Organ donation saves lives, yet in Singapore, conversations around it are rare. The topic is culturally sensitive, often avoided due to discomfort, misconceptions, religious reasons, and fear of disapproval.

The National Organ Transplant Unit (NOTU), under the Ministry of Health, leads education efforts to change this. We wanted to turn a difficult topic into one people could engage with by creating a warm, accessible mascot-led identity that overcomes fear and stigma. 

When it’s taboo to discuss organ donation,
we let cuteness do the talking.

We created the Live On Buddies — original characters designed to spark conversation in a gentle, emotionally resonant way. Each Buddy represents a transplantable organ and was brought to life with distinct personalities. The Buddies embody optimism and empathy, but they also show vulnerability and moments of doubt, making them more relatable and human.

The creative strategy shifted the framing away from death or medical procedures, and towards themes of hope and second chances. Through playful, retro-inspired visual language, we created soft entry points that invite curiosity and connection.

The Brief

NOTU’s motto “Live On, Live Twice” reflects the transformative power of organ donation and how one person’s decision can give another a second chance at life. While donation is governed by legal frameworks — the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA) and Medical (Therapy, Education and Research) Act (MTERA) — public understanding remains low.

The brief was to create a travelling exhibition display with a unifying narrative direction to attract attention and spark curiosity in an engaging manner. The panels should adopt a “Where’s Wally” approach while the interactive windows will serve as an introduction to the Buddies. Beyond the illustration and design, we were also tasked with planning the visual logic and user flow.

Our Concept: Spot On To A Healthy Lifestyle

Health is shaped by the small choices we make every day – how we move, rest, and care for our bodies, and each healthy habit strengthens the vital organs that keep us going. This exhibit invites viewers on a playful journey, filled with practical tips and hidden surprises. As they search for the 32 organ mascots, they’ll find them leading by example through exercising, eating well, staying hydrated, and more. By following their journey, we’ll learn that taking care of our own health also connects to something bigger: the chance to one day give life to someone else through organ donation.

[Front View]

The scene features four large mystery silhouettes of the Buddies and the call-to-action, “Who are the Live On Buddies?”. Viewers open the interactive windows to reveal each mascot and their details. Inside, a secondary prompt introduces the “Spot The Buddies Challenge”, encouraging them to find all eight poses of each Buddy hidden in the artwork.

To support educational goals, key messages about the HOTA, MTERA, and the importance of sharing decisions with family were embedded into the artwork, visible even without interaction. QR codes lead to a quiz that helps visitors discover which Buddy matches their personality.

In instances where there are space constraints, the first panel can be removed while ensuring that key information remains accessible.

[Back view]

Here, the large silhouettes are revealed to be the Buddies. The focus shifts to the “Spot The Buddies Challenge”, allowing passing visitors to take part in the activity without needing to go through the full introduction to the Buddies, and hopefully pique their interest in NOTU and their work.

Cornea is shown inspecting Nutri-Grade labels (Singapore’s mandatory drink nutrition ratings); the coffee cup label references “Siu Dai (less sweet) by default”, a national movement encouraging lower-sugar beverages as the norm, and Liver promotes a “Less alcohol” message.

Kidney is helping to clean the park while carrying a bag of waste; the park map is designed in the shape of the human body, with a pear stall nearby.

Local otters take part in a group K-pop dance session and the Merlion pauses by the river to stay hydrated.