Designing Attractive Children’s Picture Books: Evaluating the Attractiveness Factors of Various Picture Book Formats

Picture books employing various design elements and formats that are intended to stimulate the senses are often used as reading materials to help children learn effectively. However, it is essential that parents, teachers, and designers understand children’s sensory preferences and needs. This study examines the various sensory stimuli in different picture book formats, thereby identifying the attractiveness factors for children and parents. This study adopts Miryoku Engineering method whereby feelings and images are converted into design elements, to explore how children and parents select picture books and their corresponding reading experiences. Using Evaluation Grid Method of Miryoku Engineering, six major attractiveness factors are identified. Results also demonstrate that reading experience has a significant influence on children’s preferences in terms of the attractiveness of picture books. This study provides useful insight into the sensory preferences of children and how they relate to attractiveness factors in children’s book design.