This project was definitely the most challenging I ever did – yet the most rewarding as well. I will never forget the day when Michael read the tactile comic for the first time, experiencing a medium that did not exist in this form before. On that day I realized that it is possible to tell a story – without ink, text or sound – that comes to life through imagination.

If you want to know more, feel free to read the essay about this project. http://www.hallo.pm/life/

Intro

During my Interaction Design studies I went half a year abroad to try something new. I took a course about comics to find out if it’s possible to create a short comicthat is readable for people without eyesight. The reader should be able to follow and explore the story through touching the paper. I saw it as a challenge and a chance to fathom the possibilities of tactile storytelling.

I wanted to make a medium accessible to more people. Nota, helped me out with utilities and getting in contact with blind people. Michael, a braille proofreader at Nota was the first blind person I interviewed and a big help during the whole project. I want to point out that Idon’t know if this is the best or only way to create a tactile comic and if this comic works for every reader.

It’s an experiment inspired by the interviews with Michael and the feedback I got from him and the other readers. It’s not about the particular story I created but more about showing the potential of sequential-tactile-storytelling. Maybe this is just another way to tell stories or eventually it could even be helpful for educational purposes in explaining certain concepts. Time will tell…