Discovering the Wildlife Fund

Discovering the Wildlife Fund: Inspiring zoo visitors to contribute to wildlife conservation

Gilhuis, C.

Pasman, G.J. (mentor)
van Breemen, E.J.J. (mentor)

Industrial Design Engineering

Industrial Design

Integrated Product Design

2016-10-14

Approximately 26% of all mammals is endangered and scientists estimate that half of the species will be extinct in 2100. Zoos have the potential to inspire, educate and influence a lot of people regarding wildlife conservation. Dierenpark Amersfoort, the most child-friendly zoo in the Netherlands, founded the Wildlife Fund. This fund raises money for the wild counterparts of animals in the zoo and supports conservation projects across the world. However, the Wildlife Fund is not clearly visible in Dierenpark Amersfoort. The challenge of this project was to design a product that increases Dierenpark Amersfoort’s visitors’ awareness of the Wildlife Fund and inspires them to take action regarding the conservation of wildlife. The concept uses storytelling to get visitors acquainted with Olly, a young elephant. Olly is the personification of the Wildlife Fund. His animal friends in nature are threatened, but Olly is determined to save them. He travels the world to help endangered animals. During his missions, Olly discovers that each animal has superpowers. He wants to share his adventures and these amazing facts about animals with the zoo visitors. Large totem poles that display all animals the Wildlife Fund has done projects for stand at the zoo entrance to catch the visitors’ attention. In the zoo, visitors can find out how Olly saved his friends on Wildlife Fund signs. Children can discover the superpowers of the animals Olly has helped, hidden in totems throughout the zoo. Moreover, they learn that they can help Olly with his mission by creating homes for Dutch animals in their own garden. At the zoo shop, visitors can buy a do-it-yourself kit to build such an animal house. The profits of these kits go to the Wildlife Fund, which means that the visitors contribute to the conservation of wildlife both close to home and far away.

wildlife conservation
free choice learning
education
zoo
experience design

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:10116720-e5af-4ae2-9a02-221a9a7fd11f

Campus only

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2016 Gilhuis, C.