Cyber Safari
Overview
Concept
Mascot
Medals
Outcome
/
/
/
/
Switch Project
[ ]
[ ]
SPHAIR
[ ]
[ ]
Overview
Overview
Cyber Safari is a learning app for teenagers, built with ZHAW, UZH and FH Graubünden as part of DIZH, together with Zurich's Department of Education. Research by ZHAW and UZH mapped out the risks teens face online, such as misinformation, data privacy and cyberbullying, which they looked to address outside the classroom by combining playful learning with connecting digital and physical spaces. Based on this insight, we developed six challenges spread across Zurich, each tied to a different risk, solved in a team as part of a school class.
Cyber Safari is a learning app for teenagers, built with ZHAW, UZH and FH Graubünden as part of DIZH, together with Zurich's Department of Education. Research by ZHAW and UZH mapped out the risks teens face online, such as misinformation, data privacy and cyberbullying, which they looked to address outside the classroom by combining playful learning with connecting digital and physical spaces. Based on this insight, we developed six challenges spread across Zurich, each tied to a different risk, solved in a team as part of a school class.
Concept
Concept
Teams start at Zurich HB and journey on foot across the city, past locations like the Museum and the Sternwarte, ending at Paradeplatz. Every post teaches its topic through gamification and rewards the team with a medal before they move on to the next.
Teams start at Zurich HB and journey on foot across the city, past locations like the Museum and the Sternwarte, ending at Paradeplatz. Every post teaches its topic through gamification and rewards the team with a medal before they move on to the next.
To give the app a face and guide teens through it playfully, we developed a mascot that charts the unknown digital spaces together with them.
To give the app a face and guide teens through it playfully, we developed a mascot that charts the unknown digital spaces together with them.
Mascot
Mascot
The mascot had to work both as a large illustration and at a small scale, so it could sit directly inside the UI. The initial idea was an animal companion exploring an unknown jungle, since a jungle can feel just as confusing and mysterious as the internet. After an initial exploration phase we moved toward a more tech direction instead, with an alien who wants to chart digital space. From there we animated it and brought it to life with Rive.
The mascot had to work both as a large illustration and at a small scale, so it could sit directly inside the UI. The initial idea was an animal companion exploring an unknown jungle, since a jungle can feel just as confusing and mysterious as the internet. After an initial exploration phase we moved toward a more tech direction instead, with an alien who wants to chart digital space. From there we animated it and brought it to life with Rive.
Medals
Medals
Each medal ties to a different challenge, each teaching something different. Teams answer questions and play minigames to score, earning a bronze, silver or gold medal depending on the result. Their rank also unlocks a matching PDF certificate.
Each medal ties to a different challenge, each teaching something different. Teams answer questions and play minigames to score, earning a bronze, silver or gold medal depending on the result. Their rank also unlocks a matching PDF certificate.
Clearing all six challenges, each tackling a different online risk, makes you a Cyberchampion, with a PDF certificate to download and keep.
Clearing all six challenges, each tackling a different online risk, makes you a Cyberchampion, with a PDF certificate to download and keep.
Outcome
Outcome
The Cyber Safari app officially launched in April 2026, with additional backing from the Sanitas and Ernst Göhner foundations. It's live now on iOS and Android, with outreach to schools currently underway and expansion to other Swiss cities planned.
The Cyber Safari app officially launched in April 2026, with additional backing from the Sanitas and Ernst Göhner foundations. It's live now on iOS and Android, with outreach to schools currently underway and expansion to other Swiss cities planned.