Saturday, February 28, 2009

The wheels on the bus go round and round…

And round. Here are some of our favorite buses at home and abroad.

Zid Zid MOdern Bus Backpack, modern design for kids

You can take the bus with you with this Zid Zid bus backpack. A simple, and modern design, it is made with vinyl so can be cleaned easily. You can find the Zid Zid backpack on Design Public Kids. It is a great resource for Modern objects designed especially with kids in mind.



Marimekko yellow bus fabric

You have probably seen this classic Marimekko design - Bo Boo by Katsuji Wakisaka which has cars, trucks, and, of course, yellow buses.

The bright, playful fabric of Marimekko can easily be turned into a wall hanging in your child's room (my brother had one on his wall growing up). Check out these easy instructions to create your own Marimekko wall hanging.






This 'Ride the Bus' t-shirt by Tadpole Creations is perfect for small tykes. The playful illustrative nature of the designs and bold colors make this a must-have for any parent. Check out Tadpole Creations other designs, my favorite is this colorful elephant.

The book Bus Stops by Taro Gomi is a favorite in our house. The beautiful watercolor illustrations depict a bus going through town, stopping at various places like a fair, a hospital, and a restaurant. The book encourages visual exploration and asks children to find fun things -- a clown, a mechanic, a cow.

The Ten Thousand Villages School Bus toy was handmade in Sri Lanka by an organization that provides work to at-risk youth. Made with albizia wood, a fast-growing, reforested tree.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Welcome to Duck Duck Moose Design Blog!

Duck Duck Moose was founded by three friends who share a passion for children, music, education, design, and play. We observed that our young children loved to play with our iPhones – a perfect form factor for small hands and an interface that is intuitive for even toddlers. We also noticed that there were very few fun, educational apps designed for children.


Wheels on the Bus: Educational, Musical iPhone app for Children

We created our first product, Wheels on the Bus, with help from many friends. We produced all the music, illustrations and interactions ourselves. Our own children, their friends, and other parents tested the Bus for us, and gave us very helpful feedback.

After launching Wheels on the Bus, we at Duck Duck Moose were inspired to start a blog to showcase some of the many exciting things that are happening in the world of design for babies and young children.

We hope you enjoy our blog!

Caroline (duck), Nicci (duck) & Michael (moose)