Valamar MaroMag: from a printed page to games and augmented reality
For Valamar’s MaroMag, we connected a children’s magazine concept, editorial content, illustrated stories, page design and print preparation with digital games and AR experiences opened through QR codes in a mobile browser, without installing an app.
A magazine to take part in
On one page, Maro and his friends search for pirate treasure. On another, readers find differences, colour in the characters or solve a maze. A QR code beside an illustration opened another part of the experience: an animated cover, pirate ships in augmented reality or a puzzle on a phone.
We developed MaroMag as a connected print and digital publication for Valamar’s guests. Issue 1 was published in Croatian and English in 2025. Our contribution included concept and content development, writing and editorial revisions, illustration and comics with collaborators, page design, print preparation and production of the related digital content.
From a story to a page plan
The magazine needed a rhythm. Longer illustrated stories alternate with short games, facts, colouring activities and wordless comics. Each format calls for a different relationship between image and text: a story carries a reader from one scene to the next, while an activity needs to make sense at a glance.
In the treasure story, Maro and his friends discover what the pirate captain valued most. The story about a shower of rubbish connects an underwater adventure with caring for the sea. Activities carry those themes further, asking readers to find a route to the treasure, identify missing objects or compare scenes. Illustrations serve both the story and the tasks readers complete.
Writing, drawing and layout developed together. Text was edited to fit the actual page, illustrations were framed for the format, and smaller activities and fact boxes were added around the main scenes. The Croatian and English editions also needed consistent layouts, instructions and QR destinations.
Illustrated stories and wordless comics
Alongside the two longer stories, the magazine includes short comics told entirely through pictures. Their clarity depends on the sequence of panels: readers need to understand the setting, what has changed and where the joke lies.
One production revision illustrates this well. A golf comic needed to show more clearly that the game was taking place on a whale. The scene itself had to change so that the ending would make sense without a written explanation. We worked with Dario Kukić on the wordless comics, with editorial development and reviews within the project team.
QR codes connecting paper and screen
The digital content ran in a mobile browser. Scanning a QR code opened its destination; AR content then required camera permission and pointing the camera at the relevant illustration. The QR link and image recognition served different purposes within the same journey.
We prepared an animated continuation for the cover. The augmented reality content connected to the 3D pirate ships page and a separate poster was available to guests in the final version. A rotating puzzle, a tile puzzle and tic-tac-toe offered other forms of interaction. The digital layer also included Maro Song and a sing-along from an earlier collaboration. Eight QR destinations connected several formats; the number does not mean eight separate games.
Instructions were a production task in their own right. A few words had to explain the next step to someone who might be encountering AR for the first time. Language versions and their codes also needed coordination so that each printed page led to the appropriate content.
A print proof connecting two production processes
Print preparation involved colour work, text and reviewing the physical proof. Maro’s colour on the cover and in the comics was lightened in response to client feedback. QR codes were tested on printed proofs too: a digital destination still needed to be reachable when its code became part of a physical page.
This is where the two parts of the project meet directly. A change to an illustration, address, language or code can affect both the magazine and the application. The final Croatian print files were approved in April 2025, followed by the English edition. Ustanova DES handled printing.
We now present the project through archived pages, illustrations and animation. The digital services were subsequently retired by agreement with the client. These materials document the completed project rather than inviting readers to use the old QR destinations.
Project contributors
- Publisher and client: Valamar Riviera.
- Concept and content development, writing and editorial work, design, production and related digital content: BROJKA, working with Valamar’s team and project collaborators.
- Story and activity illustrations: Igor Ivanović.
- Wordless comics: Dario Kukić, with editorial development by the project team.
- Digital content programming: BROJKA.
- Printing: Ustanova DES.
Related projects: Valamar MaroMag — magazine concept, content and design · Valamar MaroMag — illustrated stories and comics · Valamar MaroMag — QR games and WebAR experiences · Maro Song — earlier video project
If you are developing a publication or content for families, we can help connect the story, illustration, print and digital play. Get in touch.
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