Chief Noodle...
Mark Schlichting (pronounced "Shh-lick-ting") is a well-known pioneer of the children's multimedia and interactive design industry. He is an expert in children’s interactive design with over 30 years of design, publishing, and creative management experience. As one of the first interactive CD-ROM designers, Mark is probably best known as the creator of Broderbund's Living Books series. Living Books delivered one of the first truly interactive CD-ROM titles (for children) and was seen as the benchmark for engaging and educational multimedia in the 90’s. Mark’s first Living Books title “Just Grandma and me” sold over 4 million copies in seven languages. It was used as the multimedia de facto standard by Microsoft, was one of the first software titles accredited as a school textbook, was shown nationally and internationally by Bill Gates of Microsoft.
In 2000 Mark founded NoodleWorks Interactive, a creative company specializing in children’s interactive design, development, and social networking. A partial client list includes; LeapFrog, eScore - Learning Centers, Pearson Broadband (Educational Division, London), Fisher/Price, Snicker Interactive Toys, Serosity, Electronic Arts (EA), LBS Alchemy, and many more.
In November 2011, Mark’s first iPad app for children, Noodle Words – Actions, was released. In December it won the KAPi Award for Best Educational Product of The Year, received the Parent’s Choice Gold Award, Children’s Technology Review Editor’s Choice Award, was a recommended app by the New York Times, and later featured by Apple in New & Noteworthy, What’s Hot, Recommended under Learning & Language.
Throughout his career, Mark’s titles have won over 100 national and international awards for excellence in entertainment and education.
He was the first to bring Dr. Seuss and Marc Brown’s “Arthur” stories to the interactive world, and has also worked with The Berenstein Bears, Mercer Meyer’s Little Critter, U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate Jack Prelutsky, and over fifteen other well know children’s book properties. Over the years Mark has also helped other acclaimed children’s properties make the transition to the digital and interactive world, including Highlights for Children, Ranger Rick, Weekly Reader, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Zillions (Consumer Reports for kids), and Jim Henson’s “Bear and the Big Blue House” TV show.
He has lectured on children’s media design at over 50 computer conferences and colleges, including: Oxford- England, The Smithsonian, Stanford University, Zerox Parc, Dust or Magic Children’s Design Institute, MacWorld, UCSF, San Francisco State University, Game Developers Conference, American Bookseller Association, Educational Publisher’s Association, MamaBear Conference, American Library Association, Game Designer’s Conference, CA Governor’s Conference, TechTV, Consumer Electronic Show, United Digital Artists, DoM App Camp, and more.
In addition, Mark is the author and illustrator of “Harry and the Haunted House”, a children’s book, CDROM, and iOS app title that has sold over 300,000 copies in six languages. Currently Mark is just completing a book on the psychology and art form of interactivity titled “Understanding Kids, Play, and Interactive Design: How to Create Games Children Love”.
