#geokids

[thewickedbohemian]

I know there's probably only three people and an aglet (aka even smaller than six people and a shoelace) who'd be fans of both Pokemon and GeoKids but I can't help but imagine a Pokemon-world version; from me wishing there was a honeypossum Pokemon and a more-proper bushbaby (so Bobby wouldn't have to get a G name instead to keep the aliteration while being a Grafaiai) to complete the ensemble along with Uncle Balzac De Kecleon and Francisco Flamigo to imagining the little story-segment-y things (in rhyme or not) you could make about certain Pokemon based on their dex entries to even substituting Pokemon names into the songs like "P-p-p-pancham/G-g-goldeen/T-t-t-torkoal/S-s-salandit/ Pokemon names/ like Pancham, Torkoal, Goldeen/ all begin with letters/like G which starts Goldeen/if you repeat that sound/just before you sing the name/soon Pokemon doo-wop/will be your favorite game"

[marieramsay-blog]

Here are the beginnings of the onboarding process for GeoKids. I plan on playing around in AfterEffects to add some animation

[marieramsay-blog]

Meet Geo 2.0! I inverted the colors to make it easier to see the first. But in addition to achieving that, I feel that the character looks friendlier. I also like that the colors are the same as the logo, but it doesn't look exactly the same as the logo.  I might still play around with the shade of the color but for now, this is it. 

[marieramsay-blog]

I added another screen, displaying how a user would go from selecting a country, viewing a country, and then navigating to activities about that country.

This project was a challenge for me for a couple of reasons:

- As you can probably tell, illustration is not my strong point. Most of the projects I’ve done in the past have been team projects. I was always the one who worked on research, creating wireframes, user flows, copy, and presentation. This project has revealed a definite weakness in my design skills that I need to work on.

- Another challenge was the fact that I was designing an app for children. It wasn’t required and but I’d never done it before and I figured an app design with a focus on illustration.would be the perfect opportunity. While designing the app was challenging, it was really interesting to research and learn about the different ways children would interact with an app and how this can be predicted based on the way they interact with the world (play). It also made me think about what designing for other demographics I haven’t explored- the elderly, people with disabilities, teenagers, people using an app in a different language, etc.

While this seemed like a relatively simple project, it has opened my eyes. I look forward to what else I will discover about myself and the world of UX during my time here!

[marieramsay-blog]

The Definitive Guide to Building Apps For Children

After reading this article I have A LOT to consider as I move forward into building the full prototype for geo kids.

Differences Between Kids & Adults 

1. Kids love a good challenge or conflict.

2. Kids want feedback on everything.

3. Kids are more trusting than adults.

4. Kids develop faster than adults.

Similarities Between Kids & Adults 

1. Users expect consistency.

2. Users need a reason to use your app.

3. Users don’t want to be surprised.

4. Users want a little something extra.

Things to consider when designing for an age range 

[marieramsay-blog]

I really really really hate this app. The homepage is probably the best screen in this app and `i already have a few issues with is. Although it is an app for kids which means there should be interesting illustrations and bright colors, I feel like there is a bit too much going on. But the biggest problem `i have with this page is how DIFFICULT it is to ready. The app seems geared towards children aged 4-6. at this age they are very new readers. So for the font to be difficult to read could lead to a frustrating experience. 

[marieramsay-blog]

I really like the idea of having a small character that pops up throughout the app experience to guide the child through the apps navigation. I will explore how I may incorporate this when I create the prototype of GeoKids.  

[marieramsay-blog]

Although you can’t see it because it’s an image, there was some interesting animation on the loading and app launch screen. I usually get sort of irritated when an apps launch screen as an animation that is longer than 1 second, but I think it would be interesting for a children’s app. It is likely to capture their attention and get them excited for what is happening next. I also think it would be good to have some sort of animation for the loading screen because children’s attention span is short and if a screen is taking a bit too long to load and the loading screen is static and boring, the child may quickly lose interest.