Whether it is an educational site, app or any other digital product, designing for kids present an entirely different set of interaction, experience and usability issues.
To get a handle on how to design better digital products for kids, let us first answer this simple question.
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Designing for kids is one of the most effort-demanding fields. Kids are amazing critics; for them the look and feel of an object is as significant as the job it performs.
Keeping things simple always help. Students don’t appreciate cluttered items and are easily distracted. It’s better not to add irrelevant things to the screen, and arrange things in a sensible manner with plenty of spacing.
Also, it’s important to remember that kids of different age groups have different interests. Something designed for a 15 year old may not fit in the eyes of a 10 year old kid. You need to be as specific as possible about your targeted audience if you wish to get the best outcomes.
Some toy specialists agree that simplicity is vital. They believe that children rule at cutting through all the mess and sticking to a simple story as they find it more real. In fact, it’s important to make it unmasterable. You see why the best toys and games are easy to learn but impossible to master. This is because they give you the opportunity to re-establish your long term goals and narrative.
The real power of digital learning comes into action when a continued learning is encouraged outside the classroom.
It’s recommended to keep your designs clear and simple to keep kids engaged and eager to learn more. Also, you may add small rewards to increase their enthusiasm.
Ingrid Connors believes that variety and surprise are important elements to keeping children engaged. The best way to accomplish this is to create a dynamic world. Children look for surprises; they want to see something different or unusual.
Connecting a child’s experiences in the real world is really important. Kids respond best when they can see transparently that they are making progress. Giving them small rewards along the way and allowing the children to make choices enable them customize their online world.
Children love to get engaged in making and doing. Providing the kids with a sense of ownership is an excellent way to encourage interaction.
Researchers believe that participation from children keep them invested. With the creator movement capturing the globe and big brands allowing the people to personalize their products, kids are also getting equally excited about the transition from consumers to prosumers.
This opportunity of designing your own products was not available before as we do now. Children love to get involved in crafting and putting their own unique stamp. Thus, giving them true ownership and a community (a platform for sharing their views) is indeed the best way to keep them invested.
Video illustration is yet another great way to keep children engaged with digital products. You may support a product by creating student oriented video demonstrations to keep engaged in schools. When they watch actual students solving complex challenges through the use of a product, they find it relevant to them and their projects.
It’s really important to select the right platforms and technologies. The manufacturers need to understand that the device itself is important and not just the design.
For instance, to promote learning and participation in a digital classroom, the right technology should be used in the right way. Devices that offer diversity in association and interaction connecting the peers in a better way is highly recommended.
To ensure a smooth and uninterrupted learning process, it’s important that children keep themselves engaged outside of the classroom too, especially at home. A two-way interaction between children and parents enable them take their classroom experiences to the home and work with their parents in co-ordination to keep the learning journey alive.
