This week's POP Digital interview is with the lovely folks over at meikme®. They created a wonderful app called The Journey of Alvin (which I love!), and I'm thrilled to welcome them to POP today.
Thanks so much for agreeing to answer some questions for me! First up, it would be great to if you could tell us a bit about meikme®
meikme® began because we love to make products for kids. We are: from marketing and digital communication, Raul Barroso, Javier González and Daniel Hernández, and from atipo® creative studio, Raúl García del Pomar and Ismael González. meikme® is a project that invents applications for children based on stories that have influenced and excited us as adults. We think that they can entertain and stimulate the imaginations of young ones, and in turn help parents share moments and experiences with them.
In meikme®, we seek references in the adult world (cinema, music, literature, dance, etc.) that we would like to transfer into the language of children, and in unusual ways. As well as sharing our passions – laughing, telling stories, creating characters, and laughing again – we are always inspired by our favorite heroes, such as Saul Bass, Maurice Sendak and Pixar. We want to make the little ones’ world big, and we enjoy adapting the grown-up world for them.
The Journey of Alvin has gained a lot of attention and was listed in the Guardian’s top apps of 2014. It must be wonderful to receive this sort of recognition?
Of course, this sort of recognition of our work helps us a lot. It raises awareness and motivates us to continue working.
How did The Journey of Alvin come about? Could you tell us a bit about how the idea became reality?
The character of Alvin actually appeared in a dream! He was the protagonist of a real-life event, which also inspired the film director David Lynch, and, just like David, we believed that many of the values in the original story – the long journey of an old man in his old mower who travels to visit his brother – could be shared with a child.
The artwork style used in The Journey of Alvin really stands out when compared with other apps. It’s very stylish! I can also see how the simple shapes and bold lines would appeal to children. What made you decide to go with this artwork style?
Thank you! We wanted to move away from the typical children's illustration styles that are found in stores, and we have many ideas about how to appeal to children with this style.
What do you think makes a good app for children?
We think apps are good for kids if you can get parents and children to enjoy them together.
Describe meikme in five words
Big world for little ones.
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