UNICEF Emergency Response Simulation Game

Emergency Response Simulation Game

UNICEF’s mission is to support and protect children around the world, during and after major emergencies. As an organization funded entirely through donations, a key challenge is to ensure people clearly understand both the mission and the role UNICEF takes on in emergency situations.

UNICEF needed a new way to engage the global community - to help build partnerships for disaster response, connect with donors, and inspire volunteers and students. Through early prototyping, UNICEF recognized the most effective way to engage and motivate people around its mission is to give them a taste of what humanitarian workers experience on the ground.

Game DesignThe design team set out to build a simulation game that educates players about UNICEF, provides an opportunity for team building, and delivers an engaging, memorable experience. The final solution is structured as an immersive, short form role-playing game where teams work to complete tasks before a time clock runs out. Game content is drawn from the 2011 floods in Sri Lanka, providing a sense of realism and consequence.

Game Components1. The Player Dashboard (built as a web application) which provides the

primary interface for teams2. The Facilitator Dashboard for managing back-end game control3. The Facilitator Manual which includes all game details and allows anyone

to become a game facilitator.

Emergency Response Simulation Game

NEWS FEED ITEM

FACILITATOR LOG-IN

EMAIL FROM HQ SUPPLY ORDER

END-GAME SURVEYEMAIL TO TEAM

PLAYER DASHBOARD

FACILITATOR DASHBOARD

Web Dashboard Screens

Emergency Response Simulation Game

Game PlayThe Game experience is designed to run in exactly 2 hours - the most reasonable time commitment for potential players. The game tasks culminate with all teams submitting components of a Supply Plane Order from UNICEF headquarters in Copenhagen. The facilitator then leads a debrief to reflect on what players accomplished and how the tasks relate to UNICEF’s mission.

As part of the development process, the design studio facilitated game play in 3 locations - our New York Studio, UNICEF New York, and UNICEF Copenhagen.

March 2012Design StudioFirst Prototype

June 2012UNICEF, New YorkFull Test Run

July 2012UNICEF, CopenhagenFirst International Deloyment

Emergency Response Simulation Game

AnalyzeA group of designers

participated in UNICEF’s first prototype of the game to

identify design opportunities

DesignThe design team then mapped

out a new story arc, with new game features

and mechanics

TestTo evaluate the new game structure and content, we

built a paper prototype and tested it live

BuildIncorporating feedback from

testing, we made design refinements and completed the

digital dashboard

Design ProcessThe team designed and built the new game over several months, using an iterative process. Each iteration was informed by feedback from live testing and UNICEF project stakeholders.

Emergency Response Simulation Game

Project ValueThe Emergency Response Simulation Game is designed for a global audience including corporations, volunteers, humanitarian groups, and students groups. The game will eventually become a pubic, open-source tool aimed at increasing awareness about UNICEF activities. The game will help build empathy for UNICEF’s mission to protect children and their families, and highlight the valuable role the organization plays in emergency humanitarian relief. The game will continue to evolve with player input – V3.0 has already been scoped out for 2013.

Emergency Response Simulation Game