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
computer
7 9
My generation (1977) Techno tots (2010)
Age (years)

Techno Tots
0 205 10 15
Age first saw a
computer
Age first used a
computer
0 1
My generation (1977) Techno tots (2010)
Age (years)

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 billion
Spent 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
smartphone
Can 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 damage
Tiredness
RSI
Weight 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 study
4. Quantitative survey

1. Children aged 2-6
2. Their parents
3. 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

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 Partners
58 Bloomsbury Street
London WC1B 3QT
Phone: 020 7307 7770
Email: info@amber-light.co.uk
www.amber-light.co.uk
BBC
Media City UK
Bridge House
Salford Quays
Salford M50 2BH
Email: Gemma.Newell@bbc.co.uk

Little users; UX considerations for pre-school children - Amberlight

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