What are the advantages and challenges inherent in working with children in the design process for creating games or apps? How do you stop them getting bored, and get useful information? This case study looks in detail at a project that tried to do just that, and provides some handy tips at the end. The case study builds on the speaker's dissertation, Designing applications for children, that was submitted as part of the Masters course in Human-Centred Systems at City University London in September 2012. For the dissertation, she worked with children aged 4-5 years old to design an iPad application to learn the names and sounds of the letters, and to read and spell simple words.

1. Academic excellence for business and the professions
How to involve children in the
design process
Monica Ferraro
@londrareale
@playhows

2. 2
Monica Ferraro
User Experience Researcher
City University London
Playhows
UXPA UK Secretary
@londrareale
@playhows
@UXPAUK
About
me

3. 3
• Overview of the case study
• Methodology – Cooperative Inquiry
• Design Session
• Techniques used
• Lessons learned
• Why involve children
Overview

4. 4
Design an iPad application for
children to help them learn the name
and sound of the letters, and how to
spell and read simple words.
Overview
of
the
case
study

5. 5
Coopera7ve
Inquiry

6. 6
Coopera7ve
Inquiry
The
four
roles
that
children
may
have
in
the
design
of
new
technology
Source:
Druin,
A.
2002.
The
Role
of
Children
in
the
Design
of
New
Technology.
Behaviour
and
Informa0on
Technology,
21(1),
pp.
1-­‐25.

7. 7
Games
session:
Children
as
informant
Goals
• observe
the
users’
hands
movements
• capture
the
details
of
what
they
do
• Explore
which
game
and
ac7vity
were
more
interes7ng
and
challenging

8. 8
Design
session:
Children
as
design
partners

9. 9
Design
session:
Children
as
design
partners

10. 10
Ben10
guessed
the
leHers,
and
they
went
straight
into
his
head.
The
Spanish
ballerina
learned
the
leLers
with
the
teacher,
whiteboard
and
songs.
Design
session:
Children
as
design
partners

11. 11
Peppa
Pig
learned
the
leHers
with
a
clown.
The
pumpkin
ate
fire
from
his
tummy.
Design
session:
Children
as
design
partners

12. 12
Design
session:
design
ideas
on
A3
paper
–
Mixing
ideas

13. 13
Design
session:
low-­‐fidelity
prototype

14. 14
Design
session:
low-­‐fidelity
prototype

15. 15
Design
session:
low-­‐fidelity
prototype

16. 16
Techniques
used
• To give them importance
• Purpose of the session
• What design is – What an application is
• “Inventors of technology”
• To generate design ideas
• Dressing up
• Mixing ideas
• To build a low-fidelity prototype
• Colour pens and papers
• Lego and Playmobil figures
• Stickers
• Carton board iPad

17. 17
Lessons
learned
• Have clear goals in mind
• Be organised and open minded
• Organise lots of short tasks and activities
• Try to work with children of the same age
• Make the children feel important
• Thank and reward the children
• Keep in touch with the children,
the school and parents for future
collaborations

18. 18
Why
involve
children?

19. They
are
users!
19

20. 20
Why
involve
children?
Source:
HCIL
hLp://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/pubs/screenshots/Children_Design/

21. 21
Why
involving
the
children
• To give them a voice in design
• To give them power
• To come up with more ideas
that we ever would without children
• They offer honest feedback
• Adults are experts in their own field –
Children are expert in being children!!!

22. Thank you!
22
@londrareale
@playhows