Visang and Jaehun Kim Transform Math Learning with I Really Like Math

How This Golden A Design Award Recipient Shows Publishers the Power of Interactive Educational Design

What happens when a child's fingers become the interface for learning mathematics? The question of tactile engagement sits at the heart of one of the most thoughtful educational design projects to emerge from South Korea's publishing industry. The answer involves magnets, transparent films, and a fundamental rethinking of what a textbook can accomplish when designers truly understand their audience.

Children born into a world of touchscreens and instant visual feedback process information differently than previous generations. Digital native children expect to interact, to manipulate, to see immediate responses to their actions. Educational publishers face a fascinating opportunity in serving young learners shaped by digital experiences. The challenge involves creating physical materials that honor expectations for interactivity while preserving the focused, distraction-free qualities that make printed materials effective for deep learning.

Visang, a Korean educational publisher with more than 100 million workbooks sold, partnered with designer Jaehun Kim and a talented design team to create something remarkable. The result is I Really Like Math, an interactive mathematics textbook that earned a Golden A' Design Award in Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design. Recognition from an international jury of design professionals signals something important for brands in the educational content space. Physical products can compete with digital experiences when designers approach the challenge with research-driven creativity and genuine understanding of user needs.

For marketing directors, brand managers, and executives at publishing companies, the I Really Like Math project offers a masterclass in translating user insight into tangible product innovation. The lessons extend well beyond education into any industry where physical products must capture attention in an increasingly digital landscape.

Understanding the Digital Native Learning Context

The term digital native describes generations who grew up with smartphones, tablets, and interactive screens as constant companions. Young learners in the digital native generation developed cognitive patterns shaped by visual stimulation and immediate feedback loops. Digital native learners swipe, tap, and expect things to respond. The expectation for immediate response creates a particular kind of attention that educational materials must address thoughtfully.

Research into how digital natives process information reveals that young learners often excel at rapid visual scanning and pattern recognition. Digital native students gravitate toward interactive elements that reward curiosity. A static page of numbers and equations, however well designed, may struggle to compete with the dynamism young learners experience elsewhere in their lives.

Visang recognized the shift in learner expectations and commissioned a project that would bridge the experiential gap. The design brief called for a mathematics textbook that would feel responsive, engaging, and surprisingly tactile. The goal was creating a product where learning feels like discovery rather than obligation.

The team led by Art Director Sanghyun An, with designers Minyoung Lee, Seonmi Seo, and Jaehun Kim, spent fifteen months developing I Really Like Math. The development process began with extensive user experience research, studying how children interact with both digital and physical learning materials. What emerged was a clear picture of opportunities where print could offer something digital cannot: a distraction-free environment with genuine physical engagement.

Foundational research shaped every subsequent design decision. The team understood the designers were creating for learners who expect to touch, manipulate, and see results. The question became how to deliver expectations for interactivity through paper, binding, and carefully chosen interactive components.

The Architecture of Interactive Print Design

I Really Like Math measures 235 millimeters by 297 millimeters, with a depth of 29 millimeters. The textbook weighs 925 grams. Physical specifications tell only part of the story. The real innovation lives in how the textbook dimensions accommodate a carefully engineered system of interactive elements.

Students using the I Really Like Math textbook can insert transparent films into pages to reveal hidden information or transform diagrams. Learners attach magnets to manipulate elements on the page. The experience mimics the responsiveness of a tablet application while maintaining the focused, contained environment of a printed book.

Consider what interactive elements mean for learning mathematical concepts. Abstract ideas become physical actions. Students do not merely read about geometric transformations. Students perform geometric transformations. The relationship between action and understanding becomes direct and memorable.

The cover design extends the philosophy of interaction. Rather than serving as passive protection for interior pages, the cover invites manipulation. Students can operate elements on the cover, draw in designated spaces, and personalize their book. The sense of ownership transforms the textbook from assigned material into something more like a cherished tool.

The binding system represents another thoughtful innovation. Unlike conventional textbook construction, I Really Like Math uses a binding approach that allows students and teachers to reconfigure learning materials for different curricula. Additional materials can be conveniently stored within the book itself. Binding modularity acknowledges that learning is not uniform and that educational materials should adapt to various teaching approaches.

Visual Communication Strategies for Mathematical Concepts

Mathematics presents a particular design challenge. Abstract concepts must become visual without losing precision. The team at Visang approached mathematical visualization through systematic use of infographics throughout the textbook. Each mathematical principle receives visual treatment designed to capture attention and build intuitive understanding.

The page layouts reflect extensive research into how young learners scan and process visual information. The team considered line of sight patterns, creating layouts that guide the eye naturally through content. Colors appear in systematic sequences that aid comprehension rather than simply decorating pages.

Images throughout the book serve specific pedagogical purposes. Nothing appears merely for visual interest. Each illustration, diagram, or interactive element connects to learning objectives. The disciplined approach helps ensure that the engaging surface supports rather than distracts from educational goals.

The paper selection reflects thoughtful consideration of material requirements. Montblanc Extra white 105 gram paper provides the durability needed for repeated handling while offering an excellent surface for the various interactive elements. The weight and texture contribute to the premium feel that distinguishes I Really Like Math from standard educational materials.

What emerges is a cohesive visual system where every element works toward the same purpose. The mathematics remains rigorous. The learning objectives stay intact. The presentation, however, acknowledges that today's learners arrive with different expectations than previous generations. Meeting expectations for interactivity requires comprehensive design thinking of the kind demonstrated in I Really Like Math.

Balancing Engagement and Educational Effectiveness

The design team identified a central tension that runs through all educational product development: how to make learning enjoyable without compromising learning outcomes. Making something fun is relatively straightforward. Helping ensure that fun translates into genuine understanding requires more careful thinking.

The team's research addressed the engagement-effectiveness balance directly. Designers tested various interactive elements to verify that engagement supported rather than distracted from learning. Some early concepts were refined or abandoned when testing revealed the concepts captured attention without advancing comprehension. The iterative process, guided by user experience research, produced a final design where entertainment and education reinforce each other.

Students using I Really Like Math can experience mathematical principles as if playing. The textbook creates immediate changes or reactions to student actions, similar to operating a tablet. The critical difference is that interactions require thoughtful engagement with mathematical content. A student cannot simply swipe randomly. Learners must understand the principle to interact meaningfully with the materials.

The design philosophy has implications for brands developing educational content across various formats. The path to engagement runs through purposeful interaction, not merely stimulation. Products that capture attention without channeling attention toward learning goals may entertain but will ultimately disappoint both learners and the parents or institutions who purchase educational materials.

The recognition I Really Like Math received from the A' Design Award jury validates the balanced approach. The Golden award designation recognizes designs that advance their field while demonstrating exceptional execution. Educational publishers considering similar innovations can look to I Really Like Math as evidence that the balance between engagement and effectiveness is achievable.

Strategic Brand Positioning Through Innovative Educational Design

For Visang, the I Really Like Math project represents more than a single successful product. The textbook demonstrates the company's positioning as a forward-thinking educational publisher committed to meeting learners where they are. In a market where differentiation can be difficult, tangible innovation of the kind demonstrated in I Really Like Math speaks loudly to parents, educators, and institutional buyers.

The investment in user experience research, specialized materials, and iterative design development signals that Visang takes seriously the responsibility to create effective learning tools. Strategic investment in research-driven design positions the brand for sustained competitive advantage in a sector where trust matters enormously.

Recognition through the A' Design Award adds international validation to brand positioning efforts. When an independent jury of design professionals from around the world recognizes an educational product as exceptional, recognition carries weight with stakeholders who may never see internal research or understand the development process. The award provides external confirmation that informed observers consider the work outstanding.

Educational content brands evaluating similar investments can discover the i really like math design details to understand more specifically how the project achieved stated goals. The documented design approach, specifications, and rationale offer a case study in translating user insight into product innovation.

For marketing teams at publishing companies, projects like I Really Like Math create compelling narratives. The story of meeting digital native learners through innovative physical design resonates with parents concerned about screen time. The narrative appeals to educators seeking tools that engage students. Strategic storytelling positions the brand as solving real problems through genuine creativity rather than simply iterating on existing formats.

Broader Applications for Content Brands and Enterprises

The principles demonstrated in I Really Like Math extend beyond educational publishing. Any enterprise creating physical products for audiences shaped by digital experiences faces similar challenges and opportunities. How do organizations compete for attention when physical products do not glow, ping, or push notifications?

The answer involves rethinking what physical products can offer that digital experiences cannot. Tactile engagement. Focused environments. Durable artifacts. The key lies in embracing inherent physical qualities while incorporating elements that acknowledge how modern audiences expect to interact with their world.

Consumer product companies developing physical goods for young demographics might study how the I Really Like Math textbook creates satisfaction through manipulation. Retail brands designing in-store experiences could consider how physical interaction builds deeper engagement than passive observation. Any organization producing printed materials for any purpose can draw lessons from the systematic visual communication strategies employed in I Really Like Math.

The development timeline offers another lesson. The I Really Like Math project required fifteen months from June 2018 to September 2019. Meaningful innovation in physical product design takes time. The research phase, iterative testing, and refinement of interactive elements cannot be compressed into typical development cycles. Brands considering similar projects should budget accordingly.

The team structure also merits attention. Art Director Sanghyun An led designers Minyoung Lee, Seonmi Seo, and Jaehun Kim through a process that combined artistic vision with user research methodology. The hybrid approach, blending creative excellence with empirical testing, produces results that neither pure design intuition nor pure research could achieve alone.

The Future of Interactive Physical Products

I Really Like Math points toward a future where the boundary between physical and digital experiences becomes increasingly blurred. The opportunity is not about replacing digital with physical or vice versa. The opportunity lies in creating physical products that deliver unique physical benefits while incorporating interaction patterns that feel natural to digitally fluent audiences.

Educational publishing will likely see continued innovation in the interactive direction. As tablet applications proliferate, physical textbooks must offer something distinctive to justify their place in learning environments. The interactive approach demonstrated in I Really Like Math provides a template for differentiation.

Beyond education, consider opportunities in product documentation, instruction manuals, brand catalogs, and any printed material where audience engagement determines effectiveness. The systematic approach to visual communication, the purposeful interactive elements, and the research-driven design methodology all translate across sectors.

For enterprises evaluating physical product strategies, the key insight may be that digital native audiences have not abandoned their desire for physical artifacts. Digital native consumers have simply developed new expectations for how physical artifacts should behave. Meeting expectations for interactivity requires the kind of thoughtful, research-informed design thinking that earned I Really Like Math a Golden A' Design Award recognition.

The design community continues to demonstrate that physical products can innovate in ways that surprise and delight audiences who might seem entirely captured by screens. The work emerging from talented teams worldwide proves that print remains a vibrant medium capable of remarkable evolution.

Closing Reflections

The journey from educational challenge to award-winning innovation demonstrates what becomes possible when brands commit to understanding their audiences deeply. Visang and designer Jaehun Kim created something that transforms how children experience mathematics, proving that physical products can feel responsive, engaging, and contemporary.

The strategic value for publishers extends beyond any single product. The I Really Like Math project establishes a methodology for bridging digital expectations and physical materials that can inform development across product lines. International recognition validates the approach for stakeholders who evaluate success through external markers of excellence.

Physical products designed with genuine insight into user experience create meaningful differentiation in crowded markets. Research-driven physical products tell brand stories that resonate with consumers seeking value beyond mere function.

What opportunities exist within your own product portfolio to bring interactive thinking of the kind demonstrated in I Really Like Math to physical materials your audiences touch every day?