Kalila wa Dimna
Fables Across Time Mobile App

Education | Museum

The Sanskrit book, Kalila wa Dimna, has been passed down for over 2,000 years, translated in many languages and teaches practical wisdom through fables. In partnership with The Children's Museum of Indianapolis and the Bahrain National Museum, Balance Studios developed an interactive app to tell three of the ancient book's stories: The Lion and Ox, The Story of the Three Fish, and The Four Friends, in a dynamic and engaging way.

Using just a few of the original illustrations provided by The Children's Museum, the Balance team created three fully-animated interactive experiences to engage guests of all ages. Available in both English and Arabic, visitors download the app and explore each story through interactive games. After each game, users are brought back to the story to learn the lessons that the Kalila wa Dimna teaches.

To help museum staff track those interacting with the app, Balance integrated its proprietary analytics application, illumine™, to provide real time user data--such as whether the app was accessed at the museum or downloaded on a guest's smartphone. They can also see which stories were selected most often, which language was most often chosen, and how long users engaged with each story and game.

Other analytics collected include the type of device, Android or iOS, that was used and even where the user is located in the world. Developed for mobile tablets, the app is available at the museum but is also available for download through Google Play or the iTunes App Store.

Project image — left
Project image — right
The Lion and the Ox

The Lion and the Ox

A story of a lion and an ox, teaching us that those who try to benefit from harming or tricking others end up receiving bad results in the end. 

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The Story of the 4 Friends

The Story of the 4 Friends

The Story of the 4 Friends features four unlikely friends who help each other escape from a hunter. 

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The Story of the 3 Fish

The Story of the 3 Fish

The Story of the 3 Fish showcases a wise fish, a smart fish, and a shortsighted fish. This story showcases how being shortsighted often results in negative consequences. 

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The Idea

To bring ancient stories to life in an interactive, engaging way–and accessible in both English and Arabic!

Services

Modern methods used to enhance ancient storytelling. Storytellers ourselves, we celebrate the opportunities to communicate past narratives and make them accessible and relatable to new audiences–in multiple languages. Using our interactive and engaging applications to keep history alive to teach and inspire a new generation? That's a happy ending for any story.

The Result

A successful app that has traveled all over the world!

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