Mental Health

As a group we created various topic fields, we could potentially work on. Our small group decided on the topic of mental health and specifically on the question:

How can we de-taboo death? Why is it so hard to say goodbye/ talk about it?

It connects to mental health, because when people are prepared for death and grieving, they look at the situation from a healthier state.

Research about Death

In order to get an overview first, we dove into the research and took a closer look at various aspects. We have collected the data, facts and findings on Miro in mood boards.

We also brainstormed as a group and put all our initial associations together in a mind map. 

Problem

In Germany there is a cultural problem related to how death is perceived and dealt with.

Typically Germans don't deal with death and grief until they have a bereavement in their family. When it comes to a death, you are usually overwhelmed with grief and your feelings (= mental health).

You don't know how to deal with it, because you are not prepared for it or have not dealt with the topic of death in advance, nor have you talked about it really. Death was never part of your life until the point when someone died.

Strategy

Basically, we wanted to help people cope better with death and grief. But we didn't want to reach users through a dramatic, upsetting experience, but rather in a relaxed, friendly environment. So death should not be portrayed in such a dark, evil way, but rather be de-tabooed and made more accessible.

We want something that doesn't dictate a direct „lesson to learn“. Death is so diverse: We do not want to push people to a certain way to see death and act upon it. Everybody has to figure out their own way.

Target Groups

We want to target people, that don't feel death in their daily surroundings, but also people that currently deal with mourning. So we created three target groups:

1) Young adults

• especially young adults tend to push death as far away as they can
• we want to make them talk and exchange about death before it occurs, thus they are more prepared

2) Grieving people

• this group is very different: if you mourn someone your mental health is fragile, so this game should be designed very carefully and with the help of professionals
• focus of the game: deal with own grief and well-being and also create a memory of the person they lost

3) kids

• have a special, fantastical way of seeing the world and love to learn more about things that are “taboo” for adults
• we want to work with that, to fuel their fantasy and make them explore the whole topic from a young age on

Tactic (& Concept)

...

A loose and fun game that is a perfect way to…

… get introduced to the wide topic and learn more about death. 

… make room for the topic in your head instead of pushing it away.

… learning to deal with and allowing your feelings towards it.

Final Product

So in the end we created three card games – three different editions, aimed at different target groups. The game always contains a set of questions and tasks that make you think about death.

1 | Let's talk about death baby!

It is an inevitable part of life, yet young people in particular like to push it aside as much as possible: death. This game brings death into the centre of our thoughts and promotes exchange among us.

This game works just like a drinking game… it's only missing the drinking part. Cards are drawn from a deck and the questions or tasks are completed by everyone. Afterwards, the results are exchanged in the round and the different answers are discussed.

There is also the possibility to play it together with friends or just by yourself.

2 | Remember me

Losing a loved one is never easy. This game offers you the opportunity to reflect and remember the life of this person, but also to deal with your own grief. The questions and tasks on the following cards will help you to do this. Shuffle the cards and pick a card when you are ready. Answer the question or complete the task written on it. Take all the time you need.

To record your thoughts and answers, you can also create a „memory notebook“. Then you have a place where you can collect everything and create something that stays.

3 | Mr. Death talks taboos

The card game is for children from 7 years old which they can play together with their parents. Each card has a different illustration on the front and a matching question on the back.

The child reads through the question on the card together with their parents and can think about the question and engage in conversation with their parents. After that they can scan the card with the illustration and Mr. Death appears as a AR element on the card. He presents some information about the specific question on the card and give you insights about the topic.

Game extension

After Mr. Death gives info about the topic, a game figure pops up and Mr. Death invites you with „Let's play“. With each card you can play a different short game, matching the question on the back.

For example, if you pick the card „What color can be death?“ and scan the card and Mr. Death will tell you that the color black is usually associated with death first. However, death is also celebrated in colorful ways in other cultures. After that, you have the possibility to play the game „What color can be death?“ via clicking on the game figure. There you stand with Mr. Death in his closet and you can interact with him by dressing him in different colored clothes. He will react and talk to you.

Posters

Each game got its own poster at the end. If you put them next to each other, the series character between the games becomes clear - even if they can stand alone, they still belong together. We wanted to create the desire to collect them all.

It is also important to mention that the way the games are designed leaves the freedom to add more extensions for other target groups in the future.

NGO

We want to market the games through an NGO.

It is called „The Lilly - an initiative for grieving culture in Germany“. Ideally, the games will be marketed and offered via a website and an associated Instagram account in the name of this NGO.

Final Presentation