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Conducting UX activities with school-age children is fun and interesting, though it can also be frustrating at times. If you are planning a project whose user group includes children, this is the session for you. These aren’t just little people after all, they have a completely different range of emotional, physical and learning abilities than adults. In this brief session you’ll learn the characteristics of these kids and how they can affect your UX study.
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Little People, Big Challenges: UX with Kids
Midwest UXApril 9, 2011
Imagination, Wonder, Fun!
Little People…
Not Short Adults
• Cognitive Skills– Reality and make-believe – New to computers– Reading
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? By Bill Martin Jr / Eric Carle
Physical
• Little hands and unreliable grasp– Computer operations (drag-and-drop)
• Short in stature• Need for movement
Experience & Emotions
• Interpretation of information, icons• Fear, shyness• Non-talkers or Chatty
Recruitment
Gain Trust
• Legitimacy
• Approach Organizations– Rotary Club– Parent-Teacher Groups– Private Schools– Home School Co-ops
Mindful of Family Situations
• Caring Adults• Religious, social• Holidays, birthdays, politics• Awareness of Media, Internet, TV
Network
• Ask for recommendations– Finder’s fee
• Participants knowing each other– Enjoy experience with friends– Can carpool– Depends on test
Patel and Paulsen
Publicize
• Social networking• Through your site
– Ethnio.com• Advertising
– Parent e-mailing lists and bulletin boards
– Volunteer sections– Fliers
Recruiting Issues
• Advanced computer users – Making games, web pages, etc.
• Flexible testing hours• Arrange care or space for siblings
– Younger distract– Older want to help
• Sensitive to concerns about child’s abilities
Protecting Kids
Physical Considerations
• Child-friendly – Child-sized chairs and tables– Avoid distraction
• Lab equipment – Effective yet unobtrusive – Check for safety
On Location
• Classroom– Least interaction– Best opportunity for comparison
• Home– Most interaction and deepest understanding– Most time consuming per subject
• Other situations (playgrounds, museums, etc.)– Difficult to plan– Hard to know who you’re observing– Use most caution in this situation
Guidance
• Never be alone with child• No full names in any documentation• No discipline unless they are in danger• Photograph only with permission• Casual dress
Welcome Caring Adults
• Child’s Choice• Benefits of Adult in Room
– Gives child sense of security– Can help “adjust” child when needed
• May Need Guidance– “Lead” child or pressure child to perform– Engage facilitator in side conversation
Caring Adult-Child Pairs
• Used to having support available• Expect to be used with adult
– First time use – Educational products– Offline activities
• Interaction – Relationship issues show up– Coping skills vary – encourage to be supportive
Consent
• Adult must sign any agreement• Activity for child while waiting
• Designs "top-secret"
Online Information Gathering
• COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule)– Became effective on April 21, 2000.
• Operators Must:– Post privacy policy;– Obtain verifiable parental consent;– Prohibit disclosure of information to third parties;– Maintain confidentiality, security, and integrity of
information.
More at: www.ftc.gov
Conducting Research
In the Classroom
• Schedule carefully • Levels of approval• Make concessions • Teacher
– Used to being observed• Hectic - prepare for
change
In the Home
• Can be chaotic– Distractions abound– Go with the flow– Pets (consider your allergies)
• Show their room
Test Your Materials
• Child’s ability level• Rotate tasks – more tired at end• Prepare varying levels of hints• Scary disembodied voice
– Speak softly– Give warning before speaking
• Tiny voices, close mics– Pressure zone microphones
Hanna, Risden, and Alexander
Control & Trust
• New experience for child– Office and equipment– Different than home
• Answer Questions– About gear– Go behind one-way mirrors
• Match experience– Adjust to preference
• Slower cursor speed• Resolution
Set Expectations
• Caring adult– Allow child to try things out and make guesses– Help with hints if gets stuck
• To Child– Use simple language– We’ll have fun!
• Warm-up activity - get to know them– Avoid suggesting
• Eager to please adults
During Testing
• Keep it short• Restate tasks as needed• Encouragement and feedback
– "You really worked at that!"– "You did that all on your own!"
• Reminders to pay attention• Free exploration time
Hanna, Risden, and Alexander
Communicate Emotions
• Behavior– Non-talker – Trying to “break” product
• Less verbally capable children • Explain what you need to know• Memory aids
From left to right 'boring, 'don't understand', 'fun', 'too difficult, 'too slow', 'childish', 'stupid/strange', 'too scary'. Barendregt and Bekker
Post-Study
• Children are tired• May be upset test is over• Thank them!
– Comment on how helpful they were– Hard work = see exactly what needs to be fixed
Incentives
• Classrooms– Thank entire class and teacher– Gift to class (pizza day, etc.) - optional
• Homes– Appropriate for age and economic class– Bring extras for siblings– Gift certificates
Testing/Researching Children
• Create usable, satisfying products for children
• Be prepared for anything• Unpredictable, challenging and fun!
References• Hanna, L., Risden, K., and Alexander, K. 1997. Guidelines for usability
testing with children. interactions 4, 5 (Sep. 1997), 9-14. DOI= http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/264044.264045
• Barendregt, W., Bekker, M.M. 2005. Extended guidelines for usability (and fun) testing with children. SIGCHI.NL Conference 2005, HCI Close to You, 13 October Den Haag. Den Haag, NL
• Patel, M. and Paulsen, C. 2002. "Strategies for Recruiting Children for Usability Tests." Usability Professionals Association, 11th Annual Conference.
• Ames, Louise Bates, Ph.D., et. all. Your __ Year-Old, Series, Gesell Institute of Human Development.
