The Problem
During story time, parents lose a lot of quality time with their children due to the lengthy process of finding a book to read.
The Solution
01
Visual and textual story previews
Engage both parents and children during the selection process with both visual and textual story previews, such as short informational tags, and automatic content carousel.
02
High-level filters
Ensure efficient discovery by only serving content that aligns with parents' goals and available time frames through high-level filters.
03
Interested book collection
Save interested books to a collection to shorten the selection process for future story times.
Positive User Feedback
During usability testing, users responded positively to the design, using words such as "intuitive," "engaging," and "appealing". One participant remarked,
"I can totally see my daughter on this app wanting to read."
Understand the problem
According to a study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the United States, in 2019, Nationally, about 47.8% of children between birth and five years are read to every day by their parents or other family members.
An article from the Child Mind Institute highlights the profound benefits of reading to young children, including the development of language and cognitive skills, as well as the cultivation of empathy and emotional resilience. Given the abundance of choices, it can be challenging for families to find suitable children's books.
Identify user and pain points
2.1 User group
Children
Parents
Storyville focuses on children from birth to 5 years old because this age group experiences remarkable cognitive and emotional development, according to the National Institutes of Health. Thus, we will focus on children aged birth to 5 years old and their parents, who read attentively to educate and bond with them.
2.2 User Interview
I conducted user interviews with 6 parents with one young child and 5 parents with two young children. Surprisingly, both parent groups exhibited similar criteria when selecting stories. They all emphasized their children's strong interests in specific topics, the influence of book covers on children's choices, their desire to incorporate developmental objectives into story time, and their attention to age-appropriateness, story length, and reviews from other parents.
2.3 Key findings
Both children and parents seek a story to read, yet their selection criteria differ. Children are captivated by engaging visuals and intriguing topics, while parents prioritize specific factors such as educational value, suitability for the child's age group, manageable story length, and recommendations from fellow parents.
Despite these differences, parents and children often participate in the selection process together.
2.4 Locate design focus through user journey
Upon discovering the conflicting selection criteria between children and parents, I created a user journey map to identify the area of struggle. The map revealed that the primary pain point lies within the browsing and assessment stages. Therefore, these two stages will be the focal points of design efforts.
Define imperatives through HMW
After identifying user conflicts and the focal area of struggle, I synthesized all the findings into three key insights: children's natural inclination toward visual elements, parents' requirement for prompt and thorough story assessment, and the need for swift decision-making.
To gain a clearer understanding of the implications of these user habits and needs, I transformed these insights into 'How Might We' questions. From this process, I identified three primary imperatives for the solution: visual appeal, upfront information, and rapid assessment.
Propose solutions + decide
4.1 Lightning Demo
To streamline the brainstorming process, I began with a lightning demo, reviewing existing solutions that excel in visual appeal, information presentation, and content discovery. I studied examples from various industries and companies such as Pinterest, TikTok, iFuntv, and Piboco, making notes of their key strengths.
4.2 Propose solutions + decide
After studying existing solutions, I drafted 3 story discovery approaches: recommending stories according to user questionnaires, automatic feed, and thematic exploration. I then presented these concepts to my mentors and peers, gaining valuable insights into the pros and cons of each approach.
After analyzing the pros of cons of each idea, Idea 3 emerges as the most suitable solution. It effectively integrates both user groups' perspectives, providing visual and thematic-driven exploration for children while incorporating filters to accommodate parents' selection criteria. Although the parent control feature is more hidden, it avoids overwhelming children with irrelevant information. Given parents' familiarity with app usage, it enhances the user experience without compromising usability.
Identify task flow through storyboard
After selecting the optimal solution, I crafted two storyboards to outline the discovery process for finding a new story and continuing a previous story, identifying the additional screens required for the prototype.
Design + prototype
6.1 Display Grid
To cater to children's visual reading preferences, visualizing information was central to the design. I wanted to create a visual ranking of book popularity, departing from conventional lists. Drawing inspiration from word collages, where frequently repeated words appear larger and less common ones smaller, I translated this concept into displaying book covers of different sizes.
I further refined the grid to match tablet screen dimensions, opting for a two-row layout. Three distinct cover sizes signify varying popularity levels: “most popular”, “somewhat notable”, and “regular.”
6.2 Visual Inspiration
I recognize that designing for children differs significantly from designing for adults. To ensure a thorough understanding of how children perceive information, I extensively examined children's apps such as DisneyNOW, ShopDisney, and Amazon Kids+. These apps featured vibrant colors, large buttons, animated elements, and prominent fonts.
I created a mood board to condense these attributes into visual inspiration for the app's design.
6.3 Hi-fi Mockup
As I moved on to the creation of the Hi-fi mockup, I consulted the Nielson Norman Group's article on 'Usability Issues in Designing for Young People,' which highlights the commonalities and distinctions in user behavior between children and adults. It is worth noting that "many of the things that make sites and apps easier for adults also make them easier for children".
Throughout the creation process, I consistently emphasized the three critical aspects of the solution: visual appeal, upfront information, and rapid assessment.
While I researched successful children's apps and consulted reputable articles during the design process, I acknowledged my personal limited experience with children. Consequently, I was eager to test the design with parents of young children.
Validate
7.1 Hi-fi usability Test
7.2 Issues + Solutions
Final design
8.1 Design system
8.2 Final Screens
8.3 Prototype
Reflection
I thoroughly enjoyed designing for children and delving into their unique ways of perceiving information. During the design process, I faced challenges as I couldn't fully grasp the perspective of a child. I made multiple iterations not sure which would be the most effective, which stalled the process. While I frequently discussed the project with my mentors and peers, conducting earlier user tests could have expedited and clarified the process significantly.
If more time and resources were available, I would love to conduct additional rounds of testing, involving both parents and children.
Thank you for reading!
