The Psychological Profiles of Leopold and Loeb

Project Timeline: 6 weeks
My Role: UIUX Designer, Copywriter
Deliverables: App prototype, pitch presentation

In collaboration with Reina Kitamura and Lin Li

The Book Element

The Leopold and Loeb Files

Written by Nina Barrett
Published 2018

Uncovers the Leopold and Loeb case— a murder crime committed by two UChicago students in 1924 and has infamously called the ‘crime of the century.’

This breakdown of The Leopold and Loeb Files highlights five sections of the case, from the murder to parole. Our project focuses on Part III: Psychiatric Reports, exploring the psychological dynamics that connect the two characters

Supplementary material

Thrill me Musical

Written by Stephen Dolginoff

The Leopold and Loeb case has been revisited in various media over the years. To bring a fresh perspective, we connected it to the musical Thrill Me. With over 150 productions in 16 countries and 10 languages, the musical is especially popular in Japan, Korea, and China.

User persona

Issues

Lack of resources for International Audiences

Despite the case having international interests—specifically in Asia, with the popularity of “Thrill Me” musical, there is barely any resources catered for non-western audiences.

Design Strategy

Cross-reference the musical to the report

The app will let users cross-reference scenes from Thrill Me with Leopold and Loeb’s psychiatric reports, offering insights into their motives and relationship.

Issues

Lack of Focus in Leopold & Loeb’s Psychiatry

Many existing content focuses on ‘how’ the crime happened, and less about the ‘why’ the crime happened. The book also separates Leopold and Loeb’s analysis, making it hard to compare the two side by side.

Design Strategy

Comparing Leopold & Loeb’s Psychiatric Report

The app will focus on being able to compare and contrast Leopold & Loeb’s psychiatric report to discover similarities between their life and their complex relationship for users to question about why they have committed the crime.

Walk through of the App

Exciting features of our app:

  1. Dive Into the Minds: Compare the psychiatric reports of Leopold and Loeb side by side to uncover surprising parallels between their lives and psyches.

  2. Scene Connections: Click on specific scenes from the musical to see how they connect to the real-life reports and events.

  3. Media Insights: Explore what the media was saying during the trial and how it shaped public perception.

  4. Character Mapping: Click on any character’s icon to instantly understand their relationship with Leopold and Loeb.

  5. Musical Highlights: Watch key scenes from the musical anytime to refresh your memory or gain deeper insights.