For the last 18 months, product design and innovation studio, Big Motive has been working towards the creation of a virtual reality (VR) experience for children.
The result is ‘Tara’s Locket, a short virtual reality story adventure for 5-7 year olds available on iOS and Android.
Inspired by the landscapes, stories and folklore of Ireland’s Atlantic coast, the story takes children on a journey to explore the magical world of Tara and her friends. Users can follow the interactive story and help guide Tara through her journey, as they help her reunite with their parents.
DIVERGE talked to the team at Big Motive to find out more:
Who is the team behind this?
Tara’s Locket is the latest project from product design and innovation studio Big Motive. We collaborate with visionary brands and creative partners to design digital products and experiences that move people and accelerate change.
Where did the idea for Tara’s Locket come from?
Tara’s Locket began as a conversation about children’s books and how virtual reality might enhance how stories are told and enjoyed by early learners – enabling children to be transported into the world of the story. We set out on this journey wondering about the opportunities to adapt existing IP for a virtual reality experience. Picture books felt like a super place to explore as we could potentially produce something additive in terms of how readers enjoy stories – while preserving the integrity of the story and the artist’s work.
How long did the project take and how much work went into it?
We’ve spent the last eighteen months working towards the creation of Tara’s Locket.
Why did you choose to explore VR?
What sets Virtual Reality apart from any other medium is its ability to transport you to a different place. Our goal with Tara’s Locket was to create an experience for children that lets them feel like they have stepped into the story, so for us, VR was the perfect platform.
Alongside VR’s potential, the Google Cardboard format itself is perfect for the children’s audience. It’s homespun, customisable and do-it-yourself ethos, isn’t so far removed from cereal-box spaceships and tinfoil robot costumes of our own childhoods.
What kind of feedback have you gotten from it?
So far the feedback has been very positive. There have been a lot of people already reach out to us to inform us of how much they like the app commenting on how it’s like nothing they’ve seen before. We’ve also had a great amount of interest from publishers who are interested in applying our approach to their existing IP.
Where will kids be able to get the VR glasses?
There are several places both adults and kids can get VR viewers. Google and Amazon alone have a great selection to choose from, which will suit everyone’s pocket.
Will you continue to work on additional books/sequel project?
Maybe. Maybe not. There could be a few additional stories released in the future, but that’s all under lock and key for the moment.
Will this be available in other languages?
Yes, we’re currently looking at making the app available in other languages for a wider audience.
How important is diversity to your agency?
It’s imperative. At Big Motive we embrace diversity fully, from the people we hire to the clients we work. We have found that embracing everyone’s differences, has allowed us to innovate and ideate more effectively, helping to build empathy with both users and clients alike. We rely heavily on the human factors here at Big Motive and to truly understand them, you need diversity.
Additional thoughts?
Tara’s Locket was inspired by the land and legends of Ireland’s North Atlantic coast. We set about creating an experience in VR that was entertaining, inspiring and educational in equal parts. Tara’s Locket is stolen by ‘Pooka’ at the story’s opening. The user’s primary challenge is to complete challenges to progress through magical locations in search of the dark Irish fairy – and ultimately find her family by retrieving her beloved locket.
From our early discussions with publishers and authors of children’s books we found out it was critical that the transition from page to virtual world in no way compromises the book illustrations.
For this reason we adopted an approach that could accommodate this variation. We built a world that could bring elements bound by two-dimensions into an immersive three-dimensional environment. This is the reason Tara’s Locket features a hand-illustrated world – a magical counterpoint to 3D modelling and advanced CGI being used in to bring the latest slate of VR game to market.
