Design: Designing for Children

While most of the content and interactive elements in applications for children employ graphic components and vibrant color combinations, the way in which application’s combine these elements can lead to a great user experience or be a cause of frustration and confusion.

This column is a continuation of my last Designing for Children column, “Effective Use of Typography in Applications for Children.” In this column, I’ll discuss the optimal use of color and graphics when designing digital applications for kids between two and five years of age. Read More

I dedicated my last Designing for Children column to exploring the effective use of color and graphics in interactive applications for toddlers and preschoolers. In this installment, I’ll continue my exploration of the use of color and graphics, but this time, in applications directed toward older children. Read More

This is a sample chapter from the new Rosenfeld Media book Design for Kids: Digital Products for Playing and Learning. ©2013 Rosenfeld Media.

Chapter 2: Playing and Learning

At a 4-year-old’s birthday party, I had an interesting conversation with two different parents about their children’s iPad use versus their TV watching. I asked about the rules these parents had in place regarding screen time for their kids. One mother strongly objected to any “playing” on the iPad for her child. Instead, she let her son—a very intelligent, developmentally sophisticated 4-year-old—use age-appropriate reading and math apps for about an hour a day, and then allowed him to watch two TV shows before bedtime. Read More