We have created several educational and playful web environments for the learning platform Education on Screen that is created by the Transmedia Research Group at the University of Tartu. This time, the focus was on the literary classic Dostoevsky – his life, works, contemporary St. Petersburg, and the impact and interpretations of his writings in later culture.
The learning environment is primarily aimed at high school students. It includes explanatory articles about Dostoevsky’s works, an interactive map of St. Petersburg from Crime and Punishment, and a media archive with links to films, theatre productions, reviews, books, and comics. The more theoretical content is reinforced through tasks and games.
The visual impression follows the world familiar from Dostoevsky’s works. Moments of illumination pierce through poverty, the dark corners of the human soul, the dusty backstreets of St. Petersburg, and the dimness of autumn. Since Dostoevsky drew inspiration from crime reports in newspapers and his novel Crime and Punishment was originally published as a serial in a newspaper, the design draws from the eclectic and monochrome style of 19th-century newspapers—featuring dividing lines, advertisement frames, a mix of fonts, and more. Literary elements are woven in as well—paper textures, ink stains, and decorative script. Altogether, it’s an environment that invites users to truly immerse themselves in Dostoevsky’s world.
