Interface Design for Children
Hilary Browne Hutchinson, Benjamin B. Bederson and Allison Druin from Human-Computer Interaction Lab of the University of Maryland published an paper about Interface Design for Children’s Searching and Browsing. The analysed the usage of the International Children's Digital Library by schoolkids (age 6-11) and give some guidelines for designing search and browse interfaces for children:
"Elementary-age children are among the largest user groups of computers and the Internet, so it is important to design searching and browsing tools that support them. However, many interfaces for children do not consider their skills and preferences. Children are capable of doing Boolean searches, but have difficulty with the sequential presentation of hierarchical structures used in many category browsers. Based on previous research, we believed a simultaneous presentation of a flat category structure might better support children. We conducted two studies of searching and browsing with these two types of category browsers. Our results suggest that a flat, simultaneous interface provides advantages for both Boolean searching and casual browsing. These results add to the understanding of children’s searching and browsing skills and preferences and suggest guidelines for other interface designers."
Internetverweis
SIGCHI Conference Paper: Interface Design for Children’s Searching and Browsing
International Children's Digital Library