User testing fail
Attempting to think like a kid when designing a kids app.
I recently decided to build a quick bingo app for my kids using Emojis (they love emojis). I built a rough version where you place the mobile vertically in the middle of two players, and you play opposite each other.
I let my kids have a go and watched intently. Child A (8 years old) won the first game to the disgruntlement of Child B (5 years old). Then again, Child A won the second game. “I’m not playing! It’s not fair!” said Child B as he stormed off. I could feel his pain.
Aha! I thought. I’ll adjust it so that whoever wins the first game cannot win the second. This way, it will increase the chance of playing more games and not feel like an injustice for little ones.
A few days later, I proudly placed a new version of the game in front of them. Child A won the first game again. And Child B was disgruntled, again. I quietly felt a tingle of nervous excitement for my new feature. Then Child B shouted, “Hey! It’s not fair! I want to be on that side”, and he swiftly spun the phone 180 degrees.
Oh. 🤦♂️