Spot: Exploratory book app
During my time at Smashing Ideas, I was assigned as the lead creative, partnering with a single engineer to design and build this award-winning app based on the artwork of David Wiesner, a well-known children’s book illustrator. David provided us only with initial sketches and a very wild idea: Give kids a set of 5 connected worlds that they can travel and explore endlessly - using their imagination along the way. The app was built out of sketched artwork, in Unity, and replaced towards the end of our project with real artwork, so David could create the artwork collaboratively with us. I was responsible for all client engagement, product management, scoping, UI design, prototyping, sound design, and animation (directly in the Unity engine). I worked with a single engineer, and a second animator to add some final polish toward the end.
Spot is an app unlike any other. A visual adventure—one that is never the same twice—unfolds as you travel through spaces that transition into one another via the Pinch-and-Zoom feature of your iPad. With a pinch and a zoom, you move through dazzling scenes, delving into worlds within worlds rendered in gorgeous original artwork by David Wiesner.
Bringing an award winning author's concept to life
Kids could explore the Spot App with almost limitless ways to play. There were intentionally very little instructions and navigating the app was all about discovery!
The artwork was incredible to work with, and I had total access to David along the way.
We truly partnered on creating these scenes, sending sketches back and forth so that I could help him produce artwork that would work for each world.
Validating the experience
After doing some scrappy white-boarding and brainstorming, we came up with a possible way to build the app using more texture sheets than I'd ever dealt with before.
To validate the direction, I created an initial prototype in a matter of days, using some of David's other book art. I laid out all the 2D assets in Unity to create a unique combo of flat popup style and 3D assets wherever we needed depth.
We then flew out to Philadelphia to pitch him on the approach. He loved it!
Behind the scenes with David Wiesner
I was able to work directly with the author, developing a strategy that allowed him to create artwork in tandem with our development team.
We built the entire app using sketches and replaced the art with beautifully illustrated watercolor artwork as David completed the work.
Results
Spot app was launched on time and became a multiple award-winning app. The tiny team of 3 (me, an engineer and an animator) were so pleased to report back to Smashing ideas that we were on-budget and on time. David Wiesner was a pleasure to work with. So much Innovation!
***2015 Best App for Teaching and Learning—American Association of School Librarians***
*** Bologna Ragazzi Digital Award, Special Mention Fiction—Bologna Children’s Book Fair***
***2015 Cinekid Lion Best New Media Production Finalist***
***Children’s Technology Review Editor’s Choice***
***Winner of a Parents’ Choice Gold Award***
***Teachers With Apps Top Pick***
