How to Design Apps for Kids
I was always intrigued by the seamless experience that kids have while using mobile apps. I often observe my 4-year-old niece using various apps and games on mobile and tablets with ease, and it made me wonder how these apps were designed to be so intuitive for young children.
I began my research by exploring popular children’s apps in the Google play store like YouTube Kids, Duolingo ABC, Khan Academy Kids, ABC Kids, Kiddopia, Voot Kids, etc. I discovered several design patterns that were recurring in all these apps.
Do not reinvent the wheel, just re-design it.
Every industry has some common practices or patterns that can be designed with minimal cognitive effort, allowing more time to be spent on tasks that truly matter.
In this article, I explore common design patterns to incorporate, as well as dark practices to avoid when designing apps for kids.
Here are some of the common Design Patterns in Kids' apps:
Landscape Orientation
Children’s apps are often designed in landscape orientation because it allows for a wider and more immersive viewing experience for young children. Landscape orientation provides more screen real estate, which allows designers to create larger buttons, graphics, and text that are easier for children to see and interact with.
Splash Screen with Animation
Animations bring characters and objects to life, creating a playful and fun atmosphere that encourages kids to explore and interact with the app. Including an animation at the beginning of the app can create a more engaging and interactive experience for kids.
Parental Controls
Parental controls in children’s apps allow parents or elders to manage and control what content and features their children can access. Most Children’s apps offer educational content such as games, videos, and stories, but may also have inappropriate content like ads, and in-app purchases.
Parental controls not only protect children from harmful content but also help parents monitor their app usage, progress, and learning. Some children’s apps allow parents to view their child’s activity, and track their progress and performance.
Multiple Profiles
The option to create multiple profiles in children’s apps is important because it allows parents to create individualized experiences for each child in their family. Each child has different interests, preferences, and levels of skill and ability, and by creating individual profiles, parents can customize the app to meet the specific needs and interests of each child.
Avatar display picture
Avatars add a layer of creativity and customization to the app, as children can choose and personalize their own avatar to represent them in the app. Also, it allows for a safe and anonymous way for children to interact with the app without revealing any personal information or identity.
Music
Studies show that Music has a major impact on children and can actually accelerate brain development, particularly in the areas of language acquisition and reading skills.
Sound feedback on interaction.
Sound feedback can be used to create a more immersive and engaging experience for children. By using different sounds to represent different objects or actions within the app, designers can help to create a more realistic and interactive experience that captures children’s attention and imagination.
Furthermore, sound feedback can be particularly helpful for children with visual impairments or disabilities. By providing auditory feedback on every interaction, designers can create a more accessible and inclusive experience for all children.
Background Music
Background music can help to provide a sense of familiarity and continuity throughout the app. By using consistent music or sound effects across different activities or games, designers can create a cohesive and recognizable experience that is easy for children to navigate and understand.
However, it is important to note that not all children’s apps have background music playing constantly, as it can sometimes be distracting or overwhelming for children. Some children may find it difficult to focus on a task or activity when there is music playing, and others may find it overstimulating or irritating.
Animated Icons and Large Buttons
Minimalism is not a term commonly associated with children’s apps. Children tend to recognize shapes, colors, and images more than letters and words. For this reason, each icon in an app should represent something in a fun and intuitive way, enabling children to identify and draw connections between multiple pages or sections within the app.
Bright colors
Children prefer brighter colors as their eyes are not fully developed yet. They perceive these colors better than neutral shades as they are easily recognizable. Bright colors and contrasting colors stand out more in their field of vision and they are more stimulating and interesting to children.
Loading Screen Animations
Children are often impatient, and waiting for an app or game to load can be boring or frustrating. This is especially true if they are eager to use the app. Loading screen animations can help distract children from the wait time and provide them with something interesting and engaging to look at.
Character guide
Characters or avatars are used to communicate with children and guide them through the app’s interface. They can also be used to provide feedback and positive reinforcement to children as they complete activities and games. For example, a character might cheer or give a high-five when a child completes a task, providing instant feedback and positive reinforcement that encourages children to continue playing and learning.
Dark practices to avoid
How NOT to design apps for kids.
When designing a kids' app, you are designing for two user groups: the kids and the parents. Unless you establish trust with the parents, they may not pay for your subscription or allow their children to use the app. It is crucial to assure parents that the app is safe and trustworthy for their kids to use.
Hence, any kind of manipulative tactics should be avoided while designing apps for children. Some of the common dark patterns used in kids' apps are:
Subscription/Payment options outside parental controls
Children may not fully understand the financial implications of in-app purchases or subscription fees. As a result, they may accidentally make purchases without their parent’s knowledge or consent. With digital payments becoming increasingly easy, these accidental payments are becoming more frequent in today’s world. Therefore, it is important to have payment options inside parental controls or confirm whether the payment is being made by the parent by asking for a PIN or security question.
Here’s an example of Voot Kids, which directly leads to a payment page without confirming if it is a parent performing these actions.
Subscription done right — Kiddopia
In-app advertising.
In-app advertising in children’s apps can be harmful for several reasons. First and foremost, children may not have the ability to distinguish between advertisements and actual content and may be tricked into clicking on ads or making purchases without understanding the implications.
As a result, children’s apps are subject to heavy regulation in terms of data collection, advertising, and analytics by multiple institutions worldwide, such as COPPA and GDPR. It is mandatory to follow these guidelines in order to make the app available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
How to Monetize Kids Apps
Regulations make it very difficult, and in many cases impossible, to implement monetization models such as in-app purchases or advertising. The tactics used to generate revenue through these means are often manipulative and illegal.
Designers must explore alternate business models, such as subscription-based or freemium model, to sustain the business. Since this is a vast subject, I will try to cover this in detail in another article.
Conclusion
While most of the apps for kids have common design practices, It is important to have a deeper understanding of children’s psychology and parents’ needs in order to stay ahead of the competition. Designing apps for kids requires a great deal of creativity, expertise, and attention to detail to ensure that the app is both engaging and safe for children to use.
