Minuscule: 3D bugs for young and old

July 24, 2007

For anyone that has a little one running about the house, you know how great it is to find something they like that doesn’t drive you up the wall. Friends of mine ban Barney for that very reason, but they failed to preview the Wiggles before letting their kids see it and got stuck watching repeat episodes of the Wiggles for an hour or so a day…much worse. Anyway, Minuscule is different. First off, it’s French, but there are no words spoken so language barriers are non-existent. Secondly, it revolves around bugs, cute ones at that. To top it off, the visuals and stories are well done for both a child and an adult. The colors are bright and the visuals are detailed, yet simple. Sample a video or two at their web site: www.minuscule.tv

Plump Caterpillar

Like the videos I’ve seen, the web site is attractively done as well. I’m not such a fan of the semi-hidden navigation nor the miniature, unlabeled navigation on the right. That aside, it does a good job of connecting with the look and feel of the series. Between the sample video and the jovial nature of the site, you quickly see why your kids will enjoy them. Even more impressive (for design nerds, like myself) is the attention to detail. If visiting during the day, the site will display blue skies. If visiting in the evening, you’re instead welcomed by sunset hues. And this goes for atmospheric audio and the sub-pages as well. Even though this is a relatively simple change, it shows you they really put time and effort into creating an experience, rather than just another brochure site.

Home page (evening)