An Edutainment Platform for Preschoolers
Optimising Inevitable Screen Time for Children | UX/ UI
THE PROBLEM
How often have you seen a child being handed a phone—when they are fussing over eating, outside a trial room, at a restaurant, or when guests come over? This has become so common that we hardly pause to notice it anymore.
THE CONTEXT
In today's digital era, children have a significant screen time; which should be optimized, making it more purposeful and engaging rather than a passive distraction.
Children are continuously absorbing information, driven by curiosity and a highly adaptable mindset. This stage presents an opportunity to design engaging experiences that are thoughtfully structured to support their growth.
RESEARCH: THE BUSINESS
Edutainment for preschoolers
Who?
For preschoolers (3 - 5 years old)
What?
Edutainment = education + entertainment
When?
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When parents are busy - need the child to be engaged
How?
Games, videos, stories, interactive experiences
Why?
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Wide teaching capabilities
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Productive and engaging
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Boosts child development (hand eye coordination, identification, memory, visualisation)
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To keep child busy and distracted
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To help alleviate child's mood
RESEARCH: THE USER/ AUDIENCE
Target User
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Inquisitive, curious
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Imaginative
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Egocentric
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Impatient
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Restless
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Very short attention span
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Need constant engagement
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Don't like stagnancy (want motion)
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Attracted to bright colours
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Quick learners
(Preschoolers)
Target Audience
(Parents/ Guardians of preschoolers)
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Working parents
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30 - 45 years old
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Tier 1, tier 2 cities
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All genders
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Upper middle class and above
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Technologically sound and advanced
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Modern, open minded
“
INTERVIEWS
Target audience
“I give Ania my phone because I prefer she learns something while playing.”
“Kabir refers to money in dollars and knows more about Halloween and Christmas than Indian festivals.”
“We call Vivaan 'foreign return' because he barely knows anything about India and Indian culture.”
“The screen interests Vivaan but the moment education is paired with a screen, he gets bored.”
"Out of school learning is very important - children should be exposed to and taught non-academic skills that are often not focussed on in schools."
“Soft skills should not be neglected due to academics.”
“He used to pick up nuances and bad Hindi slangs from YouTube videos which is why we stopped them. I want him to pick up Hindi but haven’t come across any good opportunities digitally.”
“Children should be allowed to learn
as per their own capacity, without any pressure.”
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PERSONAS, JOURNEY & EMPATHY MAPS
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IDEATION: THE PLATFORM
Thoughts, ideas and everything in between
What the platform should cater to/ have:
INSIGHTS & FEATURES
Indian children miss out on learning about their country as most apps emphasize Western culture.
SOLUTION:
Exposing users to India and its rich culture (languages, music, art, and more) through the many activities on the platform.
Children have short attention spans and lose interest quickly.
SOLUTION:
Incorporating short pop-up activities within larger tasks to keep users engaged, with well-planned challenges that gradually increase in difficulty.
Parents struggle to track their child's online activities, leading to increased anxiety about their safety, engagement and learning.
SOLUTION:
Enabling user activity tracking with comprehensive reports and areas of improvement.
Repeating activities without new challenges creates monotony and hinders real learning and growth.
SOLUTION:
Strategically designing progressively challenging levels for each activity based on user progress.
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Children are motivated by recognition and rewards, as these foster a sense of achievement and confidence.
SOLUTION:
Rewarding users with animals for accomplishments, which they can care for in their own 'Animal Farm'. This celebrates achievements while fostering essential soft skills like responsibility and empathy.
Taking devices away from children mostly leads to them getting cranky and irritated, creating challenges during screen time transitions.
SOLUTION:
A seamless exit process designed with peer influence in mind. When the platform's time limit is reached, a friendly character appears on the screen to say goodbye, accompanied by an encouraging message.
