"If it doesn't already exist, make it yourself!
We are Annie, Herman and Lilly, and we have taken this can-do attitude to a whole new level in creating CircleTales!
Here's our story.
As parents of a pre-teen girl and with careers in art and design, we were searching for an alternative to mainstream games for 'offline' family time---something that might connect us on a deeper level and appeal to our creative side.
So many board games feature conventional gender roles, or are excessively competitive--or come shrink-wrapped in a box with lots of plastic parts! We found few games that are collaborative, insightful, imaginative, and are designed with ecological consciousness and artistic flair, that are fun for both children AND adults.
So we took matters into our own hands, put pen to paper and dreamt CircleTales the Adventure Storytelling Game into being.
Two year later and with the help of a successful Kickstarter campaign, thanks to some outstanding early adopters, CircleTales is now a reality and is making its way into the hearts and homes of families around the world.
Annie
Annie’s past work as a visual artist, and her more recent research in creative education has helped give CircleTales its shape and direction, turning the theoretical aspects of the concept into an enjoyable game experience.
Annie also created the illustrations for the word chips which were inspired by her walks in nature in Devon. She holds a BA in Literature from Wesleyan University, CT, and a master’s degree in Creative Arts Education from the University of Exeter.
Herman
Herman has spent over a decade as a creative director in New York's design and branding agencies. With a wide range of experiences, from developing educational textbooks, to his international volunteer work facilitating community engagement, he is a true collaborator with an entrepreneurial spirit and is the design guru behind CircleTales. He holds a MA in International Architecture Regeneration and Development from Oxford Brookes University and a BFA in Design from Art Center in California.
Lilly
Our daughter Lilly has been the source of inspiration for CircleTales, and after countless hours playing CircleTales she is officially our in-house ‘creative critic’ making sure we don't take ourselves too seriously.
Lilly is the artist of our portraits pictured here.