English

Subverting Traditional Civic Education: Bringing Election Knowledge to Life with a "Supermarket" Theme

Firebean created an immersive roving exhibition for the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, transforming election concepts into a relatable experience.

Elections have always been an important topic closely related to citizens. However, traditional civic education is often serious and formal, making it difficult to resonate with and interest the public. The purpose of an election is to allow citizens to choose to support councillors in their community, or to vote for individuals who represent the future of Hong Kong. How to translate this core meaning into easy-to-understand, approachable, and down-to-earth language, allowing citizens to actively understand and participate in their daily lives, has become a major challenge in promoting the concept of improving the electoral system.

To break the routine, the Firebean team stepped out of the traditional framework and cleverly packaged this election roving exhibition with a "Supermarket" theme. Just like choosing the most suitable goods in a supermarket, an election is also about choosing the most suitable representative for society. This fresh and attractive metaphor not only surprised citizens when they encountered the exhibition in shopping malls, but also successfully sparked their curiosity about the connection between elections and supermarkets, thereby greatly increasing their interest and attention to the election theme.

We fully integrated the "Supermarket" experience into various interactive games. For example, the "Accurate Positioning Buyer" referenced the classic coin toss game, combining curling and mascots, allowing citizens to challenge on a table printed with election principles; the "Skillful Ring Tossing Stock Clerk" explained the ways to run for the Legislative Council in different capacities through a simple ring tossing game; the "Smart Shopping Cashier" simulated the self-checkout experience of scanning barcodes in a supermarket, integrating election information into an electronic Q&A, allowing citizens to learn from mistakes and deepen their memory during the process of queuing and repeated challenges. Finally, coupled with the "Interactive Camera" printed with the ballot box mascot, citizens could take the concept of improving the electoral system home.

This refreshing packaging method and the model of learning through play made serious election information approachable. The exhibition was warmly welcomed by the general public in shopping malls across various districts, with long queues often forming on-site. Citizens not only actively participated to win prizes, but also imperceptibly absorbed correct information about the electoral system in a joyful gaming atmosphere. This model of learning from experience successfully transformed abstract political concepts into profound personal memories.

Through the innovative "Supermarket" theme and strategic game design, Firebean successfully proved that as long as public affairs are closely integrated with citizens' daily life experiences, meaningful civic participation can be effectively promoted.

繁體中文

顛覆傳統公民教育：以「超級市場」主題讓選舉知識走入生活

Firebean 為政制及內地事務局打造沉浸式巡迴展覽，將選舉理念化作親民體驗。

一直以來，選舉都是與市民息息相關的重要議題。然而，傳統的公民教育往往流於嚴肅和形式化，難以引起大眾的共鳴與興趣。選舉的宗旨是讓市民選擇支持自己社區的議員，或投票選出代表香港未來的人士。如何將這份核心意義轉化為易於理解、親民且貼地的語言，讓市民在日常生活中主動了解並參與，成為推廣完善選舉制度理念的一大挑戰。

為了打破常規，Firebean 團隊跳出傳統框架，巧妙地以「超級市場」為主題來包裝這次選舉巡迴展覽。就像在超市中挑選最適合自己的貨品一樣，選舉亦是為社會挑選最合適的代表。這個新鮮且具吸引力的比喻，不僅讓市民在商場偶遇展覽時感到驚喜，更成功引發他們對選舉與超市之間關聯的好奇心，從而大大提升了對選舉主題的興趣與關注度。

我們將「超級市場」的體驗淋漓盡致地融入各項互動遊戲中。例如，「準確定位採購員」參考了經典的拋彩虹遊戲，結合冰壺與吉祥物，讓市民在印有選舉原則的桌上挑戰；「巧手套圈理貨員」透過簡單的套圈遊戲，講解不同身份參選立法會的途徑；「精明掃貨收銀員」則模擬超市掃描條碼的自助付款體驗，將選舉資訊融入電子問答中，讓市民在排隊與反覆挑戰的過程中，從錯誤中學習並加深記憶。最後，配合印有票箱吉祥物的「互動照相機」，讓市民將完善選舉制度的理念帶回家。

這種耳目一新的包裝手法和寓教於樂的模式，讓嚴肅的選舉資訊變得平易近人。展覽在各區商場均受到廣大市民的熱烈歡迎，現場經常大排長龍。市民不僅為了贏取獎品而積極參與，更在歡樂的遊戲氛圍中，潛移默化地吸收了正確的選舉制度資訊。這種從體驗中學習的模式，成功將抽象的政治概念轉化為深刻的個人記憶。

透過創新的「超級市場」主題與策略性的遊戲設計，Firebean 成功證明了只要將公共事務與市民的日常生活體驗緊密結合，就能有效推動具意義的公民參與。

FAQ

What was the main challenge in promoting the improved electoral system to the public?

The primary challenge was that traditional civic education is often perceived as serious and formal, making it difficult to resonate with the general public. Firebean needed to translate complex, abstract political concepts into easy-to-understand, relatable language that citizens could actively engage with in their daily lives.

How did Firebean use the 'Supermarket' theme to make the exhibition more engaging?

Firebean used the 'Supermarket' theme as a relatable metaphor: choosing a community representative is like selecting the most suitable product in a supermarket. This fresh concept sparked curiosity and was integrated into interactive games like the 'Smart Shopping Cashier' and 'Accurate Positioning Buyer,' making learning about the electoral system fun and experiential.

What was the public response to the 'Supermarket' themed roving exhibition?

The exhibition was highly successful, receiving a warm welcome from the public in shopping malls across various districts. It frequently attracted long queues, with citizens enthusiastically participating in the interactive games, thereby absorbing correct information about the electoral system in a joyful and pressure-free atmosphere.