Data Escape room
Glacis
The Data Escape Room is an award-winning multiplayer eLearning platform that helps professionals build data literacy through an immersive escape room game. With creative themes like dungeons and abandoned mines, players work together to solve data-focused puzzles in a fun, engaging environment designed for corporate training.
The challenge
Training consultancy Glacis wanted to break away from traditional eLearning by creating a platform that made data skills more accessible and enjoyable. With data literacy becoming one of the most sought-after skills by 2030, the challenge was to design a scalable experience that appealed to a wide range of users, including those unfamiliar with data.
My Role:
Lead UI/UX designer
Product:
e-learning platform
Produced at:
Aer Studios
Target Audience:
Professionals in industries like public sector, finance, government and security, where data literacy is essential.
The Solution
We created a one-hour multiplayer game where participants solve data-driven challenges to escape themed virtual environments. Blending data concepts with collaborative gameplay, the experience builds confidence in areas like data quality, ethics, bias and decision-making. A live facilitator tracks progress and leads a post-game debrief based on real-time analytics.
Discovery
I led a comprehensive UX discovery phase involving stakeholder interviews, co-design workshops, and user journey mapping for both participants and facilitators, defining clear functional and non-functional platform requirements
Wireframes & mood boards
Drawing inspiration from physical escape rooms, I created mood boards to establish the visual themes and secure buy-in on the art direction. I then developed low-fidelity wireframes to outline the full user experience.
UI design
I forged a skeuomorphic art style and designed high-fidelity UI mockups and illustrated assets incorporating atmospheric elements like flickering flames, animated treasure chests, and stained map scrolls to bring the escape room environment to life, crafted carefully to strike a balance between engaging visuals and professional aesthetics.
As part of the interface, I created a facilitator dashboard to manage sessions, track player progress, and provide real-time analytics for post-game insights. Throughout the project, I collaborated closely with the dev team to ensure alignment with my creative vision.
Post-Launch: Data Escape Room Auto
Following the success of the original, facilitated product, we embarked on a new venture: Data Escape Room Auto.
This is a self-guided, scalable product designed for SaaS deployment. This unmoderated version immerses players in an abandoned mine theme filled with old mine carts, broken tracks, dark caverns and precious minerals.
Data Escape Room Auto Discovery phase
In the discovery phase, I led co-design workshops, user journey mapping, and paper prototyping to shape the product. This self-directed version required thoughtful UX design to replace the live facilitator role with automated onboarding, in-game feedback, and progression systems.
Data Escape Room Auto Design phase
During the design phase, I created end-to-end high fidelity screen designs and assets using generative AI as part of my design process, which was a mix of Mid-Journey, Adobe Firefly and good old fashioned Photoshop bashing to create all the illustrations and game assets for the abandoned mine theme.
The results
Since launch, The Data Escape Room has trained large amounts of employees from across sectors. The platform has earned multiple design awards, including a BIMA 2023 silver award in the Education category and the Fast Design Innovation Award 2024.
