Developed by Kimberlin Education in partnership with Royal Life Saving WA, Mermates is a water safety education program designed to help children build confidence and awareness around safe behaviours in and around aquatic environments.
Through a combination of interactive learning experiences, classroom resources and engaging visual storytelling, the program encourages children to explore important water safety concepts in a fun and accessible way.
My role focused on the visual development of the program, including art direction, character design, environmental illustration and the creation of a comprehensive library of illustrated assets. Working closely with educational and subject matter experts, I helped bring the Mermates world to life across a range of formats including an interactive educational game, highly interactive classroom presentations, teacher resources and student worksheets.
Character design
To bring the Mermates world to life, I designed a cast of hero characters alongside a library of over 70 unique supporting characters and numerous character variations. The designs were developed to represent a diverse range of ages, appearances and activities, helping create a believable and engaging environment that reflected real-world aquatic settings.
From swimmers and surfers to families, lifeguards and beachgoers, each character was designed to support the game's educational objectives while contributing to the overall sense of activity and discovery. Together, the character library formed a key part of the game's visual identity and helped create a rich, lively world for players to explore.
Interactive Educational Game
At the centre of the Mermates program is an interactive educational game that encourages children to identify water safety risks through observation and exploration. Set within a detailed coastal environment, players navigate beaches, pools and waterways while spotting unsafe behaviours and learning important water safety principles in a fun and engaging way.
My role focused on the visual development of the game, including art direction, environmental illustration and the creation of the game's illustrated assets. The challenge was to create a vibrant and highly detailed world that encouraged exploration while ensuring key safety messages remained clear and easy to identify.
The resulting experience combined educational outcomes with playful visual storytelling, transforming water safety education into an engaging and memorable learning experience for young audiences.
Interactive Learning Resources
To support classroom delivery, I designed a suite of highly interactive learning resources that extended the Mermates experience beyond the game itself. Developed for use in schools, these resources combined visual storytelling, interactive activities and gamified learning principles to help students engage with important water safety concepts in an accessible and memorable way.
The presentations were designed to encourage active participation through simulated digital interfaces, character-led storytelling, quizzes and scenario-based activities that allowed students to explore real-world water safety situations in a safe and engaging environment. Supporting teacher guides and student worksheets reinforced key learning outcomes while providing educators with flexible resources for classroom delivery.
Together, these resources formed a cohesive learning ecosystem that complemented the interactive game, helping transform water safety education into an engaging and immersive classroom experience.