Games children love” — the wall after an hour

02 Building → Testing

Prototypes

Creative play begins. Using insights from our brief writing process. Is it an online quiz show? A treasure hunt? Some sort of AI-powered hat?

We zeroed in on the idea of a board game. Markers got involved. And we built a digital game host that allowed us to play-test.

A narrative emerged about a time-traveling suitcase that needs kids’ help. Recover lost items by solving STEAM puzzles.

Here’s another type of prototype. An inspo film that gave clients something to rally around.

A hand-drawn game board being played on the floor — The first game board, played the same day

Soldering the first panel

03 Done

Definition

Collaborative play-testing. Soldering. Laser-cutting panels.

The look and feel of the game emerged alongside the plan for using it.

10 boxes out for test. In real preschools, right now.

Rows of travellers on a 3D printer bed

Unpainted 3D-printed travellers

A half-painted traveller next to paint pots

A finished, painted traveller

Painting a traveller

Painted travellers drying in a row

The game map through time, with a traveller on it

The open suitcase with its control panel

The closed suitcase

A traveller standing on the map next to a die

The traveller character

Token pouches

Wooden tokens

Close-up of the suitcase panel

Have a vague idea? Let’s go.

Peder Fjällström · [email protected]