For the 5th edition of Art1st Art Curriculum for Grades I-V, a full content revision was planned in 2017. Feedback from teachers and students was in; there was an urgent need to revamp the content and more importantly, the presentation of Art1st’s proprietary art curriculum for schools across India.
I worked to redesign the Art Books to increase their overall engagement with young readers.
What can be better?
Art1st’s Art Books are essential learning aids in classes helping art teachers facilitate their lesson plans. Complete with various concepts of art, Indian artists’ works and art-making activities, these books are the starting point for the child to enter a wondrous world of imagination and creativity.
As the content for lesson plans was being revised, I simultaneously began looking at the existing books to understand pain points and map out opportunities in design.
Structure
Overall, there was a need for consistency and continuity. The layout of the text and imagery seemed to lack deliberation and thus led to varying levels of legibility and readability.
To resolve this, I created a new system using a 6-column grid, flexible layouts and distinctive typography.
Scroll through various layouts within the proposed grid. Some aspects of the layout had to be altered based on each grade’s requirement, yet the defining grid was consistent.
Stories
Each lesson began with a story. I worked to redesign the balance of the story flow and composed text and visuals to lend anticipation, curiosity and drama. I added more and more white (or negative) space to invite readers in.
Art Projects
The design of this section was guided by the principle of variability. Because the projects were so diverse in nature, the layout had to respond individually, while sticking to a familiar structure for easy recall. Every project was accompanied by a list of materials required, the instructions to be followed and questions for reflection post-activity.
This was a big improvement from the previous edition. Parents could, at a glance, know what the child requires before the next day’s lesson.
Art Appreciation
This was a unique section created solely for the new edition that highlighted an eminent Indian artist’s profile and work/s of art. This was followed by reflective questions/activities around the art.
I kept the layout for this fairly simple and clear, with a prime focus on the artwork. By exaggerating certain elements of the artwork, we wished to encourage students to interpret the artwork in expansive and dynamic ways.
Learnings
The project was a good exercise in understanding various tenants of readability and engagement with children. As early readers, their access to words and images must be unhindered and engaging. Color, graphics and typography must come together to create a seamless learning experience – full of joy and surprise.
