Our friends at Penguin Random House wanted to offer a new in-home experience to broaden the appeal and access of their Who HQ titles. So we designed and built Who Was Heroes, an Action for Google Assistant, a voice-first story experience, best enjoyed on the Google Nest Hub, targeted at kids and families, whether or not they are already familiar with the Who Was series of books and characters.
From Bruce Lee to George Washington Carver, Selina to Helen Keller, Sacagawea to Louis Armstrong, Who Was Heroes combines exploration of a catalogue of historical characters, audiobook chapters supported by hand-drawn visuals, and a voice-driven UI.
We learned a lot in designing and building this action for Google Assistant:
- Getting to the content quickly meant reducing the time spent and interactions needed before the user was enjoying a story
- Encouraging exploration meant we offer a surprising variety of characters in regular rotation, with monthly themes, and entice with a simple invitation to ask for more.
The action is aimed at 7 to 12-year-olds, and is meant to be enjoyed in a communal space. And while the kids enjoy the book, as parents and siblings wander past, the intriguing narration and engaging visuals may draw their attention too.
Our work was highlighted in this Google video about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
