Storybird.com is a graphic intensive and very engaging web site focussed upon bringing together artists and storytellers into a single collaborative environment. Registration is simple and straightforward, providing personal details and then authenticating your account by responding to a system generated email.
Logging in for the first time, the interface is friendly and easily understood – very picture intensive and intuitive. Simply choose some artwork that takes your fancy and write your story around that artwork. Then publish it to the community for people to leave comments or work with people across the globe to add to or tweak the story.
The site is primarily aimed at children between 3 and 13 years of age, with seemingly plenty of protection from any unwelcome attention which such a site may bring. Collaborators must be invited to take part and join in the project, which ensures that any requests for connections are initiated by the author.
In addition to standard accounts, the system also has special accounts for Artists which allows the setting up of shops and subsequent retail of graphics via the site.
The service is free and shall remain so according to the web site, though premium services are to follow which presumably will be along the lines of Lulu.com – allowing self publishing and printing services.
