Tactile graphic design book and learning material
The design of a tactile reading book, ‘Pam de inkt vis’, and teaching material for young blind and visually impaired children. Unlike their sighted peers, blind children use touch as an important way to obtain information. This book is one in a series and was developed in collaboration with teachers from the Dutch organization Koninklijke Visio, as part of a project, ‘Reading Pleasure’. The inclusive design integrates large type and braille, tactile illustrations and matching 3D objects for in a positive reading experience
Translating educational criteria into tactile forms
The book is about a fantasy octopus Pam, who has various adventures with her friends in the sea. The concept was conceived by one of the teachers, Marianne van der Vinne (TVI), who wrote the seemingly simple story in rhyme form. In a playful way, children can gain rich tactile-spatial experiences, which are important for learning to read braille. They also learn about the relationship between 3D objects and their 2D representation. The design challenges mainly involved translating the educational criteria into optimal tactile forms. During this process, we tested all functionality with the children using tactile prototypes. The story is printed on Lessebo and Pop Set, and the illustrations and objects are made of characteristic tactile materials. A variety of printing and graphic techniques were used for production.