Digital Limited Palette with Mary A Livingston

Digital Limited Palette with Mary A Livingston

        Picture books are a glorious balance of story and illustration. Now, enter a third artistic element…digital presentation. By considering digital interpretation as an art, rather than embellishments or accessories, there is opportunity to add another dimension to the story. Just as an artist uses a limited color palette or as an author uses a limited number of words, a digital designer will do well to limit the digital enhancements when designing a digital picture book. The reasons to limit a digital palette are the same as for the art of writing and illustrating. It serves to bring focus to a point and distractions to a minimum. When choosing to animate, interact or amplify, consider the story first.

Does the action…
        fit the story?
        enhance the story?
        move the story forward?
        match the energy of the story?
        match the mood of the story?

Does the action…
        interfere with the story?
        merely repeat the text or illustration?
        distract from the story?
        overwhelm the story?
        bring the story to a stop?

        For comparison, I’ve chosen two digital picture book apps. COWZAT!, digital design by Colour Me Play and Prancing, Dancing Lily, digital design by Fat Red Couch. While there’s a clear difference in animation style, I’m only evaluating the palette of digital effects.

Animation and interaction notes for the first scene of COWZAT!, digital design by Colour Me Play. Author: Bruce Atherton. Illustrator Ben Redlich.

The first scene of COWZAT!

• Thirteen automatic animations.
• Thirteen interactive elements.
• Each word bounces and highlights as it’s read.
• Story always reads aloud, no option to turn off narration.
• Each word bounces and sounds when touched.

     A child can spend several minutes exploring this one scene. The pooping parrot alone will entertain a five-year-old boy to the point of forgetting the story, but it’s not relevant to the story. Add the auditory flatulence of the cow pie and it even delights a 12-year-old boy. So much is happening in this scene that the only reason to go to the next scene is to see more digital candy. Story? What story?
    The animations are elegant, smooth, and clever…but so numerous they interfere with the story flow. It becomes more like a cartoon than an interactive book especially since the narration will not turn off. The unrelated digital content is a distraction and the sheer number of actions overwhelms the story content.

Animation and interaction notes for the first scene of Prancing, Dancing Lily, digital design by Fat Red Couch. Author: Marsha Diane Arnold. Illustrator: John Manders.

       
        Compare this overload with the first scene of Prancing, Dancing Lily.

• Three automatic animations.
• Three interactive elements.
• Read aloud words are highlighted in groups.
• Narration can be turned off.

    While the animations aren’t as sophisticated as COWZAT!, they are pertinent to the story. The walking motion of the cows, the dancing of Lily, and the spin of the farm's windmill fit the story. If the reader touches Farmer Gibson, his call to the cows sounds again. If Lily is tapped, her abundant enthusiasm enhances her already wonderful character. The reader wants to see what’s next for Lily and her herd.

        The digital actions of Prancing, Dancing Lily don't interfere with the story. Each digital element has a place in the story. Some build on the existing illustrations, others add information.
        The temptation to show off animation skills and cram the screen with a gluttonous load of electronic gibber can snuff the life out of a story. While I appreciate the animation quality of COWZAT!, the digital designers of Prancing, Dancing Lily have respected the story by making appropriate enhancements.
        Digital design is part of an artistic triad for picture eBooks. The digital elements and interactivity should be included in the editorial process like the text and illustrations. Just as an author and illustrator must evaluate the relevance of specific words or imagery, the digital designer must consider if the animation or interactivity is pertinent to the specific story.

    Mary A Livingston is an award winning illustrator, photographer, author and designer. She believes that today is an exciting and challenging time in the children’s book industry as the digital market finds its way alongside traditional printed books. Beginning in Fall 2014 she will be teaching a CBA course Using InDesign for Picture Book Dummies and eBooks that will make this complex but extremely helpful program accessible for creatives.
       Born in Hoopa, she grew up in the forested communities of Humboldt and Trinity Counties of Northern California. She attended Shasta College, Humboldt State University, and Loyola University. She has also worked in education, photography, and liturgical design. She and her husband, Tim, have two sons and three grandchildren.
    You can find out more about Mary at www.maryalivingston.com