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While the world has rapidly embraced all things digital, I-Spy books have largely stayed true to their original paper form. I have had a bit of an itch to digitalise the I-Spy experience, I feel like it is the natural transition.
A caveat, this exploration and the design concepts discussed are unofficial and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the current publishers or rights holders of I-Spy books
Why Digital? The Time is Now.
At Elixel, we firmly believe that digital tools can and should be used to help people engage with the world around them – and I-Spy books are absolutely perfect for this. While the physical books hold a special place in our hearts, the reality is that children today are growing up in a digital-first world.
As of 2025, a whopping 95% of UK residents aged 16 and over own a smartphone. Critically, this digital adoption extends to our youngest explorers: "One in five children aged between three and four years old have their own mobile phone. This increases to one in four children by age eight and to almost all children by 12."
Children are already spending significant time on screens, with those aged 5-16 spending at least 6 hours a day looking at screens. This isn't just a fleeting trend; there's been a 52% increase in children's screen time between 2020 and 2022.
These figures highlight a clear opportunity: if we want to introduce I-Spy to a new generation, we need to meet them where they are – on their devices. What if we can utilise this spent time to get them to engage with the world outside the screen?
What Does a Digital I-Spy Look Like?
Our vision for a digitised I-Spy centres around a versatile mobile app, available on both Android and iOS. This platform would unlock a whole new world of discovery and family fun:
A Warm Welcome: New users would get one free book when they download the app for the first time, giving them an immediate taste of the digital I-Spy experience.
Family Fun, Personalised: The app would allow families to add multiple members and create unique 'I-Spy stamps' for each person. Imagine marking who made which discovery, fostering a shared sense of adventure!
Gamified Discovery: Each family member could collect points for their discoveries, adding a fun, competitive element to the hunt.
Achieve and Explore: Families could complete exciting achievements for finding all the birds across all books or discovering every plant. These achievements would cleverly show which other books are needed to complete them, gently prompting users to expand their digital I-Spy collection.
Your Digital Library: A dedicated marketplace would make it easy to add to your I-Spy book collection, Browse and buying new adventures at your fingertips.
Reimagining a Classic for Today's Families
Our goal isn't just to put books on a screen; it's about enhancing the core I-Spy experience. It's about taking that brilliant, engaging concept that kept us entertained for hours and transforming it for the digital age. By doing so, we believe we can introduce the joy of I-Spy to a whole new generation of children, allowing them to engage with the world around them, one digital discovery at a time.
Please Note: This exploration and the design concepts discussed are unofficial and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the current publishers or rights holders of I-Spy books. This is our team's creative exploration of how a beloved classic could evolve in the digital landscape.
We're incredibly excited about the potential of this project. What do you think – would you download a digital I-Spy for your family? Let us know in the comments!
Sources
Mobile phone and internet usage statistics in the UK
Screen time: impacts on education and wellbeing
Audiobooks and fiction drove growth in 2024
Education App Revenue and Usage Statistics (2025)
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