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April 14, 2025
# Art and design skills support startup’s growth
OCAD U students and alums are helping an Ontario startup make learning more accessible and engaging.
[StoryBee](https://www.storybee.space/) is the brainchild of entrepreneur Mario Xu, who aims to improve access to learning materials. His vision has evolved into a free, open-access digital library of more than 1,000 original, curriculum-based educational picture books.
What sets it apart from other platforms, Xu explains, is the foundational principle of making learning enjoyable. To achieve this goal, he hired OCAD U students and graduates.
StoryBee’s artists and designers illustrate each ebook, creating colourful visuals to accompany complex information provided by subject-matter experts.
The goal is to inspire young readers with eye-catching illustrations. The ever-expanding digital catalogue covers a variety of subjects, including literacy, mathematics, science, geography and history.
The team’s current project, *The Storybee Experience*, is a physical catalogue of digital publications that entices readers through the “gamification” of learning. The concept was created by Aiden Lee, a 2023 OCAD U Industrial Design graduate who is StoryBee’s UI/UX designer.
Lee developed an experience where learners can colour in and customize a character through daily interaction with *The StoryBee Experience*, building habitual reading habits by marrying elements of a video game with an advent calendar.
“My vision centres on key principles of Universal Design for Learning: multiple means of engagement, representation, action and expression,” says Lee. “I see art and design as fundamental factors in creating interactive learning experiences to make education more inclusive and inspiring.”
The OCAD U students and alums are applying the strategic thinking and technical skills they learned at the University as they take creative ownership of each ebook’s design.
“I want to see StoryBee evolve as a global community where young learners can access knowledge and engage with various cultural and regional learning styles,” says Amna Dada, Graphic Design student and StoryBee project co-lead. “I see it expanding beyond traditional learning boundaries, fostering an environment where learning is engaging, immersive and accessible.”
StoryBee was launched with support from the [Centre for Local Innovation and Collaboration (CLIC)](https://www.richmondhill.ca/en/business/centre-for-local-innovation-clic.aspx) program. CLIC is a partnership between OCAD U and the City of Richmond Hill, funded by eCampus Ontario and Centennial College.
The Centre provides opportunities for local businesses to access OCAD U’s applied research and design expertise. At the same time, students can gain hands-on experience working in an evolving business environment.
“StoryBee is an example of the success made possible through CLIC,” says Angela Bains, associate professor in the Faculty of Design and Advertising program chair. “As part of the CLIC process, OCAD U graduate researchers from [the Strategic Foresight and Innovation](https://gradadmissions.ocadu.ca/program/SFI) program delivered actionable strategies that helped shape StoryBee’s trajectory. This project is a powerful example of how CLIC bridges academia and industry to drive real success.”
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