My personal highlights from the International Conference on Interaction Design & Children 2002 (Eindhoven, NL)

1. 2002 International Conference on Interaction Design & Children Ferry den Dopper Highlights from

3. Children as our technology design partners The surprising and the not-so-surprising As we design (for children), we can be led in directions we never expected… … yet we can be led to places we have been a million times.

6. Underlying dimensions of each role Relationship to developers Relationship to technology Goals for inquiry Children as our technology design partners The surprising and the not-so-surprising User If you need a limited relationship with children. Tester If you have multiple goals for inquiry. Informant If you need a flexible relationship throughout the life cycle and to explore ideas. Design partner If you need a flexible relationship throughout the life cycle and to explore ideas. indirect feedback dialogue elaboration idea prototypes product developing theory questioning impact of technology better usability / design

10. Storytelling “ Children tell more sophisticated stories to/with peers, than with adults.” - Justine Cassel, MIT Project: Digital Cuddly Toy Museum Guides Cuddly robots tell stories about the paintings you pass by. Purpose: more enjoyable and meaningful experience Also a suitable concept for internet?

11. IBF Participatory Continuum Model Informant design: Role of domain expert is limited to informing the design experts, who realise the design. Balanced design: Equal partnership between informing and realising the ideas. Facilitated design: Emphasis onto the domain expert both to initiate ideas and to take the lead in realising the design, with the design experts being in a facilitating role. Participatory design with children Informant, Balanced and Facilitated Design Informant Design Facilitated Design Balanced Design 0% Percentage contribution to design 100% by the domain experts

14. Children have fantastic imagination and an enormous potential to “think outside the box” to produce a truly innovative design. However, children are also hindered by a strong sense of what the adult wants. When sending them off to the (external) designers, the teacher usually encourages the pupils to be well behaved and sensible. For children, being sensible and being a little silly (“thinking out of the box”) are two very different things. The integration of ‘difficult’ children means that there are children within the group that are not interested in saying what they think adults want to hear. Designing with ‘difficult’ children

17. Designing with ‘difficult’ children Conclusive: When you want to be innovative, you usually have to break the rules. Children have followed rules shorter than adults, so they are fresher. And ‘difficult’ children are also more bound to breaking rules. If you work with a group, the ideas are often those of the dominant childs. Individual children are also innovative. On the other hand, shy and insecure children are shown by other kids that it is okay to be wacky, to say something.

21. Measuring children’s fun Expectations The Smiley-o-meter The Fun-sorter The Fun-o-meter Best Worst Worked the best D B A C Liked the most A D B C Most fun D A B C Easiest to do A