Visual Game & Media Design graduation project
Student: Mathias Algot Søllested
Year: 2026
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[CONTEXT & THEME]
As short-form media fragments youth attention loops, digital ecosystems
🌿must pivot toward intentional child well-being. This research applies
the UNICEF RITEC Guidelines to champion child welfare and inclusivity
across digital spaces.
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[THEORY & DATA]
By replacing mindless habit design with ‘opt-in complexity’, play
frameworks can actively scaffold cognitive focus. Empirical tracking
of player telemetry shows that introduction of choice-driven mechanical
friction stabilizes sustained engagement rather than causing frustration.
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[RESEARCH CONCLUSION]
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The findings conclude that balancing digital agency with sensory play
supports meaningful attentional divergence, establishing an industry
🌿 blueprint for developmentally beneficial mobile interaction.
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[PROTOTYPE & GAME MECHANICS]
The accompanying mobile game prototype, ‘Once More’, instantiates these theoretical frameworks within a stylized fairytale aesthetic. By utilizing custom digging sites and a physical trailing inventory system, the gameplay introduces deliberate interaction pacing that counters impulsive tapping behaviors.
[OPT-IN COMPLEXITY IN ACTION]
Rather than locking progression behind forced retention hooks, players actively choose when to engage with deeper mechanical layers. This design architecture transforms standard mobile interactions into a self-paced, meaningful play loop that respects child agency and cognitive pacing.
