Puffin Books have recently launched a pioneering online story-telling kit for young people; the 'We make stories' website is the most ambitious digital initiative for children it has developed to date.
The site is a collection of interactive online tools for children designed to encourage literacy, creativity and storytelling skills. Innovation and excellent design has always been key to Penguin’s philosophy and in a continuation of this convention the publisher selected three interactive design specialists to collaborate on this ground-breaking enterprise. As one of the chosen agencies, ico worked closely with the Penguin team to help dream up and create the three fun, easy-to-use and inspiring modules: ‘Remix-it’, ‘Telling Tales’ and ‘Comic Genius’. By borrowing computer gaming vernacular, the modules present a rich environment of characters, animations and sound that engage youngsters and stimulate them to read and make their own stories through play.
Technology expert Jason Bradbury, author of Dot Robot and presenter of the hugely popular Gadget Show on Channel Five tested the site. “As a gadget reviewer and writer, I am constantly playing with technology and stories – this site brings the two together in a blissfully easy to use and engrossing interface. It’s great to see a traditional publisher embracing the digital experience that is so familiar to our children, and using it to unlock the magic of writing and reading.”
