CN Anything
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The first micro-network! An endless stream of original content from Cartoon Network shows—games, videos, polls, quizzes, trivia, puzzles, and more—all on your phone.The preview video from the App Store gives a quick overview of what CN Anything is all about.
App Design
The idea is simple: a bunch of small content built specifically for mobile devices. A user doesn't always have time for a full episode. They don't always need a robust, multiple level, increasingly complex and challenging gaming experience. Sometimes you just want a quick bit of entertainment.
Cartoon Network Anything starts with the successes of YouTube, Instagram and Vine, Buzzfeed, and Flappy Bird. The goal was to translate our shows—and the network brand—into fifteen second chunks.
We developed content designed with touch screens in mind, built specifically for your mobile device. We created templates for quizzes and polls, memes, image galleries, and of course video clips. We made a lot of clips—this stuff is what the internet is made of. But we wanted to make things with kids in mind: drawing and erasing activities, mazes, those spot the difference games from Highlights magazine, but designed to be played in under thirty seconds.
Creative Development (and Development Development)
The concept, design, and creative execution was done in house, but the development was outside the scope of internal resources. We delivered wireframes, design documents, and animated mock ups to the vendor.
These are just a few of the images and animations that the design team used to help the developers implement simple yet elegant templates.
These are just a few of the images and animations that the design team used to help the developers implement simple yet elegant templates.
Content Creation
The fact that the pieces are small doesn't mean they aren't the same quality as the rest of the things we make. They're smaller, shorter, and faster. This means we have to make a lot of them.
I developed style guides for each of the content types. These are simple templates, but the success or failure of the content created from them is based on a few key factors.
Brand and Voice
The Cartoon Network brand is infused into the templates through design elements specific to each interface. We used animation, typography, and color in message slates to maintain the network's voice.
Hints
Each game or activity is on a timer, so giving the user hints on what to do is crucial. I designed a system of animated icons for each user input type.
Agency: Cartoon Network
Role: CD / Art Director / Designer
Credits
AD: Chris Corum
CW: Kevin Barry / Alan Moore
GD: Luis Romo
CW: Kevin Barry / Alan Moore
GD: Luis Romo
CD: Chris Corum
DD: Fassy Veith
DD: Fassy Veith