FBI

Navigating the digital playground

A modern refresh of the FBI’s Safe Online Surfing program, teaching kids to navigate the internet safely.

Project
Safe Online Surfing 3.0
Client
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Role
Strategy, 3D, UX / UI Design, and Front-End Development
Results
12,560 schools in 49 states, Washington, D.C., and the Virgin Islands participated.

The Assignment

Navigating the digital playground

When seeking a modern refresh of their Safe Online Surfing program, an education protocol that teaches kids about the dangers online, the FBI sought us out once more.

Our task was to craft an instructive and captivating experience for digitally adept 3rd to 8th graders. The dual focus was imparting tech discernment and fostering positive social media habits, all while addressing online safety and cyberbullying. Rather than deliver cold facts, we designed a narrative built to encourage empathy and better choices.

A gameplay interaction from the SOS experience.
A stylized desert level from the game world.
One of the game worlds, where lessons play out as an interactive story.
The SOS world map linking the game's levels.
The world map, a playground of levels tied to each online-safety lesson.

The Challenge

Reinvigorate with interactivity

Shaping the visual and interactive core transcended basic UX planning. To jumpstart tired content, we explored narrative development, gameplay dynamics, and the design and development needed to achieve both.

The team mapped out game flows, ran cycles of conceptual modeling, sketching, and asset creation, and refined the visual direction and gameplay throughout. Wireframes, prototypes, and user tests were constant companions, tuning each activity until it landed.

A stylized palm tree asset from the game.
A stylized swamp level from the game world.
Building the worlds, from a single asset to a full swamp level.
The SOS program has been a very effective tool which has provided the students the knowledge they need to be safer online and when using technology.
West Long Branch, New Jersey teacher
The SOS experience shown across a series of mobile screens.
The experience on mobile, where most kids meet it.
A gameplay interaction from the SOS experience.A gameplay interaction from the SOS experience.A gameplay interaction from the SOS experience.A gameplay interaction from the SOS experience.
Interactive moments from across the levels.

Through close collaboration with the FBI and meticulous planning, testing, and refinement, Triptych crafted an immersive, engaging experience that empowers kids with essential digital civics skills. The result is an impactful, modern game primed to teach safe, ethical online behavior for years to come.