KiddOS
Summary: This project was a concept iOS app intended to assist parents in teaching their children about digital literacy. As a team, we combined our efforts in ideation and research but generated our own individual versions of the app.
Objective: Research, ideate, and design a working prototype for the app KiddOS.
My Role: UI Designer, UX Designer & UX Researcher
Deliverables: Survey, Competitive SWOT Analysis, Data Synthesis, User Flows, Wireframes, Style Guide, Usability Testing, and High-fidelity Mockups.
Research
Surveys
Our survey was done using Qualtrics and we sent it out to about 30 parent participants that had children between the ages of 3-12.
Results:
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100% of children use technology.
2 in 3 children use technology beyond entertainment purposes.
1 in 3 parents worry about their child learning to use a computer.
Our product should focus more on tablets and television than we previously thought.
Social media use is not a factor for children in this age group.
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Their own ability to use technology.
Setting technology usage limits for their children.
Teaching children to be more patient when using technology.
60% of parents want some involvement in teaching their children digital literacy.
How to teach and keep children safe when entering the online world. Including but not limited to:
Exposure to inappropriate content.
Interacting with people who have bad intentions (i.e. scammers, bullies, predators).
Learning how to recognize scams, phishing attempts, and malicious algorithms.
Sharing personal information.
Competitive SWOT Analysis
Our main competitor in this space is Common Sense Media (CSM). While they can offer valuable resources for teaching children about digital literacy, there are a few areas where they fall short:
Lack of resources for teaching children about computers: CSM does not provide specific resources or materials dedicated to teaching children about computers, which is an important aspect of digital literacy.
Challenges in finding specific lessons: The information architecture of their platform can make it difficult for users to locate specific lessons or topics related to digital literacy, potentially leading to a less user-friendly experience.
Absence of progress tracking: CSM does not offer a feature for tracking a child's progress in their digital literacy journey, which can be valuable for parents to monitor their child's growth and development in this area.
Other competitors were also evaluated, but they are considered "indirect competitors" as they primarily focus on standard education, coding, or behavioral lessons rather than specifically teaching children about technology use. Furthermore, these competitors often design their platforms with the child as the primary user, rather than catering to the needs and concerns of parents.
Research Conclusion
Through our research, it became clear that there is actually a demand for our product. Parents expressed a strong desire to receive guidance on teaching their children about digital literacy and promoting healthy digital habits.
Our market analysis highlighted a significant opportunity in the realm of computer literacy lessons that our competitors have yet to fully capitalize on. This realization presents a valuable chance for our product to address this specific need and differentiate itself in the market. By focusing on providing comprehensive and tailored computer literacy lessons, we can position our product as a go-to resource for parents seeking to equip their children with these essential digital skills.
To address these findings, we proposed the development of a comprehensive mobile application, with plans for a future desktop counterpart. This application would serve as a one-stop solution, offering a wide range of resources such as interactive lessons, informative articles, engaging videos, immersive simulations, and community forums. By providing a safe and secure environment, our product aims to empower parents with children between the ages of 3 and 12 with the necessary tools to learn and practice healthy digital habits.
Ideation
What Features Will Be In Our App?
During the research phase, we made the decision to develop a mobile application based on the data we gathered. To kickstart the ideation process, our team utilized Miro, a collaborative digital whiteboarding tool, to brainstorm a wide range of ideas.
The first image is a snapshot of our brainstorming session, capturing all the potential features we envisioned for the product. While our primary focus was on the mobile app, we also included ideas for the desktop version to cover future scalability.
What Will Be On Our Dashboard?
Following our initial session, our team determined that beginning with the homepage or dashboard of the app would be the most effective approach.
However, we questioned what elements should be included on the dashboard and how to proceed from there.
To address this, we conducted another brainstorming session dedicated to refining the specific features and flow we aimed to showcase on the dashboard. This collaborative discussion allowed us to generate ideas and find the optimal direction for our design.
Our Flow
After careful consideration, we made the decision to prioritize the "personalizing your experience" flow as the primary focus for this project.
This flow involved parents answering a series of questions about themselves, enabling the app to curate personalized content based on their responses. Additionally, we included the step of "creating a child account" within this flow to cater to the specific needs of our users.
We believed that incorporating personalization and leveraging the data gathered during our research phase would greatly enhance the user experience and resonate with our target audience.
To solidify our approach, we proceeded to establish a clear start and end point for the flow, while also identifying the essential "must-haves" that should be included along the way. This provided us with a framework to begin sketching our unique interpretations of this flow.
Sketches
The primary objective of creating these sketches was to generate diverse ideas for the dashboard layout.
We explored four different design concepts, all incorporating essential elements such as the "personalize your experience" button, hot topics, and news. These elements were identified based on our research, which provided insights into the preferences of parents.
After receiving feedback, I carefully considered the options and ultimately decided to proceed with the bottom-right design. This particular layout resonated well with the mental model of our target users and effectively organized the elements to deliver maximum value.
Collaboratively with my team, we agreed that this design was the best for our user’s needs and expectations, creating an intuitive and engaging dashboard experience.
Mid-fidelity Prototype
My Approach
Based on the initial sketches, we developed a mid-fidelity design that focused on the core functionality of the app. This stripped-down version excluded color and images, allowing us to test the fundamental features without any distractions.
By adopting a mid-fidelity approach, we were able to identify and address any potential issues with the app's functionality before investing time and effort into high-fidelity design elements.
Taking the project one step at a time and gradually progressing from low-fidelity sketches to mid-fidelity design instilled a sense of confidence in our decision-making process. It allowed us to validate our choices and make necessary adjustments along the way, ensuring that the final design would meet the needs and expectations of our users.
User Testing
Summary
We conducted moderated testing with parents for our mid-fidelity designs. We each tested 3-5 participants virtually and/or in person.
Our tests focused on finding any pain points or confusion while going through the personalization flow.
Results
After we conducted our tests, we synthesized our data as a group and organized it into different categories that stood out as shown below.
Positive & Negative UX
Positive & Negative UI
Wants & Needs
App Experience & Feelings
Recommendations For My Design
UI Design
Clear up the confusion with button placement, shape, or wording.
Focus on alignment
Increasing some font sizes
UX Design
Create a more trustworthy feel surrounding child disability questions
Consider changing the wording of some elements to clear up confusion
Wants and needs
More in-depth understanding of the child
Style Guide
Our Approach
As a team, we developed a style guide to ensure a consistent and visually appealing experience for our product. We emphasized the need to create a sense of fun and trustworthiness.
In line with color theory principles, we selected blue as our primary color to convey trust, reliability, and security. Additionally, we incorporated orange as a secondary color to add vibrancy and a touch of playfulness to the overall aesthetic.
To maintain consistency in typography, including font type, size, and weight, we referred to the Apple Human Interface Guidelines (AHIG). This ensured that our chosen typography aligned with established design standards.
Above all, we recognize the importance of building trust with parents who share information about their children. By adhering to our style guide, we aim to create a product that delivers a sense of trust and confidence among our users.
Hi-fidelity Prototype
My Design
This particular design was for iOS devices.
After running usability tests, I started to design the final screens in Figma. Some of the changes I made included:
Adding terms of service & privacy policy page before personalization process to increase parent trust
Rearranged "Yes" and "No" buttons to fit the user’s mental model moving forward.
Increased font size
Changing button sizes
Increased size of the bottom navigation bar
Fixed padding and alignment on some elements
From the very start, we made it a priority to actively listen to our users, and their feedback greatly influenced the final design of KiddOS.
Collectively, we are all very proud of our final results designing KiddOS. The careful attention to user feedback, the incorporation of user-centered design principles, and the dedication to providing value to parents have resulted in a product that we believe truly meets the needs of our users.
Conclusion
What Did I Learn?
This project marked my first experience of working closely and collaboratively with a team, and it proved to be a valuable learning opportunity. Communication and negotiation skills played a vital role, and I was inspired by the wealth of creative ideas of each team member.
While we encountered occasional disagreements, we consistently strived to find common ground that prioritized the needs of the end user. It was a remarkable journey of learning from each other's strengths and acknowledging our own weaknesses.
One aspect that particularly resonated with me was the focus on creating an accessible product. We delved into research to ensure our color choices worked for individuals with color blindness. In my specific design contribution, I made sure to incorporate an easily recognizable question mark symbol that provided accessibility features on every page.
Throughout the design process, we also adhered to the Apple Human Interface Guidelines (AHIG), ensuring consistency and familiarity with industry standards.
Overall, this project proved to be an enjoyable experience characterized by strong team collaboration. It proved that projects may evolve and transform as we delve deeper into research, and I learned the importance of remaining adaptable and open to change.
What Would I Iterate?
If I were to revisit this project, I would prioritize conducting more thorough and independent testing of each individual feature. This approach would enable us to identify and address specific pain points more accurately. By dedicating focused testing sessions to each feature, we would gain valuable insights into its usability, functionality, and user satisfaction.
In summary, conducting independent feature testing would be a strategic step in the project's development, allowing us to identify and address specific pain points while fleshing out the app to deliver an even more polished final product.