little users; ux considerations for pre-school children - amberlight

Little Users: UX considerations for pre-school children

@filiphealy @UXetc BBC: @GemN@amberlightuk: @gcgreen

Who we are

Filip Healy Mansha ManoharGeorge Green Gemma Newell

@FilipHealy @gcgreen @UXetc @GemN

Amberlight Partners BBC

@filiphealy @UXetc BBC: @GemN@amberlightuk: @gcgreen 3

Report Sections

3. Case Study: CBeebies Storytime

1. Introduction

2. Guidelines for researching with little users


Techno Tots

0 205 10 15

Age first saw a

computer

Age first used a

computer7 9

My generation (1977) Techno tots (2010)

Age (years)


Techno Tots

0 205 10 15

Age first saw a

computer

Age first used a

computer0 1

My generation (1977) Techno tots (2010)

Age (years)

A Magazine Is an iPad That Does Not Work.mp4

A Magazine Is an iPad That Does Not Work.mp4


Recent figures

51%UK households in 2013 who

had a tablet

Source: OFCOM

2013


Recent figures

61%…of 3 year olds use tablets.

28% use one at home.

Source: OFCOM

2013


Recent figures

38% …of 2 year olds use tablets.

Source: OFCOM

2013


Recent figures

81%…of top book apps

downloaded in Apple’s app

store were kids titles in

2010

Source: AOL News


Recent figures

33%…of parents say their child

is more proficient on the

tablet than they are


Repossession

“If you are an adult in

possession of both a tablet and

children, the children are likely

to take possession of the tablet” Paula Cocozza, the Guardian


Kids Tablets

Toymakers are adapting to this trend…


A growing industry

£3 billionSpent on tech gifts for children by parents in

2013

Source: Uswitch


Is this a good thing?

We don’t yet know how this affects child development

Language and communication

Interaction with the world

Social skills

Posture

Physical activity and wellbeing


Concerns


2- 5 year olds

23%Can make

mobile call

25% 20% 66% 73% 11%Can

navigate

websites

Can use

smartphoneCan turn on

computer

Can use

mouse

33%Can tie

shoe laces

Can write

full name

Sample: 2,200 mothers in 11 countries


Unrestricted access

“…you say 'turn your tablet off

now and go to bed' and two

hours later you go up and

they're under the duvet still

playing the computer game.”

Mary Bousted, General Secretary, Association

of Teachers and Lecturers


Addiction

“.. she had developed an obsession

with the device and would ask for it

constantly…. She was using it three to

four hours every day and showed

increased agitation if it was removed.”

Dr Richard Graham, psychiatrist, speaking about a 4 year old patient with

iPad addiction


Posture

Spinal damageTiredness

RSIWeight gain


The benefits


Pre-school

“It is the future, and it enhances their

learning massively. It has never replaced

any more traditional teaching methods

we use. It is just another toy in the box.”

Nursery Manager (uses iPads with every child)


Ongoing research

"There is a school of thought that tablet use

is rewiring children's brains, so to speak, to

make it difficult for them to attend to slower-

paced information…but every thought we

have rewires the brain in some way.”

Jordy Kaufman, director, BabyLab (Swinburne University,

Australia)


Ongoing research

"Not that long ago parents were bothered

by seeing their children reading all the

time. They would complain that they

would hurt their eyes.”


Sections


1. Introduction


@filiphealy @UXetc BBC: @GemN@amberlightuk: @gcgreen

How I felt about research with children before my first session


Overview

• Practical tips to prime you for success

• Session length

• How to improvise

• Getting your session going

• Building rapport

• Interacting with children


Practical issues

• Double check that the session time fits with the

child’s schedule

• Eating and sleeping children make poor participants

• Who is going to be in the home? Try to ensure that

it’s the normal people


Session length

Long sessions can work if:

• The sessions are home visits

• You are flexible about what is covered—distractions

work to your advantage

• You use tools to keep the child engaged


Improvise

• Forget about the discussion guide. Be patient

• Don’t want distractions? Play the Good Cop while the

parent plays the Bad Cop

• Two kids instead of one? Let them take turns. Double

the data!


Getting your session going

• Try to get consent

• Explain that issues are useful; parent can

help but allow issues to play out for a bit

• Figure out what kind of parent you are

dealing with. Beware the aspirational

parent


Building rapport

• Start with the parent, then both together, then child alone (if

necessary)

• Having a stuffed toy involved can help

• Try not to assume anything about the family situation

• Empower the child, make them important


Interacting with children

• Don’t ask for explanations. You will not get

them.

• Use simple words

• Don’t cut them off or be dismissive – they can

be really sensitive and insecure. They don’t

want to feel stupid.

• If they struggle, be positive

• Parents make good two-way translators


Methods

• Peer tutoring – one child shows another and gives

you a window on their understanding

• Ask preference rather than collecting ratings or

asking how much like it

• Thinking about stage of develop, at this age gender

is less important and birth order


Inferring user needs

• More observational, more acting out

• Comparing with something else

• Inferred from what they already like

• It’s a less exact science than with adults


Sections


1. Introduction


….So, we’ve been working with Amberlight to really unpick what it is that makes a reading app truly great, for both the kids using it and their parents.

We launched the StoryTime App in August 2014. It’s been super successful, but we want to make it even better…..

What content is most appealing and how is it actually being used?

How are children/parents interacting with features and functionality?

What type of interactions are usable, desirable and delightful?

What are competitor apps doing that the BBC could learn from?

What are the opportunities to improve the current app?

1. Competitor review 2. Contextual in-home sessions 3. Diary study4. Quantitative survey

1. Children aged 2-6 2. Their parents3. Their siblings

The project

25 children’s educational apps

17 children

4 nations

200+ hours of collecting and reviewing data

Some recommendations for story apps


Story collection



Younger children (ages 3 and under): Short stories and many simple

interactions. Stimulate the senses (sight, sound, motion, animation).

Story collection should cater to different age groups



Longer stories with complex interactions (e.g. story maker) for children of 4+

years

Story collection should cater to different age groups


Narration



(Very) Lively narration

3 years and under: short sentences; lots of repetition



(Very) Lively narration

Motherese can also be of

particular benefit to children with

attention deficits and autism

http://motherese.weebly.com/benefits-of-motherese.html

Employ techniques from

Motherese.

Tip: exaggerate phonetic cues

http://motherese.weebly.com/benefits-of-motherese.html


Tapping an item



Tap an item to receive information

Tapping is a very natural interaction



Tap an item to receive information

Tip: tap a character to hear its lines

More visually engaging than a block of text


Text



The text should be child-friendly

Ensure the typeface is large, clear and easy-to-read



The text should be child-friendly

Offer a text highlighting feature and allow parents to disable it


Navigation



Navigation cues should not be immediately obvious

A good example is the 3 Little Pigs by Nosy Crow app


Parental controls



Parental controls should not be enticing to the child

Parental controls need to be accessible to adults whilst not distracting children


Activities



Intersperse the story with activities

Break down the story into chunks. Separate each chunk with a mini game /

puzzle / activity relating to the narrative


Popular interaction patterns




Putting components together




Sound boards




Drag-and-drop




Matching items


Designing for pre-schoolers

For little fingers, use big

buttons / touch hot spots

Prepare for unintended

multi-touch

Audio calls-to-action

Indications of interactivity,

e.g. consistent sound

effects or a change in the

music to indicate that the

user can interact now.

Some needs we identified

Questions?

Filip Healy George Green Mansha Manohar Gemma Newell

@FilipHealy @gcgreen @UXetc @GemN

Amberlight Partners58 Bloomsbury Street

London WC1B 3QTPhone: 020 7307 7770

Email: [email protected]

BBCMedia City UKBridge HouseSalford Quays

Salford M50 2BHEmail: [email protected]

little users; ux considerations for pre-school children - amberlight

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