Through Sliding Doors

Through Sliding Doors is an interactive comic exploring the experiences of young people navigating exploitation, peer pressure, online harm, and the search for safety.

Developed with Western Sydney support service Rosie’s Place, the project combines illustration, sound design, animation, to create an experience that is interactive, accessible, and deeply respectful of the stories it shares.

Set on Sydney’s train network, a space where many young people travel between home and school, often beyond the view of parents, carers and teachers, the story follows five protagonists whose lives intersect over a single journey. Each chapter centres on a different character and struggle, with overlapping moments revealing how their experiences connect.

The project seeks to reduce the shame and secrecy that often surround experiences of exploitation, while encouraging conversations about boundaries, safety, respect, and seeking support.

Rosie’s Place provides counselling and support for children and young people across Western Sydney who have experienced violence and abuse. With funding from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, the not-for-profit organisation set out to develop educational resources addressing child sexual exploitation, which is a complex issue that can be difficult to communicate in ways that resonate with young people.

The Rosie’s Place team approached us with an early idea. Inspired by the storytelling format we used for The Boat, they wondered whether a similar interactive approach could help bring these stories to life. They saw the digital comic book format as a way to genuinely engage with young people, conveying difficult realities with care, clarity, and emotional truth.

Rosie’s Place co-designed the stories with young people, translating their lived experiences into an informed set of fictional stories exploring online grooming, peer pressure, betrayal, manipulation, and the subtle dynamics that can place young people at risk.

Central to the project are the illustrations of Rosie’s long-time collaborator Elizabeth Botté, who developed a series of striking visual narratives that capture the emotional nuance of the themes. Previous publications for Rosie’s had taken the form of traditional picture books and print media. We worked with the team to translate this experience to the web, designing layouts for mobile and desktop and ensuring Liz’s visual metaphors, gestures and moments of stillness were conveyed across different screen sizes and devices.

Through the design process, we iterated on the themes and artwork, developing a style guide informed by contemporary graphic novel aesthetics. Each chapter is given a bright spot colour drawn from Liz’s illustrations, paired with bold typography. A fluid ‘swipe card’ menu, similar to a game or dating app, allows readers to explore the chapters in any order, supporting the story’s non-linear structure.

Through Sliding Doors demonstrates how interactive storytelling can support meaningful conversations around complex social issues. By combining illustration, narrative, and digital interaction, the project transforms difficult subject matter into an experience that young audiences can connect with.

For educators, counsellors, and youth workers, it provides a powerful resource for opening conversations around safety, trust, and seeking help.

Most importantly, the project makes visible experiences that too often remain hidden, reinforcing the message that young people who experience harm are not alone, and support is always available.