User Research with Children

The problem

Children are a very large target market for new media products, but the products are generally designed by adults.  Research to help the adults see the world from a child’s perspective is vital.  However, children can have short attention spans and different communication skills, making a traditional approach to usability testing and research unsuitable.

The solution

We adapt our approach to suit the age and abilities of the children.  There are more details in this article, but some of the key points are:

• The sessions are fun, often including different activities, games and breaks for a drink
• We make the environment friendly, welcoming and age-appropriate
• The facilitator has a flexible approach, alternatives available and good contingency planning
• We have lots of different ways for children to communicate with us, and are very aware of non-verbal communication. 

The client

A leading mobile phone manufacturer wanted to know about friendship patterns in 7 to 11 year olds, how they currently use technology and to explore their ideas for future designs.

The method

We developed fun, engaging probe packs including a camera mission and ‘About me’ prompt cards in preparation for creative focus groups.  We ran the creative group session with 4 person friendship groups and used probes, brainstorming, and participatory design, culminating in the creation of the children’s ‘dream gadget’.

The results

We provided the client’s project teams with design inspiration as well as insights into the lives of children, including how they use technology, their interests, fashion trends, and entertainment choices.  We identified potential gaps in product offerings and children’s unmet needs.

The client’s view

System Concepts did an exceptional job helping us better understand the needs and motivations of children. The team thoughtfully designed games and activities to ensure that the children were having fun and never bored. Not only did the children enjoy their time with the team, one child said they were having such a good time they didn’t want to leave! The final deliverables that we received were clear, insightful and to the point, allowing us to apply the results directly to our project. We are happy to recommend System Concepts for any research involving children in the future.

Sunny Yang and Dokshin Lim (Samsung Design Europe).

Application to other projects

We have researched children aged from under six to sixteen and explored their use of phones, websites, interactive games and attitudes to social networking.  Our flexible approach can be tailored to all product areas, age groups and information requirements.

Last updated: January, 2010

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