| Origin's Top Ten Tips when
designing for kids online |
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| 1. |
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What you've learnt about
navigation on adult sites applies just as much to kids'
sites - consistency, clarity, a degree of standardisation
- and one especially for kids - try not to make your navigation
more than one level deep. |
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| 2. |
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Avoid asking kids to
become members or to subscribe as most will have a family
rule against giving their real details on the web. |
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| 3. |
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If you are going to
get details, remind the kids to ask their parents if it's
OK. |
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| 4. |
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Avoid using pop-ups
- these confuse kids, they don't understand when the normal
forms of navigation are removed. Recently a Palmerston
North parent received a $1,200 bill. Their child had unwittingly
clicked on a pop-up that connected them to an ISP in Liechtenstein.
Damaging! There are some valid exceptions to this rule.
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| 5. |
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Kids do not distinguish
between advertising and content. Worth thinking about
if you are going to do any advertising on your site. |
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| 6. |
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Don't do fancy things
with fonts, or make them too small - both on- and off
line. Kids are still developing their reading skills. |
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| 7. |
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Engage kids immediately
(but don't confuse them). They aren't patient. They're
pretty black and white about what they like and don't
like. |
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| 8. |
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Use sound and movement
to add interest - but be judicious with your file size. |
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| 9. |
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Have a section for parents.
Make it clear that it is for parents (to avoid kids wasting
time going there). |
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| 10. |
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If you are going to
have characters (kids generally respond very well to these),
do what you can to get the kids to interact with them. |
