The Misfit Flower
Individual
Concept
Rooted in my personal experience of growing up as a misfit, the project transforms storytime into a relational space where feelings like loneliness, sadness, and empathy can be explored naturally. Inspired by developmental psychology research; including the work of Denham, Siegel, Wellman, and Brownell, the book embeds open-ended, narrative-anchored questions that scaffold emotional conversations without interrupting the reading flow.
Visuals
The project features hand-drawn illustrations created in Procreate using crayon-textured brushes for warmth and authenticity. Each character design, from Aksie to Luma and Boing, was refined through iterative sketches to evoke emotions through posture, color, and subtle gestures rather than overt facial expressions. A custom display font, built with Calligraphr, reinforces the handmade feel and emotional tone.
Tech
The AR interactions are integrated using MindAR and A-Frame, requiring no downloads. Each image marker activates a short animation and audio prompt that gently invites children to reflect, then returns them to the story. This design choice keeps technology in the background, supporting the caregiver-child relationship rather than disrupting it.
The Misfit Flower is not just a story; it’s a quiet invitation for children and caregivers to co-create understanding and empathy, one page at a time.
The Misfit Flower is an AR-enhanced children’s book designed to nurture emotional connection between children and caregivers during shared storytime. Created for children aged 4–7, this 34-page illustrated book integrates lightweight, browser-based augmented reality that invites children into gentle, character-led emotional reflection prompts.