Superhero: A Multi-Sensory Interactive Pop-Up Book for COVID-19 Education

Combining Art, Technology, and Education

Superhero is a pop-up book designed by Can Zhu that aims to publicize COVID-19-related knowledge among children. It tells the story of how immune cells fight against viruses and protect our health through a vivid narrative about superheroes battling monsters. What sets Superhero apart is its unique combination of pop-up paper books with electronic circuits, creating a multi-sensory interactive experience that helps children better understand abstract scientific concepts in an engaging and accessible way.

Laser cutting is used for the rapid production iterations of the paper parts, while the structure of the paper cleverly hides the thin electronic components, such as pressure sensors, photosensitive sensors, and magnetic sensors. These components are connected by copper tape, allowing for seamless integration into the book's design.

Measuring at 260mm x 225mm x 50mm, Superhero is a compact and portable educational tool that can be easily carried and shared among children.

Each page of the book depicts a scene of immune cells fighting the virus, with different paper structures and interaction methods designed for each scene. Young children can engage with the book by pushing, pulling, rotating, clicking, shaking, and performing other fine hand movements. In response, they receive visual, tactile, and auditory feedback that enhances their understanding of the story.

The Superhero project was created in Ningbo, China, in November 2020, and has since been located at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, since May 2021. The design team, consisting of Can Zhu, Leijing Zhou, Yue Wu, Qiuning Wu, Jiangping Zhou, and Ge Yan, conducted usability tests on the initial version of the product to verify its effectiveness, interest, and usability among lower-grade pupils. Based on interviews, video recordings, and user feedback, the team iterated on the design to address structural usability and image recognizability issues.

The new version of Superhero has been tried in schools and communities, receiving positive feedback from teachers and proving popular among young children. This innovative approach to education has earned Superhero the Iron A' Design Award in the Education, Teaching Aid, and Training Content Design category in 2022. This prestigious award recognizes the book's well-designed, practical, and innovative nature, meeting professional and industrial requirements while providing fulfillment and positive experiences for its users.