News
New Kids App for Parents Who Do NOT Like Kids Apps
Seattle, WA – February 22, in the year of our Lord 2012
– Two Pacific Northwest designers and tech veterans have teamed
up with acclaimed children’s book illustrator Steven D’Amico to
publish “Tiny Tiger and Friends” for today’s emerging digital
generation, sharing their approach for integrating tech into
parenting lives. “Tiny Tiger and Friends,” from the newly formed
The Curio Dept., connects children ages 2-5 with delightful
imaginary friends in a game for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch
using a hand-drawn style that feels like a lively animated
classic children's picture book.
In “Tiny Tiger and Friends,” players choose from three animal
pals – Tiger, Monkey or Hippo – and begin by dressing them in
outfits chosen from the collection of hand-drawn outfit parts.
Children can then take souvenir photos or play Peek-A-Boo and
Poke-A-Nose with their newly adorned animal friends.
One thing that's especially notable about this app is how
responsible the developers, one of whom is a parent, have been.
They want to do right by children and especially their parents
by providing a quality, worry-free experience. For instance:
· “Tiny Tiger and Friends” incorporates simple graphical
navigation that’s intuitive to toddlers who are independently
interacting with the app (no reading or audio instructions
required).
· Beautifully illustrated animated characters inspire children’s
imaginations and creativity even after they’re done playing.
· Plentiful pauses built into the game flow provide convenient
stopping points when it's time to turn off the game.
· Features like in-app-purchases, advertising, or confusing
menus or title screens have been mindfully left out.
The Curio Dept. co-founder and parent Scott Dierdorf relays, “My
parenting experiences have been a huge influence on this
project. In designing ‘Tiny Tiger and Friends,’ my business
partner Aaron Hedquist and I sought to leave as much room as
possible for the child to bring in his or her own imagination.
We’ve tried to give the characters enough life so they seem
real, but left enough out to inspire children to make up their
own stories. Nothing would make us happier than to see a child
finish playing our game and go draw a picture of Tiger or
Hippo’s adventures. Like a picture book, we want this game to be
the beginning of something, not the end.”
Tiny Tiger and Friends” is available in English, French, German,
Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil and Portugal supported),
Japanese and Chinese (traditional and simplified supported) from
the iTunes App Store
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tiny-tiger-and-friends/id480948291?mt=8.