CHALLENGE

In collaboration with City Interaction Lab, I was asked to run the user testing for the BBC’s CBeebies Spot Bots mobile application. Spot Bots is a second screen mobile application aimed at young children aged 3 – 7 with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

The objectives of the user testing were to:
· understand how children of different age (3 – 7 years old) engage with the application
· explore the children’s user experience of watching the video and using the application
· identify key areas of improvements.

APPROACH

Given the specific user characteristics, the children were recruited through an agency.
Information sheets and consent forms were sent to the children’s parents/carers before the user testing took place. We conducted the user testing in the children’s homes after school time with one of the parents/carers being present at the session. Sessions were 30 minutes long.

During the sessions, we asked the children to watch the video and then to interact with the Spot Bots mobile app. Given the young age of the user group, we didn’t set any scenarios or specific tasks for the user testing; we let the children freely interact with the app. At the end of the sessions, the children were asked questions related to the all experience of watching the video and using the mobile app.

RESULTS

Our findings were extremely well received and gave the BBC CBeebies design team a comprehensive insight about their specific audience and confidence to incorporate essential children-centred design principles into the development of the Spot Bot mobile application.

Research techniques: contextual research, observation, interviews