Go Jetters
CBeebies
Go Jetters Global Grooves is an educational HTML5 game developed in collaboration with CBeebies. The game takes young players on an interactive, musical journey across six global locations, encouraging them to explore diverse music styles while thwarting the mischievous Grandmaster Glitch’s attempts to disrupt music around the world. As players help the Go Jetters navigate musical challenges, they learn about cultural sounds and rhythms, from Samba in Brazil to drumming in China.
The Challenge
The challenge was to design an interactive game that effectively teaches world music concepts to young children, while accommodating their developmental needs. It had to be fun, intuitive, easily playable on various devices, all while encouraging repeated play.
My Role:
Lead UI/UX designer, game design, animator and developer
Product:
Game
Produced at:
Aer Studios
Target Audience:
Children (ages 4 to 6)
The Solution
I designed Go Jetters Global Grooves as a series of ten mini-games inspired by world music. Each game uses unique mechanics. In Brazil, players build a Samba band and copy dance moves at Rio Carnival; in Jamaica, they play steelpan rhythms; in Russia, they sync up with Cossack dancers; in China, they drum with locals at Beijing’s Drum Tower; and in the USA, they form an awesome Grimbot rock band. There’s even a disco dance-off with the Go Jetters’ mentor, Ubercorn.
Research & Ideation
I conducted an initial horizon scan, analysing popular music games for children and researching cultural music traditions. This informed the game mechanics, templates, and aesthetic, ensuring they were both educational and engaging.
Creating the concept
I created a detailed Game Design Document outlining goals, mechanics, user flows, and level progression, which became our roadmap for development. Using storyboards and interactive prototypes, I explored musical interactions and refined the most engaging ideas for each mini-game.
Creating the visuals
I created the game’s UI and layout in Sketch, and the characters and backdrops in Illustrator and Photoshop, all adhering to BBC’s Game GEL guidelines.
Animation
I used Spine to produce over 15 fully rigged complex Go Jesters character skeletons, featuring multiple 3D poses, to create the animations across the 10 games.
The results
Go Jetters Global Grooves lives on the BBC website and in the CBeebies Playtime Island app. It successfully met BBC’s educational goals and was well-received by young audiences, who enjoyed the interactive music and cultural themes.
