Bristol-based publisher, Victoria Forrest, has been awarded the prestigious Design and Art Direction (D&AD) Impact Fund to expand her Augmented Reality (AR) ‘buggy books’.

Her first AR publication ‘Where is the Bird?’ is inspiring a new generation of children, deaf and hearing, to play in British Sign Language.

The book works in tandem with a smartphone app that brings magic illustrations to life, with animations jumping out of the page and deaf presenters demonstrating the accompanying word.

“British Sign Language should be a language for everybody,” says Victoria, Founder of VIKA Books. “It allows both deaf and hearing children to communicate freely without speech. This is particularly useful in loud, silent, or distanced environments, like in a noisy playground or in a library.”

“It’s also invaluable for communicating with toddlers. Any parent will be familiar with the Terrible Twos, a time when children have complex thoughts that are far more advanced than their ability to express them. The child feels ‘locked-in’ and their frustration results in a tantrum.”

“Knowing simple signs can be a real lifeline for parent and child, for instance if the pain sign is made next to the ear, a child can communicate earache. There’s almost no other way to know if a pre-verbal child has earache without going to the doctor, which can take hours, sometimes days.”

The D&AD Impact Award celebrates creative ideas that are making a real and positive difference to the world. The associated fund helps creative ideas grow, and as well as the £10k funds, it also provides mentoring, training, and visibility.

Amy Dick, D&AD Impact Council Member and judge said, “VIKA exemplifies the power of creativity to innovate business, improve human lives and unite communities. By leveraging technology, Victoria is raising the bar for what is possible in print publishing and education – whilst driving inclusivity and equality for deaf people. This is exactly the type of work that deserves support to succeed.”

Priya Prakash, D&AD impact judge recognised by the Financial Times as one of the top three leaders influencing UK tech said, “VIKA showcases the path that British graphic and print design are innovating across digital, VR, service design and accessibility.”

The grant will be used to create a new zine, ‘Where are the Fish?’ which will use Augmented Reality and sign language to educate school-aged children on marine ecosystems and water safety, and aims to be released for Mothers Day 2023.

VIKA Books has previously benefited from multiple Innovate UK grants, including a £50,000 Women in Innovation Award which Victoria secured in March 2022, as well as an IP Audit and IP Access grant from the Intellectual Property Office (IPO).

“Innovate UK EDGE has played a vital role in helping me to make these steps which have been game changing for VIKA Books,” says Victoria.

“The IP grants have been critical in understanding, strategising and protecting my IP, whilst the Women in Innovation Award gave me the confidence to act as an ambassador for the use of creative technologies in publishing.

“I can now focus on using the funds to develop my next product.”

Innovate UK EDGE will continue to support as this Bristol business helps young families to communicate, bridges the gap between deaf and hearing communities and establishes new possibilities in publishing.

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