Crossroads

Viola Hahn

Crossroads is an interactive project that tells the story of a young girl experiencing a major depressive episode. According to the World Health Organization, over 5% of the world’s population is suffering from depression.

But what does it actually feel like?
Throughout the project, there are so many fish that are trying to communicate their own experiences with depression. Even though the topic is so heavy, their stories are filled with hope and perseverance.

Crossroads is supposed to convey this exact feeling.

A comic that might look like someone taking their life, all alone. But if you dive deeper, you might be able to decide otherwise.

my thesis

In Viola's thesis, she explained a widely underrepresented genre called Alternate Reality Gaming. It is a complex way of scattering content around various media channels, leaving a mysterious trace for the audience to piece back together.
What inspired me most about this genre is its innovative way to expand a narrative, and its power to motivate an audience to engage more with the topic at hand.
She used this project as an opportunity to experiment with new painting techniques, animation, coding, and of course, to learn how to design an experience as a narrative extension to a comic.