Designing an Interactive Technological Book for Children with Mental Disabilities

Abstract

Graphic design works as a medium between human beings and technology, and can be transformed according to human needs. Graphic design has a potential for developing adaptive educational material for children with mental disabilities. At the same time, graphic design can be integrative with innovative digital technology in order to modernize education process in our digital era. This article describes an attempt to develop a graphic design project aimed at the creation of an innovative solution for schools for children with special need. By combining graphic design and technology, it was possible to create an interactive book that could help children and teenagers with mental disabilities in their learning processes and improve their quality of life. The experiment took place in one of the specialized schools in Yekaterinburg (Russia). The proposed project factored teachers’ opinions (obtained through teachers’ interviews) into the development process, and was subsequently tested in the classroom.
 Keywords: graphic design, mixed reality, education, children, digital learning, special needs, mental disability, interactive book