INDEX
NUMERICS
“4 As” of designing for kids
absorption, 17–19
analysis, 19–22
architecting, 23–24
assessment, 24–26
A
absorption session, as process of digital design framework, 17–19
abstract thought, 40
accommodation, cognitive development learning concepts, 32–33
adults
designing for kids versus, 12–14
and equilibrium, 33
similarities between kids and, 15–17
advances in technology, 5
Adventure, 16
affinity diagramming, 22
affordance concept, 32
age 2-4 years
apps, 184–185
audio cues, 58–61
behaviors and attitudes of, 44–45
case study, 65–66
and color, 48–49
foreground and background element separation, 53–54
gender identity, 61–63
landing screen, 184–185
pictures and icon use, 55–58
single behavior design elements, 51–53
touch-based interfaces, 50
visual filtering, 44–47
age 2-6 years
design research with, 165–168
interviews with, 167
preoperational stage, 36–38
age 4-6 years
apps, 186–189
behavior and attitudes of, 72–73
case study, 84–85
and challenging elements, 82–83
“dumbing down” trap, 78
Favorites screen, 188–189
feedback and reinforcement elements, 79
freeform activity, 80–82
landing screen, 186–187
learning as part of game, 75–78
social design elements, 72–75
winning and losing concepts, 80
age 6-8 years
anonymity concept, 105–106
apps, 190–197
behaviors and attitudes, 88–89
canned chat design, 104–105
case study, 108–109
concept of rules, 98–101
design research with, 168–171
intro screen, 190–191
lack of explanation, 91–92
landing screen, 192–193
leveling up design, 88–90
outside influences, 88–89
permanence concept, 93
reward system, 101–102
saving, storing, sharing, and collection concepts, 93–97
slide-in menus, 196–197
“stranger danger,” 103–106
video screen, 194–195
age 7-11 years, concrete operational stage, 38–39
age 8-10 years
Add to Playlist screen, 202–203
advertising geared toward, 122–124
apps, 198–207
behaviors and attitudes, 116–117
case study, 137–139
error messaging screen, 204–205
high complexity design, 120–122
idea of lying, 129–130
identity awareness, 116
incremental instruction, 118
landing screen, 198–199
sense of direction, ignoring, 117–119
sense of failure, 117–120
sense of invincibility, 116
sharing screen, 206–207
trust factor, 127–129
video screen, 200–201
virtual world design elements, 124–127
age 8-12 years, design research with, 172–174
age 10-12 years
anonymous chat, 153
apps, 208–209
behaviors and attitudes, 142–143
case study, 156–157
cell phone use, 150–151
concrete thinking, 146
deductive reasoning, 144
designing for individuality, 151–153
exploration and personal narrative, 146–149
landing screen, 208–209
need for individual celebration, 151–153
self discovery, 151–153
simplicity in design elements, 142–144
social networking and, 150–151
specialized apps, 154–155
age 12-adult years, formal operations stage, 39–40
agenda, design research, 162
analysis, as process of digital design framework, 19–22
anonymity concept, 105–106
anonymous chat, 153
Apple iOS App Store distribution, 218, 220–221
apps
age 2-4 years, 184–185
age 4-6 years, 186–189
age 6-8 years, 190–197
age 8-10 years, 198–207
age 10-12 years, 208–209
container, 183
dangerous, 153
launching, 218
submitting to app store, 218
architecting, as process of digital design framework, 23–24
assessment, as process of digital design framework, 24–26
assimilation, cognitive development learning concepts, 32
Attai, Linnette (PlayWell LLC president and founder), 110–113
audio cues, 58–61
B
background and foreground element separation, 53–54
Barbie Girls, 106
beep sound type, 59
behavior-reward system, 101–102
behaviors and attitudes
age 2-4 years, 44–45
age 4-6 years, 72–73
age 6-8 years, 88–89
age 8-10 years, 116–117
age 10-12 years, 142–143
Biblion Frankenstein, 222
birth to age 2 years (sensorimotor stage), 34–36
Bock, Catalina (user experience researcher), 176–179
Builder’s Island (LEGO Creator), 92
Buley, Leah
The User Experience Team of One, 160
C
Caillou, 44–46
Candystand, 130–131
canned chat, 104–105
CARU (Children’s Advertising Review Unit), 122
case study
age 2-4 years, 65–66
age 4-6 years, 84–85
age 6-8 years, 108–109
age 8-10 years, 137–139
age 10-12 years, 156–157
Catapult Chaos, 118–119
cell phones, 150–151
challenge
for age 4-6 years, 82–83
designing for kids versus adults, 12–13
change, designing for kids versus adults, 14
chat
anonymous, 153
canned, 104–105
child-parent sessions, design research, 166
Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU), 122
click sound type, 59
cognitive development learning concepts, 31–33
cognitive-control system, 14
collection of item activities, 93–94
color representation, 48–49
complexity elements, 120–122
concrete operational stage (Theory of Cognitive Development), 38–39
confirmation and error messages, 118–120
consent forms, 163–164
consistency, similarities between kids and adults, 15
constructionism concept, 125–126
container apps, 183
contextual inquiry, design research, 167–168
conversation, preoperational stage of cognitive development, 38
COPPA regulations, 104
Council on Communications and Media, 6–7
D
dangerous apps, 153
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, 52
data collection, 215
deductive reasoning, 144
demographic information collection, 130
design for kids versus adults, 12–14
Design of Everyday Things, The (Norman), 32
design process
advertising, 216
data collection, 215
design patterns, 215
general questions (why, who, and what), 212–214
navigation and wayfinding, 214
social communication, 216
design research
with age 2-6 years, 165–168
with age 6-8 years, 168–171
with age 8-12 years, 172–174
agenda, 162
child-parent sessions, 166
contextual inquiry, 167–168
guidelines, 160–162
informed consent, 163–164
master-apprentice model, 162
one-on-one sessions, 172
recruiting kids as participants, 165
school setting observation, 172–173
surveys, 174
diagramming, affinity, 22
digital design framework
absorption, 17–19
analysis, 19–22
architecting, 23–24
assessment, 24–26
DigitZ, 96
Dinosaur Chess, 76–78
directions, kids ignoring the, 117–120
distractions, limiting, 79
DIY parental consent, 132–133
DIY website, 5–6
Doodle Jump, 120
doorbell sound type, 59
Dork Diaries book series, 139
E
early representational thought, 35–36
Easter egg, 16
educational aspects, playing versus learning, 10–11
egocentrism, 37
Einstein, Albert on Piaget, 31
Elements, The, 152–153
elevator pitch, 212
Eliot, Lise
Pink Brain, Blue Brain, 61
Enchanted Learning website, 4
Endless Alphabet, 84–85
equilibrium, 33
error messages and confirmation, 118–120
EULAs, 130
Everloop, 128–129
explanation, lack of, 91–92
exploration and personal narrative, 146–149
F
failure, sense of, 117–120
feedback
designing for kids versus adults, 13
and reinforcement elements, 79
Fizzy’s Lunch Lab Freestyle Fizz, 90
Fluff Rescue, 137–139
follow-up messaging, 118
foreground and background element separation, 53–54
formal operations stage (Theory of Cognitive Development), 39–40
free-form activity, 80–82
G
gamification, 101–102
Gem Hunt, 94
gender identity
for age 2-4 years, 61–63
designing for, 134–135
giantHello, 150
Goldfish Fun, 118
Google Play, 218–219
H
Handy Manny’s Workshop, 53–54
high scores, 95–96
I
icons, 55–58
identity awareness, 116
impulse control, 14
incremental instruction, 118
individuality, designing for, 151–153
inductive logic, 39
infants and sucking reflex, 31–32
informed consent, 163–164
Internet
early designing for kids, 2–4
technological advancement, 5
interviews, 167
invincibility, sense of, 116
J
Jelly Car, 120
Jungle Junction, 62
K
kids
designing for adults versus, 12–14
similarities between adults and, 15–17
KiK Messenger, 153
Kingdom Rush, 143–145
Kuniavsky, Mike
Observing the User Experience, 160
L
lagniappe, similarities between kids and adults, 16–17
launching websites, 217–218
learning
as part of game, 75–78
versus playing, 10–11
Lego-themed apps, 65–66
leveling up-type design, 88–90
Little Pim Spanish, 53–54
logic
formal operations stage of cognitive development, 39
inductive, 39
losing, as learning opportunity, 80
lying, idea of, 129–130
M
Machinarium, 144–146
master-apprentice model, 162
Minecraft, 120
Mini Sound Box, 59–61
Minifigures, 65–66
music, 59
N
navigation and wayfinding, design process, 214
Nick Jr., 55–56
Nickelodeon, 123–124
Norman, Don
The Design of Everyday Things, 32
O
object permanence phase, 35
observational research
participants, 18
sample flowchart, 20–21
Observing the User Experience (Kuniavsky), 160
Omegle, 153
Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science, 163
outside influences, 88–89
Ovemar, Emil (Toca Boca producer and cofounder), 67–69
P
Papert, Seymour (constructionism concept), 126
Parental Threshold for the Revolting (PTR), 25–26, 213
parents
child-parent sessions, 166
DIY parental consent, 132–133
messaging controls, 51
providing with usage tools and tips, 106
upsell controls, 51
volume controls, 51
participants
for observational research, 18
recruiting for design research, 165
PBS Kids Go!, 90
personal narrative and exploration, 146–149
Photo Grid-Collage Maker, 148–149
Piaget, Jean (Swiss psychologist)
cognitive development learning concepts, 31–33
Einstein on, 31
intelligent test analysis, 30
Theory of Cognitive Development, 31, 34–40
Three Mountain Test, 37
picture design, for age 2-4 years, 55–58
Pink Brain, Blue Brain (Eliot), 61
Planet Orange, 102–103
Plants vs. Zombies, 120–121
playing versus learning, 10–11
Pocket Frogs, 121–122
Poptropica, 91
preoperational stage (Theory of Cognitive Development), 36–38
problem solving, 40
product launch, 217–218
PTR (Parental Threshold for the Revolting), 25–26, 213
purpose, similarities between kids and adults, 15–16
R
registration page, 129–132
reinforcement elements, 79
research. See design research
reversibility, 39
reward system, 101–102
ROBLOX, 124–127
rules, concept of, 98–101
S
Sago Mini Sound Box, 58
Salsa website, 2–3
schemata, cognitive development learning concepts, 31–32
school setting observation, design research, 172–173
self discovery, 151–153
sensorimotor stage (Theory of Cognitive Development), 34–36
Seussville, 73–74
sharing, 96–97
Skrappy, 147–148
Smack That Gugl, 48–49
Snapchat, 142
social design elements, 72–75
specialized apps, 154–155
Star Walk, 152
Storybird, 96–98
“stranger danger,” 103–106
sucking reflex, infant, 31–32
surprise, similarities between kids and adults, 16
surveys, 174
T
take-aways, 94
Talking Carl, 16
Tank Hero, 135
technological advancement, 5
Terms and Conditions, 130
Theory of Cognitive Development, 31
concrete operational stage, 38–39
formal operations stage, 39–40
preoperational stage, 36–38
sensorimotor stage, 34–36
thought
abstract, 40
early representational, 35–36
Three Mountain Test, 37
Toca Boca company, 67–69
Toca Band, 68
Toca Hair Salon, 67-68
Toca House, 12–13
Toca Train, 69
touch-based interfaces, 50
trust
designing for kids versus adults, 14
sense of, 127–129
U
upsells, 51
User Experience Team of One, The (Buley), 160
V
virtual world design
elements, 124–127
visual filtering, 44–47
voice-over sound type, 59
volume control, 51
W
wayfinding and navigation, design process, 214
Where’s My Water, 11
Whisper, 153
Windows Store, 218
winning and losing, turning into learning opportunity, 80
Y
Yik Yak, 153
Z
Zoopz, 80–82