I’ve always been a bit of a bookworm. Once I have the kiddo in bed I try to read for at least half an hour each night (though I’ll confess that I often end up conking out before I reach that mark).
In recent weeks I’ve had more time than usual to read and wanted to share a few books that have impacted my design thinking.
Preschool Clues: Raising Smart, Inspired, and Engaged Kids in a Screen-Filled World
Angela C. Santomero, M.A.
You may not know Angela Santomero, but if you have had a child in the last 15 years I can guarantee they are familiar with her work. Angela is the creator of luminary children’s television series such as Blue’s Clues, Super Why!, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Wishenpoof!. In Preschool Clues, Angela takes us behind the scenes of her hit television shows and gives us an in-depth look into the educational and design “clues” that make these series so popular and effective.
Preschool Clues is a thoughtful, well-organized and accessible book for anyone interested in children’s media - as a viewer, player or creator. The concepts are presented in an easy to understand manner, though it is clear that considerable research and thought is behind each “clue”.
Santomero’s tone throughout the book is conversational, guiding the reader to be better creators, consumers and parents.
The Art of Game Design
Jesse Schell
When you’re a game designer, you expect a lot of questions.
What do you mean you’re a game designer? Do you make the art? Or do you do the coding?
So, like, do you make Halo? What about Call of Duty? Can you get me a free game?
Oh right, you work in a factory that makes board games? (My late grandfather’s assumption)
“Game design” is somewhat challenging to define, as it is not really one specific set of tasks. Game Design requires a broad set of skills - everything from psychology to art to math to project management. This makes explaining game design somewhat challenging. But when someone truly wants to understand the job of a game designer, I point them to Jesse Schell’s The Art of Game Design.
Jesse Schell is a the owner of Schell Games and a Professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. In his book Jesse explores and explains game design through a series of lenses: The Lense of Friendship, The Lense of Challenge, The Lense of Profit, etc… Each lense challenges the reader to view games (and everyday interactions) in a different way. This provides the reader with tools for creating thoughtful, delightful products for a variety of audiences.
The real value of this book is in its accessibility. Information is presented in a clear, concise manner that is easy for beginners to understand, while still providing insight to more knowledgeable readers. The writing feels almost conversational, so while over 300 pages, the book never feels like a chore to read.
The Art of Game Design is valuable for designers of any level - aspiring to seasoned.
Design for Kids: Digital Products for Playing and Learning
Debra Levin Gelman
Design for Kids is a great book for anyone creating digital products with children as their target audience. Author Debra Gelman is a renowned writer and designer known for her work with PBS Kids, Sprout and Scholastic. Gelman’s Design for Kids does a wonderful job taking a rather daunting subject (designing for a wide-ranging group such as children) and presenting the information in a clear, understandable and ultimately usable manner.
The majority of Gelman’s book is spent looking at various age groups of children and how their development (cognitive, social and motor skills) should impact design thinking. She is meticulous in her details and it is immediately clear that she has done her research. And her research didn’t stop at interaction design, she encourage us to address other user needs including social interaction, community building and more.
I was particularly impressed with the chapter in which she attempts to design a touch interface that would grow with a child through their various stages of development. This was a great way for Gelman to drive home the messages of earlier chapters in a compelling visual way.
Understanding Comics
Scott McCloud
While ostensibly a book about comic books, Understanding Comics is so much more. Art Spiegelman, the creator of Maus said of the book “Cleverly disguised as an easy-to-read comic book, Scott McCloud’s simple looking tome deconstructs the secret language of comics while casually revealing secrets of Time, Space, Art and the Cosmos!”
Understanding Comic is an in-depth view and explanation of comic books as an art form. But through his thorough, focused study of the medium McCloud shares insight that is invaluable for anyone who is guiding another through a journey - be they a writer, a painter, a UX designer or game designer.
The entire book is written in the form of a graphic novel, making it easy to pick up and difficult to put down.
Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and Search for Identity
Andrew Solomon
While not a design book, Far From the Tree has given me so much to think about in terms of how and why I design.
In each chapter of Far From the Tree, Solomon tells the story of a different group of people who are not considered “normal” by society’s standards. Solomon introduces us to families who have had to deal with deafness, blindness, dwarfism, Down's syndrome, autism, schizophrenia, multiple disabilities and more. The stories often deal with isolation, loneliness and the search for community.
I described this book to a friend as “A wonderful, horrible, sad and beautiful book all at once.” And I will confess I ugly-cried at more than one point in this book.
Far From the Tree also challenged me to examine my design thinking and how I approach considering the needs of my target audience. As designers one of the hardest lessons we have to learn is that our designs can never please everyone. No matter how hard we try someone will be left out. But that doesn’t mean we should just accept “normal” as some sort of static ideal that shouldn’t be re-examined and expanded. It confirms my earlier post that “Everyone Deserves a Good Game”.
It is tempting for me to say "this book should be read by every parent" but I feel that is too limiting. This book should be read by everyone. It is a story that reminds us of what each and every one of us craves and needs to be willing to give: compassion.