About the Project
For this project assignment, I elected to create an animated graphic to illustrate the life cycle of a butterfly. I aimed at designing a user experience that used animation and interactivity to reveal information sequentially in chunks, all the while considering how to minimize and reduce cognitive load for intermediate science students in Grades 3–5
For this animated user experience of the butterfly life cycle, I wanted the imagery to weave between dark and light. Therefore, I designed the contrast between shades of color for each stage to accentuate, or reflect, the description of that particular stage. Stationery stages of the life cycle were designed to reflect 'rest' or 'pause'. In contrast, the active stages of the life cycle were designed to display 'vibrancy' and 'energy'.
In Stage 2, I elected to implement subtle animated transitions to more accurately reflect the description. For instance, the caterpillar moves through the stage with worm-like motion, pausing center stage below the description. In addition, I designed the images with more 'pops' of color to reinforce the description for learners. The dynamics of the embedded soundtrack is reflective of each stage in the life cycle of the butterfly.
In this example, I designed a soothing midnight sky landscape to aid learners in understanding how the transformation stage is a stationery moment of inactivity or sleep. At this stage, the soundtrack is less dynamic and ambient. These timed transitions in the colors and soundtrack will allow the learner to better understand what is occurring during these stages.
For the final stage of the life cycle of the butterfly, I chose to illustrate a monarch butterfly that depicts vibrancy and life evident during this stage. The transition between the final stage and the initial stage was important since the animation loops to accurately describe the life cycle of the butterfly. Therefore, I opted for designing a landscape similar in shape to the initial stage but contrasting in color. For example, the initial stage has darker hues of blue and green while the final stage has lighter shades of green.
