1. Are We
There Yet?
Designing UX for Kids

2. Justin Smith
@xenoabe
Georgia Tech | Roundbox
IHG | Cartoon Network

3. All slide images
via Stefán’s
Stormtroopers 365
Flickr set and used with
permission from Stefán.

4. “The most sophisticated people I
know - inside they’re all children.”
-Jim Henson-

5. Part 1:
What is
UX?

6. The User’s Experience

8. UX Design/
Architecture

9. Audience

10. Technical
Business
User
Requirements

11. Information Architecture

12. Wireframes

13. Prototyping

14. Testing

15. Part 2
Kids

16. Generations
๏ Pluralists - 1997 - Present
Magid Research - 2012
๏ Baby Boomers 1946 -1964
๏ Gen X - 1965 -1976
๏ Millenials - 1977 -1996

17. Big Differences in small Ages

18. Motor Skills

19. Memory and
cognition

20. dumb
it
down?

21. NO!

22. Make a product that kids will love,
NOT a product that ONLY kids will love.

23. C.O.P.P.A.

24. PERSONALLY
IDENTIFIABLE
INFORMATION
Data
•Social media
•UGC
•

25. Part 3
The 5 Ps
of Designing kids UX

26. 1. P arenting
2. P
3. P
4. P
5. P

27. Parents play
big role.

28. 1. P arenting
2. P lay
3. P
4. P
5. P

29. Play
noun ˈplā
activity engaged in to amuse oneself

30. Play is free movement within a more rigid structure.
-Zimmerman and Salen
Rules of PLay-

35. LOGO
Math Blaster

37. 1. P arenting
2. P lay
3. P RACTICE
4. P
5. P

38. Repetition and Familiarity
lead to mastery.

39. When you watch a kid learn, you see there’s a recognizable
pattern to what they do. They give it a try once -- it seems
that a kid can’t learn by being taught. They have to make
mistakes themselves. They push at boundaries to test them
and see how far they will bend.
-Raph Koster -- A Theory of Fun -

40. 1. P arenting
2. P lay
3. P RACTICE
4. P atience
5. P

41. Play while waiting.

42. Fake Progress

43. Think “mobile” for speed.

44. 1. P arenting
2. P lay
3. P RACTICE
4. P atience
5. P opularity

45. Popular items = social status.

46. Part 4
s
The 3 Ds
of Building Kids
Experiences

47. 1. Design
2. D
3. D

48. • Colors
• Icons
• Characters
• Attention

49. BE LOUD!

50. 1. Design
2. Dev(ices)
3. D

51. Meet the user
where they are.
!
!
Desktops/Laptops
TVs
iPod
iPhone
iPad
Consoles
!
2nd Screen
Experiences

52. 1. Design
2. Dev(ices)
3. Diagnosis
(testing)

53. Kids are honest.

54. Growing Gap

55. Generational
Change

56. What UX IS.
‣
Kids
‣
The 5 Ps
‣
The 3 Ds
‣

57. “Kids don’t remember what you try
to teach them.
!
They remember what you are.”
-Jim Henson-

58. "I think that inside every adult is
the heart of a child. We just
gradually convince ourselves that we
have to act more like adults."
-Shigeru Miyamoto-

59. Most kids don’t want to
grow up.
!
Most grown ups still
want to be a kid.

60. Thank you!

61. Questions?