Some time ago we gave you some tips on how we can achieve a good user experience. Well, today we will apply them to the use of the internet for the little ones. I put you in context. In 2019, the latest version of the study developed by the Nielsen Norman Group was published, showing that children require different usability aspects than adults, even between their different ages.
Broadly speaking, three rounds of UX study of different nationalities were carried out in which the children had to explain to those responsible for the study everything they did as if they were experts. The study was carried out with 8 or 9 years of difference between each round, which would allow observing the evolution of the children with the development of new technologies.
Children tend to use devices for a longer time so they develop skills that allow them to have an idea of how the application or website can work, they have resources. This aspect is related to the fact that children have greater patience to be able to solve a problem, if they cannot find a solution to something that does not work, they try again. Even so, children do not stop being children and seek very different stimuli from those of adults.
What should a website for children look like?
These are the tips that we give you from La Teva Web.
The first thing to keep in mind is that children’s needs are very different depending on their age, so we could offer them different interfaces adapted to the learning moment in which they are.
Children are used to using tablets more than computers so they will feel the need for a responsive website. In this way it will be interesting to dedicate efforts in a good web design expressly towards these devices.
They seek interaction with the page, so it will be essential to incorporate scrolling galleries, videos, gifs … All those graphic elements that can keep the child’s active attention. These include bold colors, clear fonts, cartoons, sounds in button interactions …
It will be important that the loading time is short since it is difficult for them to understand that the websites have technical aspects that can slow down the loading of the page. Children are said to be able to tolerate up to 7 seconds of waiting.
Another fundamental aspect that we must consider is that children, despite being born in the Internet age, are not born learned. That is why web pages must be very intuitive. Perhaps a small tour of the page graphically, with guide buttons, narrators, among others, could be useful for the infant to learn to use the page.
A good design of web pages aimed at children will not only keep them entertained, but will help them to develop their skills with ICT tools.
