At the beginning of 2023, while studying poetry at Trinity College Dublin, I had a conversation with a doctorate candidate about how children experience poetry differently from adults. We discussed how they excel at understanding rhythm and tone, struggle with abstract language and concepts, and vividly imagine scenes and objects described in the text. As a design student at the time, this sparked a question: how do children interact with digital experiences differently from adults, and how can we use those insights to design more effective and engaging educational and entertainment experiences?
Disciplines: Product & Market Research
Image via Adobe Stock.
Following this conversation, I initiated an independent study on Child-Computer Interaction (CCI) with the support of Columbia College Chicago. Over the course of five months, I conducted academic research, analyzed UX and market research studies involving child participants, and consulted with experts in the field to deepen my understanding. My goal was to better equip myself as a researcher and designer for future child-focused projects.
Towards the end of this study, I published two articles with UX Collective Magazine:
My Medium blog, through which you can read my articles!
These articles were well received by the UX Collective community, bringing attention to an often-overlooked field in UX design. Beyond their impact, the research fundamentally shaped my approach to designing games and interactive experiences for family audiences at the Seattle Seahawks, reinforcing the importance of considering diverse user needs in digital experiences.