Interactive 3D worlds and AI integration to teach students how water shapes Melbourne—and how to protect it.
Deliverables
Website
Digital experience
Usability Testing Report
Learning that’s engaging, not draining.
Water is a precious resource, but most kids rarely stop to think about how it gets to their taps—or what happens when it goes down the drain. In a world where attention is won with swipes and scrolls, educators are struggling to help their students look beyond the surface. Static web pages and printed materials just aren’t cutting it. That’s why we partnered with Melbourne Water to create Melbourne's World of Water: a gamified 3D simulation of the city’s water system (cool enough to hook even the most tech-obsessed kids).
A digital playground to trace every drop.
We mapped Melbourne’s real landscape into an interactive 3D world, powered by Cesium and integrated with Drupal. Kids could explore in real time, uncovering live data on water usage, reservoir levels, and rainfall. Each hotspot unlocked a unique lesson, covering everything from water cycles to sewerage management. And because young learners respond best to conversational, bite-sized information, we introduced Droplet—an AI-powered chatbot fine-tuned with OpenAI technology.
"A digital platform that can bridge the gap between learning and real life action." — Primary school teacher
Through extensive testing with educators, parents, and kids, we made sure every feature was built to meet user needs, including:
- An immersive experience: Students arrive in a 3D version of Melbourne, complete with clickable icons and engaging animations. Hovering reveals a preview of a topic and clicking zooms in for a deeper dive.
- Seamless content updates: Pop-ups are powered by Drupal, so Melbourne Water can keep the content fresh. With full control, they can instantly update lessons, add new data, and align with curriculum changes.
- An AI adventure guide: Droplet is ready to answer every question, from “Can I flush this down the toilet?” to “Where does rain come from?”. With shortcuts and age-appropriate info, kids can skip the browsing and go straight to the good stuff.
- Smart tech that works anywhere: Optimised for smooth performance across all browsers, devices, and school laptops—because the best tools should run on the gear students actually have.
By combining 3D mapping, accurate geospatial data, and conversational AI, we’ve given Melbourne Water a groundbreaking platform that’s revolutionising environmental education:
- Both students and teachers consistently report that the interactivity, live data, and friendly chatbot make learning about water exciting and accessible.
- Educators have seamlessly weaved map explorations and chatbot Q&As into their lessons, reducing time spent gathering resources and meeting curriculum goals.
- Most importantly, students are forming stronger connections to how water shapes life in Melbourne and are learning how to protect this vital resource for generations to come.
Experience Melbourne Water World of Water for yourself
