Embers The Dragon is a clinically-proven, digital-first emotional literacy programme for children and parents, delivered at home with clinical support. As Producer and Lead Designer, I oversaw the development of this programme built around the existing, successful animated world of Embers that addresses the critical need for early childhood mental health support, with one in every six children experiencing mental health concerns that often arise in the early years.
As Producer and Lead Designer for Embers The Dragon, I led the creative and production teams in developing this innovative emotional literacy programme. My role encompassed overseeing the entire project lifecycle, from initial concept development through to final delivery, while also leading the design direction for the digital experiences that would engage children and support families, working with the existing successful animation and art assets.
As Lead Designer, I was responsible for creating the digital interface and interactive foundation of the programme, working with the existing successful animation and art assets. The design approach needed to balance engaging entertainment with therapeutic techniques, creating a safe and supportive space for children to explore and understand their emotions through the established animated world of Embers.
Key design achievements included:
As Producer, I managed the complex coordination between multiple stakeholders including NHS clinicians and creative teams. The production process required careful attention to clinical requirements while maintaining creative vision and ensuring the programme would effectively support children's emotional development, working with the established animation and art assets.
Production management responsibilities included:
Recognizing that supporting children's emotional health requires supporting parents, I led the design of comprehensive resources and educational content. The design approach focused on creating accessible, evidence-based parenting information that would complement the children's animated experiences, utilizing the existing successful animation content.
Parental support design features included:
The programme's clinical focus required careful design consideration for both family use and clinical oversight. I led the design of clinical resources and integration features, ensuring the programme could effectively support clinicians working with children and families, while leveraging the existing animation assets.
Clinical and professional design features included:
The clinical trial aspect required careful design integration to support research methodology while maintaining engaging user experiences. I worked closely with clinical partners to ensure the design would support rigorous scientific evaluation while delivering accessible mental health support, utilizing the proven animation content.
Clinical trial design considerations included:
Designing for mental health applications required special consideration of user needs, accessibility, and emotional safety. As Lead Designer, I created interfaces that were both engaging for children through the existing animation and supportive for parents and clinicians, while maintaining the clinical rigor required for research purposes.
Design considerations included:
Embers The Dragon represents a significant advancement in bridging digital design with clinical mental health support. Through my leadership as Producer and Lead Designer, the programme successfully combines the existing engaging animated content with evidence-based emotional literacy resources, demonstrating real impact on children's emotional development and family well-being, as evidenced by positive testimonials from families who have participated in the trial.