When we think of UX participants, we typically think of adults, but there's a growing generation of kids who are bypassing their parents in their tech savviness. For companies thinking ahead to new technologies, it makes sense to include the insight of their young audience who will soon question "Why wouldn't I do it that way?"
Kids testing and UX research can be fun and insightful, but poses a unique set of challenges. In this session, we'll learn which methodologies work best for kids and some practical tools for making the most out of our time with them.
15. NOW WHAT?
15
How do you find them?
What kind of research is
appropriate?
Who do you pick?
What challenges will I face?
What kind of questions
should I ask?
How should I set up the room?
17. • Always go through the
parents
- NDA
- Consent to participate
- Consent to video
- Payment
RECRUITING THE RIGHT WAY
17
Templates available on
usability.gov
18. • Screeners are key
- Open ended questions help
the screening process
- Follow up with a phone call
• Too shy vs. too rehearsed
• Parent groups/Word of
mouth
• Consider pairs/siblings
RECRUITING THE RIGHT KIDS
18
23. Sensory-motor
intelligence
0-2 years
UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
23
*As defined by Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, 1929
Pre-conceptual
thought
2-4 years
Intuitive
Thought
4-7 years
Concrete
Operations
8-11 years
Formal
Operations
11-18 years
27. • Kids are setting
up their parents’
devices
• Kids are getting
their own devices
• First time
experience
needs to be
accessible and
meaningful to all
ages
OOBE WITH KIDS
27
11-18 years
35. • Match scenario
• Set context: “This is your living room”
• Draw similarities between what the child has in
real life and what is staged in room
• Add personal touches & creature comforts
• Minimize camera/recording distractions
CREATE THE RIGHT SPACE
35
40. Takes session time based on
cognitive ability into
consideration.
A GOOD TEST PLAN FOR KIDS…
40
2-4 year olds
<20 minutes
5-10 year olds
<40 minutes
11-18 year olds
<60 minutes
41. Allows for plenty of “warm up”
time.
• Ask questions!
• Let them talk!
• Come down to their level
- Ditch your computer and notes
• The quality of your research is only as good as
their comfortability
A GOOD TEST PLAN FOR KIDS…
41
44. Sets expectations.
- “We are going to play for a little bit, then I’m going to
ask you some questions…then we’ll play some more.”
- “You are an expert at being a kid—that’s why you are
here!”
- “I didn’t make any of the games you are going to play
today, so you aren’t going to hurt my feelings if there
is something you don’t like, or make me feel better if
there’s something you do like…So I just want you to
tell me the truth about what you think!”
A GOOD TEST PLAN FOR KIDS…
44
45. Is neutral, not leading.
A GOOD TEST PLAN FOR KIDS…
45
“We are going to play a fun
game for kids your age.”
“How easy was that game?”
“We’re going to play a game
now, and your job is to tell me
what you think about it, okay?”
“Was that game easy, hard or a
little bit hard?
vs.
46. Has the end in mind, but leaves
room for unexpected outcomes.
• Keep an open mind
• Make time to listen
A GOOD TEST PLAN FOR KIDS…
46
51. ANCHORED SCALES
51
1 2 3 4 5
WORST Game
I’ve Ever Played:
Frogger
BEST Game
I’ve Ever Played:
Tetris
X
4-18 years
52. “If this was an app, would you
keep it or delete it?”
“Would you tell your friends or a
family member about this game,
yes or no? How old is that
person?”
CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS
52
4-18 years
53. What was fun?
BALANCED QUESTIONS
53
What was not fun?
What
parts
were
easy?
What
parts
were
hard?
4-18 years
57. • Watch the language
- It’s not a “test”
• It’s all about making the kid feel comfortable
- More comfort=better feedback
- Give them lots of wiggle room
• Hold explanations, encourage discovery
- Answer questions with a question
• Minimize difficulties
- Let the product assume responsibility
• Leave the note taking for someone else
PUTTING KIDS FIRST
57
58. • They bring fresh insight
• They represent “what’s next”
• They provide a unique perspective
• They keep you on your toes and help you hone
your skills
WHY KIDS IN YOUR RESEARCH?
58
59. • Identify the best person on your team
• Write a research plan and make the adjustment
for kids
• Talk to teachers about techniques
• Start talking to kids (Borrow some)
• Go for it! (Practice makes better)
HOW TO GET STARTED
59
And remember, kids are users…just littler
ones.
Know when to include parents…..Sometimes a You can have a parent in the room with the kid, but manage that parent. Kids won’t think that it is a test, but parents will. Some of the con’s are that they can often “coach” the kids.
Sensory Motor=language and thought process not developed… Observational and parent interviews
2-4 years: hard to get deeper answers—dig answers out of observations and playing tasks
4-7 years—very literal, trouble remembering things, and giving thoughtful answers
8-11—read, must be brief and fun, simple questions and answers
11-15—start to evaluate things as adults.
Sensory Motor=language and thought process not developed… Observational and parent interviews
2-4 years: hard to get deeper answers—dig answers out of observations and playing tasks
4-7 years—very literal, trouble remembering things, and giving thoughtful answers
8-11—read, must be brief and fun, simple questions and answers
11-15—start to evaluate things as adults.
Let them play and watch… give them some tasks to do… break up the interview with play time.
Ask them to describe what they are thinking while they are playing. What made you think about using the blue blocks? What are you imagining in your mind?
Be careful about what you say– If you say you want them to “sign in” then they will look for exactly the words sign in…
One way you can help to understand what they would do at home is ask them who they normally ask for help and then have them tell you when they would ask that person for help if they were at home doing this.
Conceptual concepts are hard…gather up examples to show them– so they can compare. Be careful about what kids will see online. (You tube…)
Family affair
Kid as tour guide
Visual example of a timeline that was used to show people’s initial onboarding use of the PS4.
Questions at a time when they may be engaging with the product (based on diary knowledge)
Taking photos of their environment to better understand what was happening in a snapshot in time.
Especially interesting considering what their house looked like when we visited.
Swivel chairs ended up being too distracting.
By asking participants how they feel as they are participating in the OOBE, we are able to really determine what emotional journey they are going on, and where they end up.
In this case, there were some bumps in setting up the device, but eventually, by the end, when they were watching content, they were really excited.
Does it matter that there was a struggle?
By asking participants how they feel as they are participating in the OOBE, we are able to really determine what emotional journey they are going on, and where they end up.
In this case, there were some bumps in setting up the device, but eventually, by the end, when they were watching content, they were really excited.
Does it matter that there was a struggle?
Rather than starting with things too abstract.
Ex: what would be a fun game that you played on the computer?
We are used to be professional, non leading and detatched from the study…
During an adult session, if they feel badly about something they are doing –hard, etc. then I will usually shift the conversation to the product. Yeah, so what do you think makes this difficult to discover where to go? I’m going to show you, you tell me. With kids, I usually agree with their sentiments so they don’t feel unheard.
Some examples of “bad” moderating
--Why didn’t you give it a 10?
--What’s the difference between this version and that version (makes people think they are missing something.