The ABCs of Particle Physics
Campaign: interactive, motion design, board book
Roles: Interactive design/build, motion design, graphic design
The ABCs of Particle Physics came about when I was talking with the editor of Symmetry, an online magazine dedicated to the world of particle physics. We were bouncing ideas off of each other, trying to think of a new way I could contribute to the magazine, when it hit us: "What if we made a kids' book about particle physics?" It turned out that another writer at Symmetry had already written the poem, so it was settled!
Making the ABCs seemed like a natural fit for the content of the magazine, and I was about to become a dad, so it made total sense. I first developed an interactive scrolling site that was featured in Fast Company Design as an Infographic of the Day, but we thought that we could do more. Since the original idea centered around the concept of a board book for kids about particle physics, we figured that making an actual board book was the obvious next step.
Despite the legal, logistical, and other challenges (not beginning in "L") that involve two national laboratories creating and selling a children's board book to the general public, we prevailed. Now, The ABCs of Particle Physics is available in the Bay area at the Stanford University bookstore, the Exploratorium, CuriOdyssey, and Kepler's Books in Menlo Park. We're working on expanding to even more venues in the near future!
