Keen Mind

The concept came from my own growth through D&D. I saw how the game taught valuable skills like teamwork, communication, and critical thinking, and I wanted to create a platform that made learning problem-solving fun and interactive. Inspired by platforms like Duolingo and CodeCombat, I aimed to make education an adventure. I sought to answer the question, how could D&D be used to facilitate the learning of problem-solving skills through an online platform?

The work itself was a journey of managing three core elements: D&D, education, and problem-solving. The main insight I found was that the common thread linking these aspects was the theme of discovery, which became central to my branding and design decisions. This insight inspired the brand identity for Keen Mind, which takes on a tone of intrigue, mystery, and enticement.

Drawing from medieval themes, I incorporated serif fonts and elements of pagan symbolism, like masks and floral Celtic maze motifs, to visually represent the concept of exploration and discovery.

To begin the website production, I created a site map to understand the flow of the platform. Before even prototyping, I spoke to an experienced Dungeon Master and walked them through the map, to ensure that they had all the tools needed to run a session. This session was incredibly valuable, as I was able to make important refinements before getting to the low-fi and high-fi prototypes.

I tested the platform through game sessions, where players were able to play with little to no instruction, confirming the ease of use. This iterative process allowed me to tweak at every step of the way, ensuring the final platform functioned smoothly.