Challenge B: Videos

“Winter Care: Skin, Eyes, and Comfort”

Oct 23, 2025

Pod #5:

Simon Zhang

Nico Cai

Winter Care: Skin, Eyes, and Comfort is a short educational video series created by Simon Zhang and Nico Cai. The project aims to help newcomers adapt to Canada’s cold and dry winters through simple self-care tips for skin and eye health. We chose this topic because it came from real personal experience and reflects everyday challenges faced in places like Edmonton. This project used Midjourney for visuals and Canva for editing. The three one-minute videos with clear narration and friendly cat characters to make the content approachable and easy to watch.

Understand Phase

The Challenge:

While many people prepare for the cold when moving to northern Canadian cities like Edmonton, few truly understand the impact of extreme dryness on their health. The combination of low humidity and cold air can cause cracked skin, eye irritation, and overall discomfort. This video series aims to educate viewers about how to protect their skin and eyes, and maintain comfort during long, dry winters through practical, evidence-based daily care strategies.

Context and Audience:

Typical cases:

Students or young adults moving from milder climates—such as British Columbia—to Alberta or other cold, dry regions. They may bring warm clothing but often underestimate the severity of dryness during winter, leading to issues like chapped skin, bleeding lips, or dry eyes.

Extreme cases:

Individuals experiencing painful skin cracks, recurring eye dryness, or irritation that interferes with sleep, study, or work. Some may even develop conditions like chronic dry eye syndrome, requiring medical treatment. Many only seek help after symptoms worsen, unaware that prevention is possible through small daily habits such as using humidifiers, applying dermatologist-recommended moisturizers, taking fish oil supplements, and using preservative-free artificial tears.

Needs, goals, and motivations:

This audience needs simple, practical strategies to adapt to a cold, dry climate. Their primary goal is to maintain comfort and health throughout the winter without resorting to expensive treatments. They need to know how to choose the right skin-care products (e.g., dermatologist-approved moisturizers), safely use humidifiers (including cleaning them regularly to prevent mould and bacteria), and develop consistent routines that support both skin and eye health. Motivation often arises after experiencing discomfort firsthand, though clear and visually engaging educational content can help them learn preventive care before issues occur.

Demographic, psychographic, and behavioural factors:

The primary demographic consists of young adults aged 18 to 30—students or early-career professionals who have relocated to cold regions. Psychographically, they value efficiency, simplicity, and cost-effective solutions. Behaviourally, they may spend long hours indoors studying or working, often with central heating that further reduces indoor humidity. They rely heavily on digital devices, contributing to eye strain and dryness. Their routines often lack awareness of how environmental conditions and indoor air quality affect overall well-being.

POV statement:

A university student who recently moved from a mild, coastal city to Edmonton needs practical, easy-to-follow strategies to protect their skin and eyes from extreme dryness so that they can stay comfortable and healthy throughout the winter.

Learning Objectives:

The primary learning objectives of this project are for people to:

• Understand how cold, dry air affects skin and eye health;
• Identify common symptoms of dryness and irritation;
• Apply daily self-care strategies such as using dermatologist-recommended moisturizers, maintaining clean humidifiers, taking fish oil supplements, and using preservative-free artificial tears;
• Recognize the importance of humidity control, hydration, and routine maintenance in having comfort during the winter times.

The secondary objectives are to:

• Encourage greater awareness of how environmental conditions impact health and comfort;
• Inspire regular self-care practices throughout seasonal transitions;
• Prepare newcomers for the physical and environmental challenges of dry, cold winters.

Plan Phase

Ideation:

The inspiration for this project came directly from my own experience living in Edmonton for three years. Before moving there, I knew the winters would be cold and long, but I underestimated how dry it would be. During my second year, my skin became so dry that it started to crack and bleed, and I constantly felt discomfort in my eyes. In my third year, I was diagnosed with dry eye syndrome, which made me realize how important humidity and moisture are for overall health.

This personal experience motivated me to create an educational video series to help others, especially those moving from milder climates like British Columbia to colder provinces such as Alberta. Many newcomers prepare for freezing temperatures with warm clothing but gorget about the need for humidity and proper skin and eye care. I wanted to share what I learned through real experience and simple, practical tips that can genuinely make a difference in daily comfort and health.

The video series will be presented in three short parts, each addressing a key topic:

1. Understanding Dryness: Why cold, dry air affects our skin and eyes, and how humidity levels impact comfort.
   
2. Daily Prevention Strategies: How to maintain skin and eye health through hydration, dermatologist-recommended moisturizers, fish oil supplements, clean humidifiers, and preservative-free artificial tears.
   
3. Long-Term Adaptation: How to build sustainable self-care habits during winter, including monitoring indoor humidity and creating consistent moisturizing routines.
   

The tone of the videos will be calm, relatable, and informative—using visuals of winter scenes, animations, and short voice-over explanations. This approach will make the content both educational and emotionally engaging, helping viewers understand and apply the information easily in their daily lives. The videos use three different Maine Coon cat as a narrative device to deliver health tips in a cute and low-anxiety way.

Script:

Video 1: Why Does Winter Make Your Skin So Dry?

Goal: Explain why skin becomes dry in winter and prepare for the next “how-to” video.

Scene 1: Opening (0:00–0:10)

Visual: Anime/comic style winter street. A Maine Coon cat walks through falling snow, winter scene in the background.
Audio: “Ever noticed how your skin feels tight and rough in winter? You’re not alone, it’s all thanks to the cold, dry Canadian air.”
Text: No text.

Scene 2: Cold Air and Humidity (0:10 – 0:25)

Visual: Close-up of the cat looking at its paw, a simple diagram shows tiny droplets evaporating in cold air.

Audio: “When the temperature drops, the air can’t hold much moisture. That means the water in your skin evaporates faster, leaving it dry and uncomfortable.”

Text: Cold → Low Humidity = Dry Skin

Scene 3: Indoor Heating (0:25 – 0:30)

Visual: The cat sits near a space heater. Soft arrows illustrate warm, dry airflow moving toward the cat.

Audio: “Indoor heating doesn’t really help either. Warm air from heaters pulls water from your skin and makes the air inside even drier.”

Text: Heating → Dry Indoor Air

Scene 4: Hair dryer and Barrier Damage (0:30 – 0:40)

Visual: The cat near a warm air vent/hair dryer.

Audio: “Then there’s heat from things like hair dryers or hot air vents. They feel cozy, but too much warmth weakens your skin’s natural barrier.”

Text: Too much heat weakens your barrier.

Scene 5: Closing (0:40 – 0:50)

Visual: A cat using cream to moisture skin.

Audio: “When that protective barrier gets damaged, your skin can’t hold on to moisture, and that’s when cracking and flaking start to happen.”

Text: Lock in moisture, protect your skin.

Scene 6: Closing (0:50 – 1:00)

Visual: A happy cat inside the room and snowing outside.

Audio: “So next time your skin feels dry, remember, it’s not about more lotion, it’s about keeping that barrier strong and locking in moisture.”

Text: No text.

Video 2: How to Keep Your Skin Moisturized

Goal: Demonstrate 3 practical moisturizing tips.

Scene 1: Introduction (0:00–0:10)

Visual: A Maine Coon cat sits beside moisturizer in a bright bathroom.

Audio: “Let’s look at three simple ways to keep your skin soft and hydrated all winter long.”

Text: 3 Easy Steps for Healthy Skin

Scene 2: Step 1: Use Warm, NOT Hot Water (0:10 – 0:25)

Visual: Steam rising from a sink, the cat switches from very hot water to comfortably warm water.

Audio: “First, use warm water, not hot. How showers feel nice, but they wash away your skin’s natural oils.”

Text: Use warm water, not hot.

Scene 3: Step 2: Moisturize Right After Washing (0:25 – 0:40)

Visual: The cat gently patting skin dry, then applying lotion immediately in slow circular motions.

Audio: “Next, right after you wash, pat your skin dry and apply moisturizer within a few minutes. That helps trap water inside your skin.”

Text: Moisturize right after washing

Scene 4: Step 3: Choose the Right Product (0:40 – 0:55)

Visual: Close-up shots show different skincare bottles labelled hyaluronic acid, ceramide, and fragrance-free.

Audio: “Then, choose the right product. Go for a rich cream with ceramides or hyaluronic acid, and skip fragrances. They help repair your skin barrier and lock moisture.”

Text: Pick a barrier-repair cream

Scene 5: Closing (0:55 – 1:00)

Visual: The cat smiles at the camera with healthy-looking skin. And snowing outside.

Audio: “When you follow these steps, your skin stays smooth and comfortable all day. In the next video, we will show you how to protect your eyes in winter.”

Text: A happy cat now!

Video 3: How to Protect Your Eyes from Dryness

Goal: Show easy eye-care habits for dry winter air and screen fatigue.

Scene 1: Introduction (0:00 – 0:10)

Visual: A cat sits at a desk on a winter day, staring at a laptop screen. After a moment, he blinks slowly and shows his eyes in discomfort.

Audio: “Cold winter air and long hours on screens can leave your eyes dry and tired. But don’t worry, a few simple habits can really help.”

Text: Winter air and screens dry your eyes.

Scene 2: Tip 1: Follow the 20-20-20 Rule (0:10 – 0:25)

Visual: A close-up of the cat’s eyes appears, then a small clock icon shows 20-minute intervals. The student looks away from the laptop toward a window and focuses on a tree.

Audio: “First, follow the 20-20-20 rule. Every twenty minutes, look at something twenty feet away for twenty seconds. It gives your eyes a quick rest and keeps them comfortable.”

Text: 20-20-20 Rule

Scene 3: Tip 2: Use eye drops (0:25 – 0:40)

Visual: The cat holds a small bottle of eye drops and carefully applies one drop to each eye while looking upward. He closed his eyes gently afterward and smiled with relief.

Audio: “Next, use artificial tears when your eyes feel dry. Choose preservative-free drops and be careful not to touch the bottle tip to your eye.”

Text: Use eye drops safely.

Scene 4: Tip 3: Improve Your Environment (0:40 – 0:55)

Visual: A humidifier quietly releases mist beside the desk.

Audio: “Then, improve your environment. Add a humidifier to bring moisture back to the air, and avoid sitting too close to heaters. Small changes make a big difference.”

Text: Add humidity and avoid direct heat

Scene 5: Closing (0:55 – 1:00)

Visual:The cat smiles at the camera with bright, relaxed eyes.

Audio: “Take care of your eyes just like you care for your skin. Stay hydrated, stay comfortable, because moisture matters”

Text: Moisture matters for skin and eyes.

Principles Applied:

This series applies several key multimedia learning principles to create short, clear, and visually engaging educational videos. The Coherence Principle is reflected through the decision to include only essential visuals and narration that directly support the learning goals. Each video avoids unnecessary decoration or lengthy explanations, focusing solely on explaining the causes of dryness, demonstrating skin-care steps, and showing eye-care habits that viewers can easily apply in daily life.

The Segmenting Principle is evident in the structure of the project, which divides the topic into three concise one-minute videos. Each video presents one main concept—understanding dryness, maintaining skin moisture, or protecting the eyes—broken into small, digestible scenes. This organization allows viewers to process one idea at a time and revisit specific sections without feeling overloaded.

The Modality Principle is used by combining spoken narration with supportive visuals while keeping text on screen minimal. Short subtitles and brief labels, such as “Step 1,” “20-20-20 Rule,” or “Barrier Protection,” help convey key points without overwhelming viewers with reading. In addition, the Contiguity Principle is applied by synchronizing narration with corresponding imagery. For instance, when the voice-over explains how moisture evaporates in cold air, the animation simultaneously shows vapour rising; when the narrator describes choosing moisturizers, the labelled bottles appear at the same time.

The Personalization Principle is demonstrated through the use of friendly, conversational narration and three distinct cat characters that guide viewers through different winter-care scenarios. Their expressive, comic-style visuals make the information approachable and relatable, encouraging engagement and emotional connection. Finally, Signalling is achieved not through arrows or symbols but through clear scene titles, contrasting visuals—such as the split-screen of a dry versus healthy paw—and concise subtitles that highlight important terms like “Add humidity” or “Avoid heat.”

Together, these principles ensure that the “Winter Care: Skin, Eyes, and Comfort” series communicates its health messages effectively, balancing clarity, warmth, and visual appeal to support learning in an enjoyable way.

Generative Artificial Intelligence Use

For this project, I used Midjourney (Version 7) to generate all images that were later extended into short video clips. Each scene was created by entering detailed prompts that described the visual setting, lighting, and mood. Here is a prompt example that I used in Midjourney: “Comic book style, cinematic lighting, brown tabby Maine Coon cat smiling with bright relaxed eyes, snowflakes falling softly outside the window, cozy indoor light, gentle pastel tones, minimalist clean background.” After generating several options, I selected images that best fit the educational tone and combined them into three one-minute videos using Canva editing tool. The use of AI was limited to visual creation; all concepts, narration, and editing decisions were made independently by the creators.

To minimize potential bias in AI-generated imagery, I intentionally avoided using human figures as the main subjects. Instead, I chose cats as the central characters to create a more approachable and consistent visual theme while avoiding the cultural or representational biases that can appear in AI depictions of people. Because I specified both the art style and thematic focus in each prompt, the outputs were largely appropriate and aligned with the project’s setting. However, there were still some technical limitations. For example, certain actions such as applying eye drops or turning a faucet were not rendered accurately, and the cats’ appearances varied slightly between scenes since each image was generated independently.

Overall, Midjourney functioned as a creative tool for visualization, not as a source of ideas or content. The educational message, narration, and structure were fully designed and developed by the project authors.

Peer feedbacks

Simon Zhang:

Both peers provided positive and constructive feedback on the prototype “Winter Care: Skin, Eyes, and Comfort.” They agreed that the project was well organized, clear in its purpose, and supported by a strong understanding of the audience. Reviewers noted that the topic, helping newcomers adapt to the cold, dry climate of places like Edmonton, was relevant and realistic. They also commented that the structure of the three short videos made the content accessible and easy to follow, with each video focusing on a specific subtopic.

The feedback shows that the project demonstrated effective use of multimedia learning principles. Reviewers mentioned the appropriate segmentation of information, the combination of visuals and narration, and the friendly, calm tone that supported learning without overwhelming the viewer. They found the educational messages simple, clear, and supported by well-chosen visuals. Both peers described the scripts as well paced and noted that the visual and narrative alignment made the learning goals easy to identify.

Some areas for improvement were also marked. Both peers suggested refining the consistency between the target audience and the POV statement to ensure alignment throughout the document. One reviewer recommended clarifying the environmental causes of dryness to strengthen the logical connection between all three videos. Another suggested including brief examples of common mistakes or a fun introductory element to engage the audience more quickly.

Nico Cai:

One peer commended the clarity and realism of our scripts by noting from understanding the problem to presenting solutions was logical and easy to follow. He particularly appreciated how the topic felt authentic and relatable, but they recommended highlighting key information visually, such as the 20-20-20 rule and moisturizing steps, so that the audience could retain these points more effectively. He also advised adding captions to improve accessibility for different audiences and to ensure that essential ideas were reinforced both visually and audibly.

The other peer focused on improving the technical and structural components of the prototype. He recommended adding a short section explaining which software or editing methods would be used, as well as describing accessibility plans such as captions or transcripts for diverse learners. He also suggested developing a simple evaluation plan to assess learning outcomes and including a brief project timeline to show how the work would progress.

Reflect and Refine

Team Reflection:

Our project, Winter Care: Skin, Eyes, and Comfort, was inspired by real personal experience, which became one of its greatest strengths. Because the topic originated from everyday challenges faced during Edmonton’s cold and dry winters, our team was able to design a realistic and relatable learning experience. The connection to real-life situations helped make the educational message authentic and easy for viewers to identify with, especially for students who might relocate from milder climates. This strong connection between personal experience and learning design made the videos feel both credible and emotionally engaging.

Through the design process, we explored multiple tools and formats to communicate our ideas effectively. Initially, we tested several animation and video platforms such as Powtoon, Videoscribe, Animaker, and Canva, but found that their visual templates were too restrictive for the tone we wanted to achieve. After experimenting, we discovered Midjourney, which allowed us to generate high-quality comic-style visuals that matched our intended aesthetic. Then we used Canva to assemble the videos, add subtitles, narration, and background music. This workflow allowed us to maintain creative control while producing short, clear, and visually consistent one-minute videos.

Based on peer feedback, we made several key revisions. One suggestion was to improve the consistency between our audience description and POV statement, which we clarified in the final submission. Another important change was replacing human characters with cats as the visual subjects. This choice not only avoided potential biases in AI-generated human imagery but also made the videos more approachable and engaging. Each cat became a friendly guide for a specific topic, helping to create emotional connection while maintaining visual simplicity. These revisions made the final version more coherent and visually appealing.

From a design-learning perspective, this project allowed us to apply several principles from Mayer, R. E. (2024) effectively. The use of segmentation, modality, and personalization helped organize information into small, meaningful chunks and presented it in a conversational tone. The combination of narration and visuals supported dual-channel processing and helped maintain clarity. The project also demonstrated the practical potential of generative AI as a visual design tool when used thoughtfully and ethically within educational contexts. According to Lin et al. (2023), short-form video learning can enhance engagement and motivation when paired with clear visual structure, which aligns with our design approach and results.

Overall, the short-video format proved to be an effective medium for communicating everyday health and lifestyle information. Its structure helped maintain attention while ensuring that each video delivered a complete, easy-to-understand message. However, the format also required careful planning to ensure that essential information fit within one minute without oversimplifying key points. With this challenge, the final product successfully balanced educational clarity, engaging visuals, and accessibility, reflecting both our learning and creative growth throughout the project.

Individual reflections

Simon Zhang:

This project was a meaningful experience for me because it came from something I personally lived through. I came up with the main idea and helped shape the direction of our work based on my time in Edmonton. I also took the lead on the visual design and video production. I used Midjourney to generate all the images and later assembled the final videos in Canva, adding subtitles and transitions to keep everything consistent. I was also responsible for organizing the written documentation and making sure our ideas were presented clearly. If I were to improve one thing, I would start testing software options earlier so that we could spend more time refining animations and transitions. Overall, I’m proud of how our team turned a simple idea into something creative and visually engaging.

Nico Cai:

I was mainly responsible for writing the scripts and managing the voice-over and audio editing for our videos. I focused on keeping the narration calm and conversational so that it would feel friendly and easy for viewers to follow. I also adjusted the sound levels and pacing to make the transitions smooth and natural. Collaborating with Simon was a great experience because we were able to combine our different skills, his visual design and my writing and audio work, to create a clear and engaging final product. Looking back, I think spending a bit more time experimenting with different tones and sound effects could make future projects even more dynamic. In the end, I am very happy about how our teamwork came together and how the final videos reflect both of our strengths.

Reference

Lin, I.-T., Shen, Y.-M., Shih, M.-J., & Ho, C.-C. (2023). Short Video Addiction on the Interaction of Creative Self-Efficacy and Career Interest to Innovative Design Profession Students. Healthcare (Basel), 11(4), 579. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11040579

Mayer, R. E. (2024). The Past, Present, and Future of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning. Educational Psychology Review, 36(1), Article 8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09842-1

Midjourney. (2025). Midjourney (Version 7) [Generative image model]. https://www.midjourney.com

Videos

Video 1:

Video 2:

Video 3:

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