Draw A Story
It is necessary that we invite kids to create their own storybooks instead of being created by adults. The importance is that children can fully use their imagination while the adults are their assistants, their listeners, and the ones who archive their creations as their childhood memories.
My Role
Product Designer
Project
Self-initiated
Timeline
3 months (Fall 2022)
Tools Used
Xd; Procreate; Illustrator
SENSE INTENT - BACKGROUND RESEARCH
Traditional children's enlightenment activities
With the emergence of electronic devices, lots of traditional entertainment for kids has transformed into a mobile version.
Online games provide a wider range of categories and diverse playability, kids are able to interact with the NPC or other players easily.
What is the content and purpose?
INVITING KIDS TO DO SOMETHING:
Painting / Making / Moving / Singing / Imitating / Distinguishing / Finding
FREE ACTIVITIES: KIDS ARE GOOD TO CREATE ANYTHING THEY WANT
Having kids to be the ones making the story.
HAVING KIDS INVOLVED IN
Simple interaction with the characters or participate in, even inviting them to write the story.
GETTING CLOSER TO KIDS
Parents and kids read together, pulling closer relationships and offering formative education.
KNOW CONTEXT - CHILDREN’S BOOK
What do existing educational Baby Book teaches kids?
Book #1
Little Truck
These delightful cross-page illustrations serve as a valuable tool for young learners, making it easier for them to grasp the fundamental concepts of car travel.
Book #2
ABC Touch Think Learn
Help kids learn and recognize their abc’s.
Raised, die-cut pieces nestled in mirroring indented cut-outs.
Each alphabet relates to an object, with a nicely drawn simple illustration as a visual thread.
Shape identification learning → drawing objects using shapes
Learning from shapes, turning to objects
Everything could be resolved as shapes,
By adding several shapes, we could create various objects.
Multiple Objects → A story
Story structures are always made of characters, objects, and story plots. Kids are willing to draw and create the first two elements, but it will be hard for them to come up with a complete storyline on their own.
KNOW PEOPLE - TARGET AUDIENCE RESEARCH
Young Children’s Creativity
In a longitudinal test of creative potential conducted by NASA…
“You’re 96 percent less creative than you Were as a child.”
Never underestimate your kids.
Children’s ideas are always ignored by the majority of adults since we are elder people who have a broader and wider point of view, so we literally won’t take kid’s ideas seriously.
But, if we listen to your child carefully, you will discover kids’ colorful and vivid ideas.
Case study: What could kid’s draw?
Kid’s art creation is always novel and innovative, which is very distinctive compared to adults.
Here are two groups of shapes, Try to combine each group's shapes to create objects!
“She is willing to try this drawing activity, and she usually enjoys this kind of free-hand drawing.”
—— Girl’s brother
“He does not draw a lot, but he quickly finishes it and comes up with interesting combinations.”
—— Boy’s mom
FRAME INSIGHTS - EMPHASIZE AND PRESERVE KID’S CREATIVITY
A platform having parents and children creating children's books together:
kid is the one drawing, and orienting the storytelling; parents will be guiding aside.
FRAME SOLUTIONS
DRAW A STORY: Together Parents & Kids
Draw A Story is two divided but still connected Apps: one for children’s shape learning by drawing their own illustrations based on shapes; and the other one inviting parents to guide kids to create stories using their drawings.
Wireframe
DRAW A STORY: Together Parents & Kids
Draw A Story is two divided but still connected Apps:
one for children’s shape learning by drawing their own illustrations based on shapes;
and the other one inviting parents to guide kids to create stories using their drawings.
Visual Language
REALIZE OFFERINGS
DRAW A STORY: Together Parents & Kids
Parent’s Version: Process of guiding kids to complete story creation, recording their memories and story collection.
Kid's Version: Not only a drawing pad based on shape and color learning but also a gallery that categorizes their drawing based on the subject.
Parents guide kids in selections of the story characters, objects, and places from the kids drawing gallery.
Parents can view and share their child's creations while documenting the drawing activity, and these drawings form the basis of a collaborative story.
TAKEAWAYS
Throughout this project, I have learned the importance of tailoring platform features to different user groups, especially when dealing with distinct age demographics like adults and children. This involves creating social functionalities for adults while fostering an environment that encourages children's creativity. Also, children’s platforms should be simple for them to understand easily.
Furthermore, I believe that providing users with freedom in design is an effective approach, whether it's customization or offering opportunities for them.
