Unless you have kids you probably never heard of Yo Gabba Gabba - on Nickelodeon Jr. I don't have kids (but I am a fan) I discovered this show by accident back in 2006. Right away I could see the appeal to kids - vibrant colors, fun looking characters, crazy costumes and high energy.
The show itself has a "weird" 70's feel to it, yet at the same time, it is very modern. It is a mix of live action with animated shorts, music and added to the mix is old school rapper/beat boxer Biz Markie who does a segment called Beat Updates.
The show, as well as their website itself, have a great sense of design. Good, fun typography that doesn't come across as awkward or goofy. This is always hard to balance (using the right typeface but not have it look boring and "grown up"). The website is very kid friendly - easy and simple to navigate. Even their loading pages are colorful and active to keep their young viewers entertained until the page loads up. The shows set designs are minimal, colorful and effective. The segments inspire creativity and community. Overall, the show's designs reflect exactly the market they are after. Put simply, it works.
Recently, I read that Yo Gabba Gabba has gotten so popular with young kids that they have optioned it for a movie and toy deals. It's always good to see that good design and quality can still become popular. Plus, getting kids used to good design at a young age will hopefully make them more aware of it and demand it in the future.
Here are some sites related to the show, http://yogabbagabba.com & http://brobee.blogspot.com
Watch Yo Gabba Gabba! on Nick Jr.
ReplyDeleteTime is 1:30pm Instead of 11:30am.