Overview
Disney Imagicademy was Disney's first major initiative to build learning games aligned with early-childhood curriculum. As a Game Designer, I brought a rare dual background in game design and education, helping the team blend Disney's storytelling strengths with research-backed learning design.
I worked across three flagship apps-Mickey's Magical Math World, Oaken's Kitchen, and Frozen Animal Care-designing gameplay flows, learning progression, and the integration of foundational math and science concepts into character-driven play. My role focused on translating curriculum goals into engaging interactions and establishing design frameworks that shaped the entire Imagicademy suite.
Mickey's Magical Math World introduced early math concepts through playful, themed worlds with Mickey and friends.
Frozen: Oaken's Kitchen explored early science through cooking-based play in the Frozen universe.
Frozen Animal Care modeled scientific thinking as kids observed, hypothesized, and solved problems to care for reindeer.
These apps achieved global reach-including #1 iPad Kids Downloads in 84 countries-and won multiple industry awards such as the Cynopsis Kids Imagination Award, Tillywig Toy Award, and Academics' Choice Award.
Design Philosophy
My design approach centered on:
Multiple contexts for learning: exposing kids to concepts in diverse settings
Short, high-engagement loops: essential for ages 3–8
Familiar environments + beloved characters: lowering cognitive load and enhancing comfort
Alignment with evidence-based learning progressions: ensuring developmentally appropriate skill scaffolding
Disney Imagicademy helped define Disney's early learning-games strategy and demonstrated how character-driven interactive experiences can meaningfully support early learning at scale.