Doodlecast - Letter to parents

Capture the Story!

Dear parent,

Doodlecast is inspired by my early experiences drawing with my daughter. At the age of two her scribbles were full of rich stories: a blue splotch for mom, a green line for grass and a brown blob for our dog. The magic of drawing was less about the end result and more about the conversations that would take place as we drew. The process offered a unique window into her life. It was a fun and easy way for us to talk about experiences and ideas that had meaning for her.

Sago Mini Doodlecast captures this experience by recording kids as they draw and talk. The result is a short video of the drawing being created along with voices recorded by the microphone. Mixing the familiar experience of drawing with technology, Doodlecast adds an entirely new dimension to the process. The app is very adaptable and has many applications in formal and informal education.

How to Play

Many kids find a blank page intimidating. This is why we include a set of built-in prompts - simple questions that children can relate to. After tapping the play button on the title screen, browse the prompts by swiping left or right. You’ll find everything from “What’s your favorite food?” to “What makes you feel happy?” In the top right corner of this screen you’ll see two buttons. The first allows you to create a doodlecast without a prompt, while the second opens a grid view that makes it easier to jump directly to your favorite prompt.

Once you’ve chosen a prompt, you’ll see a palette of colors and a variety of drawing tools. Choose a tool, tap a color and draw! You can draw with multiple fingers at the same time, making it easy for mom and dad to join in. Every stroke is recorded along with audio from the microphone. If you need a break, or want a bit of time to draw, tap the microphone to pause the recording. Tap it again when you’re ready to resume.

When you’re done, tap the checkmark in the top right-hand corner to see and hear your creation. All your videos are automatically saved to an internal gallery. Browse the gallery at any time by tapping the button in the top right corner of the title screen. Kids can watch their videos and parents can save them to the device’s camera roll. Once in your camera roll it’s easy to share them with friends and family. We always love seeing Doodlecast creations so consider sending them to us via Facebook or YouTube.

To Talk About

Doodlecast is a great way to encourage conversations and collaborations between you and your child. Younger kids are naturally inclined to describe what they’re drawing while older kids love to create a narrative based on their art.

Often the best prompts are the ones you create. Choose the blank prompt and ask your child a question. It could be about your family, trip, your day or anything of interest. Another fun idea is to create greetings for friends and relatives. Make a recording to celebrate a birthday or holiday, and get the whole family involved. Everyone can take a turn recording a message to go with the drawing.

Happy Doodling!
Jason Krogh, CEO

The Team
Luke Lutman, Developer
Davin Risk, Designer
Aaron Leighton, Artist