Esero - a journey through space

Editorial , Technology , Education
As part of an ongoing drive to promote space education in Europe, the educational branch of ESA (European Space Agency) wanted to show their support to teachers of primary and secondary education helping them stimulate children’s interest in Physics.

 

“Travel through space in 80 lessons – a sourcebook about space and astronomy for primary teaching”, the sourcebook was developed during two years of consultation and testing, with valuable inputs provided by science teachers, curriculum designers and other educational experts. ESERO approached us for a design style able to engage students while facilitating readability and information processing. We also had to consider the different comprehension level of students ranging in ages between 5 and 12.

 

 

 To achieve these goals, we developed a playful frame where exercises, practical info and explanations unfolded. A series of icons were created to navigate the material with ease and generated content with around 300 illustrations and pictures. A clear typographic style ensured optimal reading quality, while the pictograms playfully engaged the students of different ages. Adding elements for aesthetic appeal and entertainment, we introduced the outer space language used by the comic industry for the last 50 years, along with taking inspiration from cinema related to space travel and extraterrestrial life. This 500-page learning tool is ready to use both in print and digitally.

The Dutch version of this series has been in use for several educational seasons now. The sourcebook was also adapted to suit other ESA countries such as England, Hungary, France and Poland, under supervision of Lopezlab.

Credits:

client: Nemo Science Museum, Amsterdam / author: Meie van Laar, Florentine Overhoff / concept, design & art direction: Lopezlab Amsterdam, Mariola Lopez Mariño / texts: Stephan van Duin, Carla Wiechers