ADAM CHEN



BOUND UP!

New Blood 2025
Duration: Jan-Mar, 2025

Scope：
Porduct Design

Goal：
Provide education to give people living with Down syndrome knowledge and power over what’s right/wrong so they can navigate their choice with dignity.

Team Members & Roles：
Adam Chen — Creative Directing / 3D Design & Video Editing / Game Art Concept Design / AI Integration / Project Management

Yi-lin Lu — Creative Directing / Graphic Design / Card Illustration / Game Art Concept Design / Script Writing
Yangchen Cui — Graphic Design / Game Art Concept Design / Map Outline Illustration
Yuanqi Zhang — Game UX Design / Graphic Design / Map Block Illustration / Campaign Video Editing / Video Game Storyboarding
Dazhong Deng — Motion Design / Campaign Video Editing / Video Storyboarding / Game Art Concept Research

Overview

 The brief challenges creatives to design a product, service, experience, or campaign that empowers people with Down syndrome or Fragile X syndrome to understand and navigate sexual consent with confidence and dignity. 

Given the high rates of sexual assault in this community—often due to communication barriers and dependence on caregivers—the goal is to provide clear, accessible tools that help individuals distinguish right from wrong, make autonomous decisions, and feel safe in intimate situations. The solution should focus on agency, clarity, and usability, while also considering caregivers as secondary audiences.

How To Play

 Character Card & Action Card:
Players will pull a card from character and action card piles, and place both cards in the card reader. The transparent action card will be on top, and show the character performing certain action.

Special Card:
When stepping into special zone, players need to pull a card from the special card pile, which includes both reward and punishment.

Map and House 3D Design:
Each block represents a different scene, where the character action will take place. (e.g. the teacher is touching the child’s hand in the classroom)





Our Research

 Before diving into the visual side and final product, we spent several weeks focusing on research around the Down syndrome community. We looked into existing reports on sexual harassment involving people with DS and examined how sex education is currently being taught to individuals with intellectual disabilities.

We also had the opportunity to interview a Chinese organization that works closely with adults with IDDs(Intellectual disability), which helped us better understand how they build life skills, follow routines, and adapt to everyday situations.

Research indicates that children with disabilities are at least three times more likely to experience abuse compared to their non-disabled peers. 

One-third of adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) have experienced sexual abuse. Those most at risk include institutionalized individuals, females, younger people, and those with more severe disabilities. Reporting abuse often leads to stigma and barriers, discouraging future disclosures.  

Influence of Trust and Safety on Decision-Making Process:

Trust and safety are fundamental in the decision-making processes of individuals with IDD. A supportive environment where individuals feel safe and trusted encourages active participation in decision-making, leading to more autonomous and empowered individuals.