CLIENT: Angloamerican, Municipality of Lo Barnechea
INDUSTRY: Mining, Environmental
PROJECT: Flora y Fauna Lo Barnechea
LOCATION: Santiago, Metropolitan Region-Chile
YEAR: 2017

AREAS OF EXPERTISE: Strategic Design, Experience Design , Editorial Development, User Interface, Interaction Design, Instructional Design, Instructional Design, Information Architecture, Infographic Design, Digital Design (web and app), Audiovisual Design

1. Immersive research
This initial stage focused on the study and review of the contents provided by the client, which included maps and scientific sheets on the species of flora and fauna present in the Yerba Loca Nature Sanctuary, located in the foothills of Santiago, Lo Barnechea. This stage also focused on the observation of the strategic actors targeted by the project, focusing especially on nature lovers.

2. Definition of Design and Innovation opportunities:
From the synthesis of the research findings, key principles for the project were defined:

• The main objective is to provide the community with accessible and didactic information material on the flora, fauna and archeology of the municipality.
• Consideration should be given to the various situations in which users might need to interact with the content, such as at the Sanctuary itself, at home, or from school.
• Take advantage of the photographic library created by scientists to achieve strategic visual communication.
• The supports must facilitate didactic communication that helps the integration of the contents by the user.
• The content should be aligned with the national school curriculum.

3. Solution Proposal:
Based on the defined guidelines and considering the various instances of user interaction, a system of physical and digital supports was developed. Priority was given to the identification of the appropriate supports for different contents in each scenario. Graphic codes were created to guarantee visual coherence and conceptually strengthen the contents, allowing a didactic integration of the information. To this end, the fundamental graphic line was designed, which included the definition of style and layout/composition; the definition of formats by typology; development of brand image, iconography, chromatic range; and the definition of typographic families suitable for the didactic experience with reading orders that would allow a functional use by future users.

4. Experimentation, prototyping and testing
Digital and physical mock-ups were developed to test the supports in real contexts, identifying possible failures and areas for improvement.

5. Implementation
The project was initially launched as a traveling exhibition, later complemented by other materials developed to broaden public access to all the information compiled.

An environmental education program was developed, consisting of an integrated system of publications and supports that provide the community with information about the Yerba Loca Nature Sanctuary: the species of flora and fauna found there, sites of interest, and useful information for visitors.

The project includes various media that are used in different instances of interaction, among them:

• 124 downloadable fact sheets on flora and fauna detailing each of the species that inhabit or are found in the Yerba Loca Nature Sanctuary.
• Map with information about the sanctuary, including areas of interest, streams, trails and trekking routes, ski centers, weather stations, and summaries of technical sheets.
• Free mobile application for the general public, which includes fact sheets, a map of Yerba Loca and a guided audio/photo tour, with access through QR code scanning in the field.
• Activity programs with suggestions for three segments: children, youth and families, which will allow visitors to Yerba Loca to get the most out of their visit.
• Book that gathers all the scientific knowledge generated by the teams of experts of the environmental education program “Flora and Fauna Lo Barnechea”.
• Website that includes all the contents of the project about the sanctuary and its flora and fauna species. Including the map with points of interest, fact sheets, the book and activity programs in downloadable format.

The solution was successfully launched, offering valuable insights for refinement and potential expansion in other contexts, promoting an enriching educational experience. It was crucial to adapt the experience to the diversity of users and to ensure that the educational guides were effective in motivating and engaging students and teachers.