Self-care content for children is often either too abstract or too earnest to actually connect with kids. The challenge was designing something that felt genuinely inviting; approachable enough for a child to pick up and engage with independently, but considered enough that a parent or teacher would trust it. And doing all of that across a physical format that also had a digital component, in six weeks, on my own.

The design started with the cards themselves: large, easy to hold, with a tricoloured palette of calming and bright tones chosen specifically to feel welcoming without being overwhelming. The illustrations had to carry the activities clearly: legible at a glance, with enough warmth and character to feel like something a kid would actually want to look at.

Before QR Codes became commonplace post covid, using the QR Code brought a whimsical connection between digital and print. Linking a physical card to a voiced motion animation made the deck interactive in a way that static print alone couldn't be: and having my sister voice the animations gave it a genuine kid-to-kid quality that no adult voiceover could replicate. It made the whole thing feel less like instruction and more like play.

• Full illustration suite across the card range

• Print design and editorial layout for the physical deck

• Motion animation linked via QR code

• End-to-end production across print and digital
  

The deck was really well received — by peers and by anyone who saw the QR code animation in action. It's a project I'm still proud of all these years later and one I'd love to properly revisit: better print production on quality card stock, updated artwork, maybe an expanded range of activities. The concept is solid and the values behind it haven't changed. It was also a really useful reminder that some of the most interesting design problems live outside the client brief.

You can see the motion animation here.