Webs for children. Part III: Usability test with children

And finally, the third part of the posts about Webs and Children. I wrote about what I learned reading a few articles, refered at the bottom of the post.

Testing with children

Children have a few general aspects that we have to take into account when we are working with children as users tests.

As I said in the first post about Webs for children, the age is one of the most important aspects. In this case, the first group (from 3 year-old to 5 year-old) is the most difficult to work with. They will prefer show you what they can do instead of follow a list of tasks, and you will need to pay attention in their faces, looking for smiles, frowns, sighs... The next group (from 6-year-old to 8-year-old) already have experience following directions, they do it at school. Usually, they don't like to be observed while they play and they will be less shy as they grow up. Finally, the last group (from 9-year-old to 12-year-old) can be asked more easily and as older the children are, as more talkative they will be.

Their capacity of concentration is low, so the session can't be more than an hour, 30 minutes for the youngest. If we realise that the children are gettin bored, we can take a short break We'll also sort the tasks or questions in a different way for each child, in order to don't have the same questions at the end of the test, when they are tired.

The room where you are going to do the session must be child-friendly, but keeping a balance between and adult enviroment and a place or stuff which invite to play, losing concentration. When we are working with the preschool group, it would be useful be sure about what periphals they use at home, such as the keyboards or mice.

Before getting started, meet the children and speak softly, they can be stressed-out because of the new people and surroundings, so they will need to relax. Parents must know they must be careful, they can't make any interference during the tests, because children are quite easily influenced.

During the test, the children are used to ask for help, so we have to redirect their questions and try to help them without meddle.They can also get bored easily, therefore, they need motivation, it's necessary to encourage them to keep "working".

And finally, after testing, remember that their work must be rewarded.

References

• Usability testing with children: a lesson from Piaget, Sabina Idler
• Tips for usability testing with children, Tom Stewart
• Usability testing with children, Webcredible
• Diseño Web orientado a niños, Yusef Hassan Montero

Webs for children. Part II: Elements of the Web

Going on with the last post: "Webs for children", I will write today about the elements of the web and how to use them.

Elements of the Web

Texts

Short paragraphs without technical words, we have to bear in mind their reading level: pre-readers (3-5 year-old) and readers( more than 6 year-old). Clear and big font size and style, they normally use the pointer to go along the text, so they need enough space.

PSB Games. Explanation about the game, easy to understand

Slider in the Web of the National Geographic for Kids. Easy for children.

Images, graphics, animations and sounds

All of them usually hold an irresistible attraction and normally a task is easier if it has an image linked. On the other hand, they have difficulty to difference between banners and normal Web's content.

Peppa Pig. The navigation is all with images, you'll only see the text if you place the pointer over it.

Navigation

The geographic navigations are usually very successful: a landscape, a room, etc. Trying to remember the normal issues of Web usability, we must keep a regular navigation in all the website. In addition, while adults don't like sounds, children find a navigation with funny sounds or voice very enjoyable.

PBS Kids. This roulette was a good idea for a menu.

Scrollbar

As younger is the child, more difficult is for him use the scroll bar. For the youngest, keep all the important content in the part of the screen you'll see first, the top of the website.

Pointer

In many times, they move the pointer all over the screen looking for clickable points or just enjoying the music.
While for adults is not recommended changing the pointer, for children can be funny if the pointer is a different object according to the thematic of the site.

Star pointer in the Sesame Street Web

Colours

Bright and cheerful colours.

Login forms

Children have to know why the site needs their information. We can make the registration progress something interesting and enjoyable with differents activities like making your own character. Be careful with the words, is better if you use "Start" instead of "Submit" or "Nickname" instead of "Username", for example. A group of images can be an easy way to keep the password on a child mind, or maybe we can generate random passwords they can print or write, something that allowed you to keep the security.

References

• Approaches to User Research When Designing for Children, Catalina Naranjo-Bock.
• Children’s Websites: Usability Issues in Designing for Kids,Jakob Nielsen.
• Designing Usable Sites for Children and Teens. Grace Bernhardt.
• Designing Websites for Kids: Trends and Best Practices, Louis Lazaris.
• Best Practices For Web Design For Kids, David Morrison
• Interaction Design and Children, Juan Pablo Hourcad.
• Diseño Web orientado a niños, Yusef Hassan Montero
• Diseño Web para niños, Jorge Serrano Cobos.
• Como usan los niños las páginas Web, Karina Ibarra y Anna Ripoll
• Designing Web Registration Forms for Kids, Debra Gelman, A List Apart

Webs for children. Part I: Children's Behaviour

When I was a child and some adult people asked me the question: "What would you like to be in the future?" I had no doubts: "Teacher". Well, time goes, mind changes, and I'm here, as a beginner "Web Engineer"... so, turning back to my first ideas I thought: how can I use my profession with children?... and that's why I've started reading some articles related to "Webs and children"...

I found, along the articles, several interesting points around the Web and the Children. I'll sort them in three groups: Children Behaviour, Elements of the Web and Usability Test. This article is about the first one.

Children's Behaviour

Age

We are talking about children between 3 and 12 year-old. In this range, we can make three circles: 3 to 5, 6 to 8 and 9 to 12. We have to remember that they are very conscious in relation with their ages, I mean, one 7-year-old boy see a 5-year-old like a baby.

For example, National Geopraphic has two differents webs made for children: National Geopraphic Kids and National Geopraphic Little Kids.

National Geoprahic Kids

National Geopraphic Little Kids

Gender

Differences between gender are bigger and they have different interests. Normally, not ever, boys will prefer superheros and sports games, while the girls will prefer princesses, puppies or other similar games. Girls are also more likely to read and look for intructions.

Knowledge level

There are children with more knowledge than other depending on their background or education. Moreover, we can't forget we are in front of a "computer generation". Usually, children born with a computer at home and they begin to use it as soon as they can hold the mouse in their hands. In general, they find tasks like "Send to a friend" or "Give your opinion about this book" quite difficult for them.

Interactivity

They can't be bored, their ability to keep attention is low, they need fun and enterteinment each moment. Using animated characters, who speak and engage their attention. You can include a game section, as well as have videos with mini-stories or other educational content; it can be very useful. Apart from games and videos, other activities such as puzzles, painting... are usually successful among the youngest. As the child grow up, it begins to make more sense the possibility of have more social applications: the youngest have a closed society, their family; as time goes on, your social circle increase with your friends.

For example, if you visit Peppa Pig on her website, they will laugh each time you click over them.

Peppa Pig laughing. Website

Personalize

In many cases, the possibility of make your own avatar, with which children can identify themselves, can be interesting. They like the opposite extremes: good or bad. As younger is the child, as more suitable is the use of pets or other proposed characters. As child grow up, he would prefer have his own personality or see himself as a popular character or cartoon.

Pocoyize

Polly Pocket. Dressing Polly

Stimulating the senses

Using, as long as it's possible, bright and cheerful colours. We also have to keep a happy mood, we are working for children, they must be always happy.

Responsabilities

As we know and we can read in Louis Lazaris' article: children can be easily affected by their environment, things they see or hear, they are mentally fragile. We have to be responsibles with our work and companies have to prove that they care about children. Promoting education is one of the possible ways, the games and activities we offer in our website must go in an educational way.

We have to remember that teachers, parents and other educational figures always care about the children, and they must take into consideration the different Internet’s dangers, so it will be useful if we include a “parents section”, with all the information they’ll need and another design more appropriate for them.

Website "Sesame Street" 

References

• Approaches to User Research When Designing for Children, Catalina Naranjo-Bock.
• Children’s Websites: Usability Issues in Designing for Kids,Jakob Nielsen.
• Designing Usable Sites for Children and Teens. Grace Bernhardt.
• Designing Websites for Kids: Trends and Best Practices, Louis Lazaris.
• Best Practices For Web Design For Kids, David Morrison
• Interaction Design and Children, Juan Pablo Hourcad.
• Diseño Web orientado a niños, Yusef Hassan Montero
• Diseño Web para niños, Jorge Serrano Cobos.
• Como usan los niños las páginas Web, Karina Ibarra y Anna Ripoll
• Designing Web Registration Forms for Kids, Debra Gelman, A List Apart