Ecogon. An ecological boardgame.
- Submitting institution
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Leeds Arts University
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Output identifier
- 17680
- Type
- L - Artefact
- Location
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress, Hawaii
- Open access status
- -
- Month of production
- -
- Year of production
- 2015
- URL
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https://lau.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/17680/
- Supplementary information
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- Request cross-referral to
- -
- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
-
-
- Research group(s)
-
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- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- The output is an artefact, in the form of an ecological boardgame, ‘Ecogon’ (2015), and the sequel, ‘Ecogon: Still Wasser’ (2018), commissioned by Gaiagames. ‘Ecogon’ is a portmanteau of ecology and hexagon. Gaiagames aims to be the first completely environmentally friendly game publisher in Germany. Ecogon and the sequel/expansion comprise a series of hexagonal cards, where 8 digital paintings of terrestrial species and 36 digital paintings representing an aquatic ecosystem were contributed. Research process: Research entailed study of Northern European species. The purpose of the game is to educate players on the diversity of indigenous creatures and their interrelatedness. This is represented through a hexagonal ecosystem, strategic gameplay, and engaging wildlife illustrations on each hexagonal card. Research drew on Chalmers’ long-standing research into creature design and SciArt. Research insights: The research found that the use of creature design principles can create engaging wildlife illustrations for game design to make ecological awareness more accessible to a wide audience. Creating engaging card art can even foster interest in traditionally non- charismatic species, such as leeches, and reveal the importance of these species within the ecosystem through the mechanics of the boardgame. Dissemination: The primary method of dissemination is a published game and its sequel. The English translation of ‘Ecogon’ (2015) was sponsored by Bavarian Academy for Nature Conservation and Landscape Management (ANL) within ELENA (Experiential Learning and Education for Nature Awareness), a trans-European cooperative project. ANL showcased ‘Ecogon’ at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress, Hawai’i (2016). The artefact was also exhibited by peer-review firstly as the boardgame itself in Curator’s Choice, April 2019, and secondly as a printed variation within ‘Creature Design: ex femina’, 29 August – 10 October 2019, both at Leeds Arts University.
- Author contribution statement
- -
- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
- -
