DESIGN HACKATHON
Creating a children's reading app for Adobe x Scholastic
Overview
Overview
Little Tales is a mobile platform designed to bridge the gap in book access for school-aged children. Developed during Adobe's week-long Creative Jam, the app focuses on fostering community growth by enabling guardians and neighbours to host and attend book-sharing events safely.
Little Tales is a mobile platform designed to bridge the gap in book access for school-aged children. Developed during Adobe's week-long Creative Jam, the app focuses on fostering community growth by enabling guardians and neighbours to host and attend book-sharing events safely.
Summary and prototype
Challenge
During the pandemic children lost access to two of their most reliable sources of books: schools and libraries. How can we help communities safely host book-sharing events for school-age children and gain access to reading materials?
During the pandemic children lost access to two of their most reliable sources of books: schools and libraries. How can we help communities safely host book-sharing events for school-age children and gain access to reading materials?
Brief
Design a mobile app to empower local communities to host small-to-large scale book-sharing events while maintaining safety and encouraging long-term engagement.
Requirements: 15+ high-fidelity screens with a realistic user flow.
Design a mobile tool that empowered local communities to host small-to-large scale book-sharing events while maintaining safety and encouraging long-term engagement.
Requirements: 15+ high-fidelity screens with a realistic user flow.
Design a mobile tool that empowered local communities to host small-to-large scale book-sharing events while maintaining safety and encouraging long-term engagement.
Requirements: 15+ high-fidelity screens with a realistic user flow.
Design approach
Design approach
The project followed a compressed 7-day sprint to move from abstract problem-solving to a polished prototype.
The project followed a compressed 7-day sprint to move from abstract problem-solving to a polished prototype.
Focused on the physical community layer — the neighbours, parents, and caretakers who already trusted each other. Little Tales works by bridging local social trust with light digital coordination. Three ideas anchored the concept:
Focused on the physical community layer — the neighbours, parents, and caretakers who already trusted each other. Little Tales works by bridging local social trust with light digital coordination. Three ideas anchored the concept:
01
01
Bookworm points
Bookworm points
Gamification for children and guardians alike — rewarding both reading and community participation, not just consumption.
02
02
Local events
Local events
Surfacing virtual and in-person book events near the user, lowering the barrier to hosting and attending.
03
03
Little free library
Little free library
A digital layer on the beloved physical concept — letting neighbours freely exchange books without friction.
Takeaways
The Scholastic integration was one of the more deliberate bets. Rather than competing with established distribution networks, the app leans into nostalgia as Scholastic book fairs were formative for many parents, and referencing that framing immediately communicates legitimacy and warmth to our primary user: the guardian.
The gamification layer was carefully thought out. Points needed to motivate both children (reading) and adults (hosting, attending events) without feeling extractive or manipulative, but rather like a reward.
The Scholastic integration was one of the more deliberate bets. Rather than competing with established distribution networks, the app leans into nostalgia as Scholastic book fairs were formative for many parents, and referencing that framing immediately communicates legitimacy and warmth to our primary user: the guardian.
The gamification layer was carefully thought out. Points needed to motivate both children (reading) and adults (hosting, attending events) without feeling extractive or manipulative, but rather like a reward.