IBDA-Winning Activity Book for Creative Learning
Client : CPB Prism x Sphere Arts Education
Peer Ponder Play is a 60-page children’s activity book developed for Chennai Photo Biennale – Prism. Created in English, Hindi, and Tamil, the book is designed to introduce young learners to photography and observation through playful, open-ended exploration. As project lead and illustrator, I crafted a flexible system that merged storytelling, interaction, and visual clarity — resulting in a learning tool that’s now reached over 1 lakh students across India.
How do you design an activity book that:
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Works across three languages, multiple age groups, and classroom contexts?
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Feels joyful, clear, and engaging — without relying on expensive printing?
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Encourages creativity and discovery through play, not instruction?
We needed a design system that was modular, inclusive, and visually inviting, while also being budget-conscious and adaptable to evolving needs.
Visual Language
Used hand-drawn, pencil-style illustrations with bold, high-contrast elements for maximum accessibility and warmth.
Modular Layout System
Designed flexible grid templates that could adapt to multilingual typesetting while maintaining consistency and flow.
Mascots & Icons
Introduced friendly animal mascots (dogs, cats, crows, pigeons) as recurring guides to bring a sense of story and cultural relatability.
Play-Based Structure
Each spread worked like a self-contained experience — activity-based, tactile, and layered with prompts for independent or group engagement.
Print-Efficient, Scalable System
Started with a black-and-white design language and later scaled to include color selectively as the project evolved.
The outcome & Learnings
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Reached over 1,00,000+ students in 1500+ classrooms across India
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Used by educators from Kashmir to Tamil Nadu in schools and workshops
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Won the IBDA Best Design Project Award (2023)
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Praised for its inclusive visuals, ease of use, and age-neutral tone
This project taught me how to design not just for visuals, but for real engagement. It sharpened my ability to work within constraints, collaborate across teams, and build adaptable systems that feel personal — a mindset I carry into every design challenge, whether for print, digital, or beyond.
