by Alicia Martinez Lopez -

Kids and Interaction (III): Analysis and database of interactive exhibitions aimed at children.

Following the discoveries made in the past search phase, it was time to analyse existing exhibits on the basis of the findings.

To facilitate this, work has been carried out over the past few days on the creation of a project database. This has been designed and programmed from scratch, and is not only a great help in keeping the information together, but also shows data taken from the analyses.

The idea is to collect information from different installations and to be able to read details related to usability (UX) aimed at children. For that purpose, certain questions have been determined to answer while analysing projects in order to obtain results that demonstrate, or not, whether the aspects explained in previously reviewed articles are applicable to interactive exhibitions for children.

The questions are:

  • Which interaction model is used (GUI, TUI, CLI, Other)?
  • What is the focus of the interaction (user-centered, activity-centered, system design or genius design)?
  • Does the installation provide instant feedback?
  • What type of navigation is there (multiple, step-by-step or other)?
  • Is the text simple and understandable?
  • Is the text size large?
  • How much text is there?
  • Does it have sounds?
  • Does it have animations?
  • Does it have bright, contrasting colours?
  • What kind of icons are displayed (abstract, literal, no icons, other)?
  • Is the experience customisable (user choice: characters…)?

With the database prepared and programmed, we started to analyse works in order to receive the data. For the moment it only has exhibitions by the Potion Design group, which in many cases directs its works to the very young. Even so, over the next few days we intend to add many more installations to be analysed, in order to have more realistic results.

Access to the database published online: http://ambiby.com/project_online/projectDB/index.php?year=true

Screenshot of the online database

by Alicia Martinez Lopez -

Kids and Interaction (II): UX for kids. Does UX change when it is aimed at kids?

In order to approach the problem from the initial topic, which aims to study interaction for children in educational exhibitions, it is necessary to divide the problem into parts.

Therefore and starting from the beginning, it is time to study and analyse the differences in UX for adults and children. Creating an interface for kids is not simply a matter of using something made for adults and then changing the language for “dummies”. Designing interfaces for children goes much further than that.

One of the most important and most frequently mentioned issues throughout the different articles reviewed is the importance of focusing the design on the right age group. The age steps in children are much stronger than in adults. When we create a prototype aimed at older people, we can determine a target with an age range of 20 years difference. In contrast, in children the difference of 4 years of age already implies big changes related to skills and abilities. That is why in the next analyses we will try to focus the search on a target age range of 6 to 8 years, ages at which children are able to read, but still have a limited vocabulary.

After reading a large number of articles related to the subject, we have extracted the most important points (even though they may sometimes seem obvious) that have been most frequently repeated among authors. Some of the things to keep in mind are:

  • Children need instant feedback with every action. This means not only informing the user that something has been clicked, but also keeping in mind that problems need to be broken down into small pieces.
  • Multiple navigation is complicated to understand, so it is easier for them to receive information in the form of a story. This means that storytelling is key in children’s interfaces.
  • Reading ability varies with age, but it is true that children usually avoid reading. So, if texts are added, they should be very concise, adapted and direct.
  • The adaptability of the interface takes into account several concepts such as font size and colour. In case of interfaces for children, font sizes should always be between 12pt and 14pt and colours should be saturated and vivid. This is a concept that normally in interfaces for adults can be distracting, but it is something that keeps children interested and connected with the content. A similar idea includes the use of sounds and animations.
  • Children tend to have an explorative attitude towards interfaces, “mine-sweeping” the screen.
  • Finally, it is important to bear in mind that children tend to take everything they see literally, so it is necessary to think deeply about the use of icons and images.

With this little research, it is time to look at existing children’s displays that may or may not meet these points.

REFERENCES

Kosa, M. ‘Children-first design: why UX for kids is a responsible matter’, UX Collective, 6 January 2018, <https://uxdesign.cc/ux-for-kids-responsible-matter-802bd12fe28c>

Molnár, D. ‘Product Design For Kids: A UX Guide To The Child’s Mind’, uxstudio, 31 July 2018 <https://uxstudioteam.com/ux-blog/design-for-kids/>.

Nielsen, J. & Scherwin, K. ‘Children’s UX: Usability Issues in Designing for Young People’, Nielsen Norman Group, 13 January 2019 <https://www.nngroup.com/articles/childrens-websites-usability-issues/>.

Osborne, P. ‘UX Design for Kids: Key Design Considerations’, UX Matters, 6 January 2020 <https://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2020/01/ux-design-for-kids-key-design-considerations.php>

GameDaily Connect. (018, June 28). UI/UX Design Principles for Kids Apps | Ashley Samay [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud0CJ-27QQU&ab_channel=GameDailyConnect

by Alicia Martinez Lopez -

Kids and Interaction (I): Beauty and practicality. Does interactive design work in interactive exhibits for children as well?

There is a lot of articles and books that try explain what are the principles of interaction design. These show to us the “correct” way of designing but the big questions are: do these principles prioritise beauty or practicality? Does interactive design work in the same way for different age groups?

The main objective of this project is to analyse and break down the 100 basic principles of interactive design in order to find which of these are applied in interactive installations for children. It is also intended to take into account the concept of “Design for All” but in a more closed way and trying to address age differences.

The exhaustive study of the principles and the analysis of similar works in the field of children’s education based on interaction, will help us to generate a small guide to interactive design aimed at children in installations in order to be able to apply it to future projects.

This will also highlight the importance of the interactive method of education, which helps children to better absorb and apply the concepts they learn. Above all, highlighting the idea of “gamification” as a central point of interaction and learning.


ARS Electronica – Kid’s research laboratory https://ars.electronica.art/center/en/exhibitions/kids/

Potion Design – MelaB https://www.potiondesign.com/project/melaB/

REFERENCES

Hanna, M (2021). UX Crash and Burn: UX brought down the 737 Max and it is UX that can save lives. [World Usability Congress]. https://bit.ly/3AMMAgm

Lidwell, W., Holden, K., & Butler, J. (2010). Universal principles of design, revised and updated: 125 ways to enhance usability, influence perception, increase appeal, make better design decisions, and teach through design. Rockport Pub.

Montero, Y. H. (2006). Factores del diseño web orientado a la satisfacción y no-frustración de uso. Revista española de documentación científica, 29(2), 239-257.

Norman, Donald. (2002). Emotion & design: attractive things work better. Interactions, 9(4), 36-42.

Paterno, F. User Interface Design Adaptation. https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/book/the-encyclopedia-of-human-computer-interaction-2nded/user-interface-design-adaptation

Prensky, Marc. (2001) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon

Sanford, Kathy, and Leanna Madill (2007). Understanding the Power of New Literacies through Video Game Play and Design. Canadian Journal of Education.

Schaaf, Ryan (2012). Does digital game. based learning improve student time-on-task behavior and engagement in comparison to alternative instructional strategies? Canadian Journal of Action Research.

Stephanidis, C. Design for all. https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/book/the-encyclopedia-of-human-computer-interaction-2nd-ed/design-4-all