DESIGNING FOR ENGAGEMENT & CLARITY
'No, Mummy, no!' is a children's story book designed to educate children and young families on responsible domestic water usage. The story follows Robert and his Mummy as they perform their daily routines around the home. Focused on common domestic water use habits, together they learn better ways to use water that benefits the earth.
The Environment Agency wanted to tackle water usage in a domestic environment. My solution is one that aims to engage the whole family, from the bottom up. I have fond memories as a child being read a bedtime story by my parents, with my older and younger siblings around me. Having spent some time working as a teaching assistant, I know that adults oftentimes engage with the story just as much as the child. Therefore, this is a book aimed at children, but one that will communicate the value of water to the whole family.
In the first half of the story Robert's Mummy uses water unwisely, but they learn together how to do the same tasks with wiser water usage. In the second half, Robert celebrates, 'Yes, Mummy, yes!' when she finds a better solution.
After reading this article written by Rob Waller for eye magazine, I was inspired by the multimodal layout system often found in stories like Rupert Bear. Whilst I only have two levels of information in the book, the concept could be developed to include three or four levels, like Rupert Bear. This would have the benefit of engaging a wider audience. Read the article here.
