2019 | Client: Playaway
A Read-Along Experience Like Never Before.
The new Playaway Wonderbook are audiobook players that are permanently affixed to the inside cover of some of the best children's book titles available at your local library. The Wonderbook helps boost reading comprehension, inspire deeper dialogues between child and educator, and add a new level of fun to the read-along experience.
Design: Gabe Puerto and Mike Tracz from BALANCE and the FINDAWAY team.
The Design
Throughout the design process, we made sure to keep our end user and context top of mind. The read-along device needed to be exceptionally easy to use, easy to understand, cost effective, and suitable for the daily wear and tear that library books go through. 3D mockups where crucial in understanding button location and size, component layout, and overall scale and usability.
The triangular 'corner' architecture of the Wonderbook device ensures the controls are in the most convenient place throughout the reading experience, while also allowing the device to be adhered to a wide selection of book titles.
The tapered form of the Wonderbook creates the lowest profile possible when the book is closed and on the shelf. The design cues where inspired by the offset of page edges created when a book is opened. The Power button has a green hue that grabs the users attention and subtly communicates 'start here'. The large Play/Pause button is front and center and its orange color and shape tie in with the products older sibling, the Playaway LIGHT.
The Playaway Wonderbook features one-touch power and reset buttons, easy-to-use play controls for kids, an outside-facing speaker for the highest quality audio performance, a headphone jack for independent listening, and read-along & learning modes to boost reading comprehension.
Images courtesy of Findaway
