Khoya - An Interactive Fantasy Adventure for the iPad: Further Information
'Khoya' is an interactive series for children on the iPad that uses New Media to bring alive the magic in a fantasy story.
Even before it's released it was showcased at TED Global 2011, the WIRED conference in the UK, the INK conference, and DLD 2012 in Munich.
We've already got some interesting reviews - including Steve Wozniak (co-founder, Apple), who said "Love the way your app is fun. Think different!" and last week Khoya was featured on the Indian app store as a staff favourite.
With over 70 pages of artwork and animations, real world quests, immersive interactions that make you a part of the book, magical devices and cartographic interfaces, Khoya is a combination of lavishly illustrated pages by Shilo Shiv Suleman and Avijit Michael's well crafted narratives.
Suleman is one of India’s young illustrators. She illustrated her first published book at the age of 16 and now has a total of 8 books to her name. Khoya is her first foray into the territory of interactive narratives.
Making Technology Beautiful
Khoya began as a project in Suleman’s art school as a rebellion against technology being simply usable or functional. “When I was a little girl, my grandfather gifted me a silver pocket-watch with gorgeous gilded markings.” she says, adding that the antique watch could serve as a gateway into her imagination. “But children today don’t have beautiful hand-crafted technology. So if we cannot have ornate tablets and other devices, maybe we can have beautiful apps within our devices.”
Khoya is not just about being functional but about bringing alive the magic of a fantasy story through rich visuals. The app aims at using technology to get children to go out and explore the natural world around them. While the protagonists of the story undertake their quests the readers are given their own quests like collecting seeds and making photo collections of these seeds through an app within the app.
“We think it's a real problem that kids in the last ten years have been glued to PCs, but now with mobile technology we can get them outside their houses. Photoquests, augmented reality in the garden are just a few examples of how we're trying to find the links between the earth, magic and technology.” says Shilo.
India and a Global Platform
Khoya also brings a very Indian style to the global market. Both Suleman and Michael have been interested in comparitive mythologies and creation of new tellings of mythologies by weaving together different archetypes. So while a lot of the ideas in Khoya are contemporary they are simultaneously universal and symbolic.
Download the Full app at http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/khoya-an-interactive-fantasy/id491690820?mt=8
Videos
The Khoya Promo - http://vimeo.com/27045415
Shilo’s Panel discussion from DLD- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7htpNAweZtk
Links to other Press
An article in WIRED UK
http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2012/02/play/screen-legend
Developer of the Month in Technoholik:
http://technoholik.com/news/mobile/apps/developer-of-the-month-interview-with-the-creators-of-khoya/2896
Liberty London Girl:
http://www.libertylondongirl.com/2012/01/28/llg-books-tech-khoya-storytelling-app/
If you plan to publish a review, we can send you a promo code for the app.
Images from Khoya are attached too.
The app has been Published by Tank and Bear and developed by Bangalore (India) based start up Inkoniq
The music and sound was created by Bombay based Arfaaz Kagalwalla, one half of Indian Electronic act Tempo Tantrik.
For further information, images etc.
Shilo Shiv Suleman
shilo1221@gmail.com
+91 99021 48975
'Khoya' is an interactive series for children on the iPad that uses New Media to bring alive the magic in a fantasy story.
Even before it's released it was showcased at TED Global 2011, the WIRED conference in the UK, the INK conference, and DLD 2012 in Munich.
We've already got some interesting reviews - including Steve Wozniak (co-founder, Apple), who said "Love the way your app is fun. Think different!" and last week Khoya was featured on the Indian app store as a staff favourite.
With over 70 pages of artwork and animations, real world quests, immersive interactions that make you a part of the book, magical devices and cartographic interfaces, Khoya is a combination of lavishly illustrated pages by Shilo Shiv Suleman and Avijit Michael's well crafted narratives.
Suleman is one of India’s young illustrators. She illustrated her first published book at the age of 16 and now has a total of 8 books to her name. Khoya is her first foray into the territory of interactive narratives.
Making Technology Beautiful
Khoya began as a project in Suleman’s art school as a rebellion against technology being simply usable or functional. “When I was a little girl, my grandfather gifted me a silver pocket-watch with gorgeous gilded markings.” she says, adding that the antique watch could serve as a gateway into her imagination. “But children today don’t have beautiful hand-crafted technology. So if we cannot have ornate tablets and other devices, maybe we can have beautiful apps within our devices.”
Khoya is not just about being functional but about bringing alive the magic of a fantasy story through rich visuals. The app aims at using technology to get children to go out and explore the natural world around them. While the protagonists of the story undertake their quests the readers are given their own quests like collecting seeds and making photo collections of these seeds through an app within the app.
“We think it's a real problem that kids in the last ten years have been glued to PCs, but now with mobile technology we can get them outside their houses. Photoquests, augmented reality in the garden are just a few examples of how we're trying to find the links between the earth, magic and technology.” says Shilo.
India and a Global Platform
Khoya also brings a very Indian style to the global market. Both Suleman and Michael have been interested in comparitive mythologies and creation of new tellings of mythologies by weaving together different archetypes. So while a lot of the ideas in Khoya are contemporary they are simultaneously universal and symbolic.
Download the Full app at http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/khoya-an-interactive-fantasy/id491690820?mt=8
Videos
The Khoya Promo - http://vimeo.com/27045415
Shilo’s Panel discussion from DLD- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7htpNAweZtk
Links to other Press
An article in WIRED UK
http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2012/02/play/screen-legend
Developer of the Month in Technoholik:
http://technoholik.com/news/mobile/apps/developer-of-the-month-interview-with-the-creators-of-khoya/2896
Liberty London Girl:
http://www.libertylondongirl.com/2012/01/28/llg-books-tech-khoya-storytelling-app/
If you plan to publish a review, we can send you a promo code for the app.
Images from Khoya are attached too.
The app has been Published by Tank and Bear and developed by Bangalore (India) based start up Inkoniq
The music and sound was created by Bombay based Arfaaz Kagalwalla, one half of Indian Electronic act Tempo Tantrik.
For further information, images etc.
Shilo Shiv Suleman
shilo1221@gmail.com
+91 99021 48975
Images from the Book:
How can I get the making of, I'm really interested to your work! :) thank you
ReplyDeleteHi Shilo,
ReplyDeleteI love your work. It shows a real love and dedication to your craft with (no doubt) many hours of research and consistant effort!
I've just got one question..does you apt work on a macbook pro or do I need an ipad?
I've been thinking to get one anyway, for sketching. :-)
With much admiration,
Martyn
Hey Shilo,
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I am seeing a Indian trying BOLD Colors along with traditional art style. Very interesting work and I like the art as such. Congrats on all the success and wishing many more to come.
God bless,
Kris Prasad.