Friendly Fox Designs
interactive trails
Our interactive trails use a technology known as 'Augmented Reality (AR') to reveal videos, activities, animations and games as part of an innovative experience. They can be situated in most spaces, augmenting the real world to deepen understanding and create memories.
Trails can be placed in fixed locations at your site, to attract visitors and guide people around. Interactive signage can also increase accessibility to information, through sound and annotation.
We can design a bespoke trail with you and your community, using our expert co-design methods, or provide ready to go nature trails inspired by years of research working with children and landowners.
Natural settings
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HOW ready to go KIDS trails work
Our ready to go trails are focussed on natural environments with typical UK wildlife. They feature characters and activities to get younger people engaging with the landscape and learning. The characters come to life and ask players to do activities, designed with wildlife experts, in the real environment. Landowners can offer introduction packs and merchandise as part of their revenue model.
1. Players download a free App.
2. A map gives the location of each character.
4. At each point, players use the App to activate a trigger image to reveal an animation.
5. The fox trigger reveals a secret mission and, after this animated creatures ask players to carry out tasks and activities within the environment.
adapted character trails
Our children's trails can include new characters for the specific wildlife you have in a space. We can also add gamification with our wizard themed narratives or other appealing features. Games will appeal to the emotional needs of players. Characters and storylines can be co-designed to appeal to the emotional needs of young people in your environment. Players carry out a 'secret mission' which will keep them motivated.
Rewards and other game based mechanisms also increase motivation.
interactive signage
Interactive signage can deliver important narratives in the places where they matter. Visitors to an area of natural beauty might be impressed by the view but perhaps are unaware of the wildlife that co-exists there with us. Interactive signs can immerse people within a landscape and point out important information, through compelling video media. This can help with learning, environmental awareness and even behaviour change. They can be more accessible for those who are sight impaired and are easier to digest for hearing impaired through annotation.
How can they help? Some ideas:
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Illustrate the natural history of a site, the habitats and creatures that live there.
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Tell people about your land management methods
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Reveal animals that come out at night or hide from human view
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Point out the tinier creatures that may go unnoticed
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Deliver the country code in a more persuasive way
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Introduce poetry, creative writing or art about nature
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Explain natural processes, e.g. life cycles, food chains.
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Link to webcams or crowd data from the community.
bespoke trails
We can co-design with you and your community to create a new innovative experience using the interactive principles behind all of our work and the user centred process we follow. We have experience of creating sculptural trails using the wicker techniques common to many outdoor events. We also partner with a wooden sculpture company who are experts at carving stunning trails. link to their products is here. By contrast we can also make purely digital trails that have no physical component.
indoor trails
Our products focus on engaging people and enriching learning experiences in a given context; this can also include museums, art galleries and indoor exhibitions. Trails can provide an added visitor attraction, especially for young people who may not always engage enthusiastically. We can help everyone to access the experience, simply by adding attractive signage or modifying existing boards. The use of AR media, alongside an existing exhibit can communicate information in a more compelling and accessible way, particularly for children and also help with visual and auditory impairments, through sound and annotation.
A new addition to our portfolio: 'ghost' trails that can provide an exciting feature for historical exhibits. The figures can float in your space and add useful narration, directions and deliver information in an accessible way.