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       About

Meeko

Online extension and app that empowers kids to be safe online. 

Project Scope:
Design Research
Naming
Brand Identity
App UX/UI
Web UX/UI

School Project

What I did:
Design Research
3D Illustrations
Character Development
App & Extension UX
App Onboarding
Meeko is a service that gives children a guide as they move through and interact with the internet and gives parents peace of mind that their children are safe. This is achieved with a character-based extension that educates and supports children while they use the internet and social media, an app that offers games to further boost their knowledge, and interactive installations that raise awareness about the service.

Tools Used: Photoshop, Spline (3D Illustrations), Illustrator, Figma, Miro

Collaborators:
Miriam—Design Research, Character Development, Brand Identity, Copywriting, Ad Campaign, Promo Video
Mallory—Design Research, App Prototyping and Wireframing, App UI, copywriting
Isa—Design Research, UX/UI for website, copywriting
Maria—Design Research, UX/UI for Website, Copywriting, Motion

Recognition:
Best in Show—AAF SA Addy’s 2023, Local
Gold—AAF SA Addy’s 2023, Local
SXSW Innovation Lab 2023,Local
Expero Digital Experience Award—Spring 2023 Communication Design Exit Review, Local
Design Research Award—Spring 2023 Communication Design Exit Review, Local
Design for Greater Good Award—Fall 2022 Communication Design Exit Review, Local
TXST Undergraduate Research Conference Poster Competition 2023, Local





Meeko is a character-based app and extension that gives children a guide as they move through and interact with the internet allowing them to gain confidence and become digital citizens.


Learn more about the project research ︎︎︎






Misson Statement & USP



Meeko is the only social media safety service that guides and teaches the child as they interact with the internet and social media to instill healthy and safe online practices.

Meeko aims to make the internet—social media specifically—a safer place for young people. Think of Meeko as parent taught driving. The child is in control but Meeko is there to help guide the child as they interact with the internet.













Illustration Design

I used Spline 3D design tool to create Meeko’s environment. When researching illustration styles, I kept coming across 3D modeling and set out to learn the software. I used a template provided by Spline and customized it to fit what we needed for Meeko’s home. 

The 3D world allows for a more interactive experience for the child and helps keep them more engaged with Meeko. 





App Onboarding


The onboarding is a very crucial part of the app. This is the first interaction the child will have with Meeko. It’s important for Meeko to introduce himself to the child and ask the child for their name. This invites and welcome the child to feel comfortable. Meeko also has to explain that he will be with the child and will help guide them as they explore the internet.

The app onboarding would take place after the parent goes through the website onboarding. The app is soley for the child to interact with Meeko. Ideally, the parent would set up their child’s account online and then proceed to download the app and go through app onboarding together.





Tip Notifications

Meeko’s main purpose is to guide the child as they interact with the internet. This is achieved by a character based extension. The categories that Meeko focuses on are safety, kindness, awareness and education to help with their digital citizenship.


  • Having strong passwords
  • Keeping your location secure


  • How to keep your personal information private
  • Conscious of screen time and technology addiction


  • Being sincere to others
  • Not partaking in bullying


  • Celebrating differences
  • Spreading positivity and compassion


  • Awareness of fake accounts
  • Recognizing misinformation


  • Conscious of scams
  • Attentive to viruses and malware


  • Spreading education on the internet and social media safety


  • Sharing with a trusted adult of possible problems or if feeling unsafe, anxious or depressed




Extensions

Meeko is a character-based extension that is with the child while they explore the internet. It is like parent taught driving. The child is in control of the car, but the parent is there to help guide and instruct the child as they encounter situations while driving.

The child is in control of their own social media and internet surfing but Meeko is there to guide them through situations as they face them.






Tip Archive

The notifications will be archived on the app for the child to look back on at a later time. They will also appear on the parents account online. This helps spark conversations between the child and their trusted adult, leading to a mutual understand of social media and online literacy.





Educational Games

The app includes games that help engage the child in online safety. The games help educate them on what it means to be safe online and how to react in potential situations they could encounter. The child can gain points to use in the reward shop.

The games focus on the 3 different areas of social media safety, going safe, going kind, going aware. This is accomplished by parts of Meeko’s environment that the child can explore including the ‘Plains of Going Safe’, ‘The canyons of Going Kind’, ‘The isles of Going Aware’, and ‘The forest of Speaking Out’. 





Rewards and Points



The points gained from the games can be used in the reward shop in the app. The points can be used to purchase room decor for Meeko. This provides an incentive for the child to open the app daily, play games and follow the tips they receive while online.





Meeko’s Room

Feel free to zoom in and play in Meeko’s room and environment!





What I learned:

For this project, I learned 3D modeling in Spline to create Meeko’s environment. When our group was researching illustration styles, I kept coming across 3D figures and worlds. I set out to find a software where I could learn and create Meeko’s world. I came across Spline and watched videos and taught myself how to build and render on this software. I really enjoyed learning a new tool and figuring out how to add the interactive element to the project.


With more time and resources:

Meeko was accepted into the SXSW Innovation Lab in mid-March. Two of our group members attended and design professionals were recommending our group to patent Meeko. Another attendee said he wanted to possibily invest in the project. With more time, it would be interesting to conduct more market research and see the likelyhood of Meeko in the real-world.