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.
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| PSB Games. Explanation about the game, easy to understand |
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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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
