In Peques y Más it is a pleasure to introduce you to Helena Diez-Fuentes Law degree from the Complutense University of Madrid and specialized in Environmental Law who decided in 2003 to found the company Half minds, a multimedia publisher for the creation, realization, production and editing commissioned by large format photo books for companies and public and private institutions although the project in which he is working since 2012 is Touch of Classic. Touch of Classic is a startup specializing in creation of interactive educational games for children based on universal classics. In Peques y Más we have talked about all the applications, because we love them and because they pointed very strongly from the first application: The Adventures of Don Quijote which was selected as the iPad app of the week and number one of paid downloads in Spain and fifteen other countries. In addition Touch of Classic has the support of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Spain and Telefónica because 2013 has been one of the companies chosen in the call of the startup accelerator Wayra. And until Wayra we went to talk to Helena, to know the present and the future of her company and to know what is the situation of the market of educational applications for mobile devices in Spain and in the world.
What is Touch of Classic?
Touch of Classic is an innovative company formed by a team of illustrators, developers and entrepreneurs who share a goal: to provide quality educational content for children through interactive apps based on the great classics of literature, opera and painting.
How the idea of creating classic books and classic operas for children on the iPad
We have all faced the “children-tablets” dilemma. On the one hand, the tablet is a magical tool that seems made for them. On the other, nobody wants their children to waste valuable time "killing zombies." Why not ally ourselves with new technologies and with the children themselves so they can have fun while they learn? It is clear that they are digital natives and that they can take great advantage of the tablets if they are provided with the appropriate contents.
What is the current situation of the developments of Touch of Classic and what news will come soon
Currently Touch of Classic is giving the last touches to its last two operas: The Barber of Seville Y Carmen (in the image) and continues working on the improvement of all its products, both technical and artistic. We are also involved in several events that take the form of a tablet-workshop as part of a great effort to publicize our products and get first hand the impressions and experiences with them of children and parents.
In this sense we are working hard to promote and expand our presence and visibility on the web. For the future we will continue to develop new products, many of them in the framework of strategic alliances with brands of children's toys, hardware, communication, etc.
What awards and recognition have you achieved so far
Touch of Classic has won the Wayra 2013 call and is currently working from the Telefónica business accelerator in Madrid. In 2012 he won the 1st call for Samsung project incubator. We have managed to be Apple App of the Week in Spain and 15 other countries.
Touch of Classic has received two grants from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of Spain. We have also participated as guests or selected company in numerous events such as The App Date, The App Circus or the Spain Start-Up Summit.
How are you taking advantage of the acceleration of a platform like Wayra
The Wayra network is a great tool to make yourself known. Bear the last name Telefonica It opens many doors and generates a lot of interest. In addition to the mentoring, economic and contact support we have received, our efforts in this regard are focused on developing a networking strategy through social media. We have been able to contact in this way with key people, media and blogs in the field of new technologies and education presenting our applications that have always received very good recognition and have spread through the networks.
We are working hard to promote and expand our presence and visibility on the Internet
How applications are working and what parents and teachers are telling you
The general comment is that children are given better than parents. Many people point out that with the bilingual version they have found children listening to English and following the story. He also really likes the possibility that the child can record his own story, as it helps them develop their ability to read (and interpret!). Teachers and parents find a way to get their attention immediately. The answer is very good and there are already some schools (specifically in England, USA and South America) that are using them in their classes.
What business models are succeeding in the way of selling applications
Right now we have the Peter Pan app for free that we developed as part of an educational project with Cognita Schools involving the children themselves in the creative process. Our latest release The Tales of Hoffmann is available in freemium version and so will be with "The barber of Seville" and "Carmen." The rest of the apps are paid.
In general, the public wants to have a first contact with the app before buying it although this rule is not always met. For example Don Quijote is paid and is the one that generates more downloads. The important thing is to know how to transmit to parents that they are paying for quality work that takes the effort of many people behind and that has an educational value for their children.
What is the mechanism to learn and improve the applications that are launched to the market?
We learn a lot by contacting blogs dedicated to valuing apps and writing reviews. Your opinions are key to knowing where we should improve. Then the process is simple, the updates are uploaded and once approved they are available with the changes. Naturally, contact with users (children) and customers (parents and educators) is essential to improve the product. In fact, we will soon organize a meeting with children and adults in which the first ones will play, test and experience our applications and parents will be able to complete a questionnaire where they can assess and give their opinion.
How do you establish that an application is ready to be launched. You test with children before the final launch
My children are my best allies. They are sincere and don't shut up anything. If there is an error, they will realize safe. Then over time you can always keep improving of course. But yes, we will increasingly involve children and more at the beginning of the development of apps to guide us.
What profiles of people do you have in the company regarding the development of applications and what are the main training demands of these people
They are very cracks. There are several profiles. Some are finishing very technical careers such as telecommunications or other engineering and have usually already developed several applications on their own. We also have other collaborators that come from the world of design, web development and video editing.
Who is helping you to work on the usability of applications and in the design of interactivity
The whole team reviews and thinks about the improvable aspects. The general concept is the responsibility of the developers and once they present us with the beta version, the rest will take care of “gutting it” to try to get all the possible improvements.
How these contents of literature are impacting children's reading habits
We do not try to supplant the books of a lifetime or frivolize the classics. On the contrary, we want to boost reading. And we believe that this is a very good way for children to be interested in it. Keep in mind that our apps are designed for very young children who are very hard to read Don Quijote with 5 years. Our intention is that when the time comes to read the original work or attend a concert or an opera, do not see it as something boring and "grown-up" but that you feel like it since you are already familiar with having "played" with the classics in question.
What publishers are doing in Spain to derive their catalog from digital content
There's a little bit of everything. Some, as is our case, have a very clear commitment to invest in this transition to new technologies.
How Touch of Classic books can be used at school
I will answer you with a link to a post in our blog where we have a tablet-workshop developed in the Burgos Book Museum that was a success.
Our illusion, and mine as a mother, is that in the not too distant future, our apps are the type of "homework" that the children have to do at home to comment in school the next day. There is no better way to learn than having fun.
In the future our apps will be the duties that children send to do at home
You are working with other companies to ensure that the content can be used in learning environments
With the group of Cognita Schools we have made a very fruitful collaboration (which led to the development of Peter Pan) and currently children from different parts of the world use the application. We have spoken personally with a member of the Edmodo network and it is very likely that in a short time our apps will be available on their educational platform. Yes, in general, we are in contact and work with actors from the world of education to adapt to their needs.
In the development of such specific applications and with such exclusive content, who is your competition in Spain and in the world?
No one really does what we do. At least not including all the components we defend: illustrations, quality texts and music, bilingual version, logic games, etc. We compete clearly with big names like Toca Boca or PlayTales that have a lot of visibility and like them a lot.
What role can teachers play in expanding your product?
In countries like the United States, teachers are key pieces in education. They are very influential and they are the ones who choose much of the content to rely on to teach. If you recommend something on your blogs both parents and other teachers are interested. In Spain we depend more on certain schools that use tablets decide to include our apps in their programs.
The important thing is to know how to transmit to parents that they are paying for quality work
How can parents support children in reading using mobile devices
Putting at your disposal quality apps that entertain and hook you. It is necessary to monitor the content they access a little so that they can have a good time and at the same time arouse their interest in other less technological fields.
And here the interview with Helena Diez-Sources of Touch of Classic. I really like its applications, at home we are very fans of the classics and the operas, especially of the Magic Flute and we are very anxious waiting for Carmen and El Barbero de Sevilla. We wish Helena and her fantastic team a lot of success and we hope her catalog continues to grow, expand and spread among all families. It is a joy to know that in Spain there are companies that work very hard to be a reference in educational applications for our children and also do an excellent job and with great recognition. We thank Helena and wish her every success.
