Aj

Individual MFA Thesis Project

Duration: 5 months

Role: Ideation, Storytelling, Illustration, Typography, Programming, User-testing

Tools: Procreate, Illustrator, MindAR, A-frame, Netlify, Calligraphr

What is The Misfit Flower?

The Misfit Flower is a 34-page children’s book and AR experience that helps children and caregivers explore complex emotions through story and play. Centered on Aksie, a character who doesn’t belong to any group, the book uses gentle turning points and subtle metaphors to spark reflection, empathy, and connection during shared reading.

Who is for?

Children ages 4–7 and their caregivers. It supports early emotional development by creating space for shared reflection, making it especially valuable for families, educators, and therapists who want playful tools to talk about feelings and social dynamics.

Story

Story

The Misfit Flower tells the story of Aksie, an egg who doesn’t fit into the three groups of Sunnyside: the Peppys, who embody polished joy; the Zippys, full of restless energy; and the Snappys, distant and judgmental. Each group exaggerates an emotional archetype, mirroring how children make sense of peer dynamics and social roles.

Aksie, carrying traits of all three groups but belonging to none, becomes the quiet outlier. Her journey moves through rejection, self-doubt, and reflection, shaped by encounters with other characters who face sadness, social pressure, or vulnerability. The story’s turning points come not from dramatic transformations but from moments of recognition: a downward gaze, a hesitant posture, or a quiet act of empathy. In the end, connection grows gently, flowers sprouting from cracks in the eggshells symbolize growth and openness, showing that emotional blooming happens when one feels seen, understood, and safe.

The Misfit Flower tells the story of Aksie, an egg who doesn’t fit into the three groups of Sunnyside: the Peppys, who embody polished joy; the Zippys, full of restless energy; and the Snappys, distant and judgmental. Each group exaggerates an emotional archetype, mirroring how children make sense of peer dynamics and social roles.

Aksie, carrying traits of all three groups but belonging to none, becomes the quiet outlier. Her journey moves through rejection, self-doubt, and reflection, shaped by encounters with other characters who face sadness, social pressure, or vulnerability. The story’s turning points come not from dramatic transformations but from moments of recognition: a downward gaze, a hesitant posture, or a quiet act of empathy. In the end, connection grows gently, flowers sprouting from cracks in the eggshells symbolize growth and openness, showing that emotional blooming happens when one feels seen, understood, and safe.

Psychological AR Interventions

Psychological AR Interventions

The Misfit Flower weaves five psychological interventions into its story, helping children and caregivers reflect on emotions together. Each character introduces a theme: Aksie explores exclusion and empathy, Luma normalizes unexplained sadness, Boing models self-advocacy during overwhelm, and Riff addresses unkindness and compassion. Grounded in early childhood psychology, these prompts build emotional awareness, theory of mind, and co-regulation.

The book also integrates browser-based AR for gentle reflection. By scanning illustrated markers, children trigger short animations and spoken questions that loop seamlessly with the reading experience. Built with MindAR and A-Frame, the system prioritizes simplicity, accessibility, and caregiver–child connection.


Read → Scan → Prompt → Reflect → Read

The Misfit Flower weaves five psychological interventions into its story, helping children and caregivers reflect on emotions together. Each character introduces a theme: Aksie explores exclusion and empathy, Luma normalizes unexplained sadness, Boing models self-advocacy during overwhelm, and Riff addresses unkindness and compassion. Grounded in early childhood psychology, these prompts build emotional awareness, theory of mind, and co-regulation.

The book also integrates browser-based AR for gentle reflection. By scanning illustrated markers, children trigger short animations and spoken questions that loop seamlessly with the reading experience. Built with MindAR and A-Frame, the system prioritizes simplicity, accessibility, and caregiver–child connection.


Read → Scan → Prompt → Reflect → Read

The Misfit Flower weaves five psychological interventions into its story, helping children and caregivers reflect on emotions together. Each character introduces a theme: Aksie explores exclusion and empathy, Luma normalizes unexplained sadness, Boing models self-advocacy during overwhelm, and Riff addresses unkindness and compassion. Grounded in early childhood psychology, these prompts build emotional awareness, theory of mind, and co-regulation.

The book also integrates browser-based AR for gentle reflection. By scanning illustrated markers, children trigger short animations and spoken questions that loop seamlessly with the reading experience. Built with MindAR and A-Frame, the system prioritizes simplicity, accessibility, and caregiver–child connection.


Read → Scan → Prompt → Reflect → Read

The Misfit Flower weaves five psychological interventions into its story, helping children and caregivers reflect on emotions together. Each character introduces a theme: Aksie explores exclusion and empathy, Luma normalizes unexplained sadness, Boing models self-advocacy during overwhelm, and Riff addresses unkindness and compassion. Grounded in early childhood psychology, these prompts build emotional awareness, theory of mind, and co-regulation.

The book also integrates browser-based AR for gentle reflection. By scanning illustrated markers, children trigger short animations and spoken questions that loop seamlessly with the reading experience. Built with MindAR and A-Frame, the system prioritizes simplicity, accessibility, and caregiver–child connection.


Read → Scan → Prompt → Reflect → Read

Next Steps

Next steps include refining the book and AR prompts through extended playtesting with children and caregivers, and exploring collaborations with educators and therapists to expand it into a broader toolkit for emotional learning.