The Wahl-o-Mat is a well-known tool — its system is easy to understand and provides users with personal insights. But what if there was something similar for educational work on New Year’s Eve fireworks? That’s exactly what the Knall-o-Mat is: an interactive web app that highlights personal contradictions on the topic of fireworks.
By responding to seven statements about lifestyle and values, users can see how their own behavior aligns with the New Year’s impacts on safety, the environment, animals, and society. Instead of lecturing, the Knall-o-Mat tool focuses on real empathic argumentation and well-founded information across six core topics. The platform furthermore includes real experiences written by the community, offering a new, more reflective perspective on New Year’s Eve fireworks.
This online campaign is the first of its kind in Germany. Its interactive approach aims to educate in a visual and playful way, with further potential for content expansion in the coming years.
The Knall-o-Mat page went live for the first time on December 20, 2024, and reached over 1,300 users until New Year’s Day. It was shared and supported by organizations such as the Schleswig-Holstein branch of Europe’s Volt party and various animal protection communities. The city of Kiel also took notice of the project and provided consistently positive feedback.
Next year, I aim to reach even more people by introducing additional in-depth features.
