If you have kids under the age of six or so, it’s likely you count Dora among your best family friends. The sprightly, multilingual cartoon character has smoothed the rough edges off many an evening at my house.
But who knew she was a Web design genius?
Before dinner the other night, I sat on the couch with my 4-year old daughter and played the character themed games at nickjr.com, the website of Nickelodeon, the TV channel on which Dora the Explorer runs. We especially enjoyed Sticker Pictures (see image at left), which lets you adorn scenes ranging from jungles to playrooms with cartoon characters. You can also create drawing effects like you would using something like Photoshop.
It kept both of us occupied during the fragile pre-dinner hour.
What was interesting is how easily both of us figured the game out (and indeed the rest of the site) despite the kaleidoscopic array of images, intense Flash, and sponsored links. Even fairly involved actions like dragging, dropping and sizing images into a scene required little trial and error.
Later, I went back to the Sticker Pictures game (OK, I realize this is borderline strange, but seriously — bear with me) to think through how the site managed to provide such an excellent user experience for a 4-year old and her 36-year old dad.
My observations:
- The pages, while visually riotous (after all, this is a kids site) are structurally simple. The top navigation contains all of four elements. The icons used above these elements make immediate sense to the user.
- There is very little text anywhere on the page. Text can be a measure of UI failure. To the extent that you need to explain, you have failed to deliver an intuitive, usable interface. I don’t need to be told what to do on this page.
- Text, icons and navigation elements are BIG. Too often, sites are so crammed with features that everything becomes painfully small. Users are forced to hunt; hunting leads them to the exit door. I’m not suggesting we start designing real estate websites like the Reader’s Digest Large Print Edition, but shedding a few peripheral features in the interest of clarity is a good idea.
- Everything works! That sounds silly, but how often do you go to a major real estate website, or try out a new online real estate app, only to run find inaccurate or incomplete information, a bait and switch, or a result that just doesn’t quite match the promise?
I’m not joking: We can all learn a thing or two by studying sites built for young people that absolutely must be dead simple and don’t have the luxury of assumptions when it comes to the user. Remember too that today’s kids are growing up with this type of UI. It’s what they will expect when they get older.
Next time you’re tasked with putting together a Webpage, just ask, "What would Dora do?"
– Brian Boero
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As a professional information architect, I can say that your analysis of the Dora sticker game is spot on.
Simple, intuitive, and functional seem obvious when you think about it, yet just about every real estate website out there looks like 1999 vomited all over your browser. I guess it's why Trulia has become so popular.
Unfortunately, I can often be heard singing "We did it" hours after spending time with my nephew, Dora, and Diego.
Brian,
My daugher is 5, she takes the lead from my 9 year old daughter on webkinz. (try it)
Nevertheless, she doesn't read well yet. However, she knows where to go and what to do on webkinz. The visuals and the entertainment give her the stimulation she is looking for. So she goes back again and again. She at times chooses buttoms she doesn't like. However, keeps going back to the games that she has fun with. One of the more exiting features is that her and her sisters friends can invite you to come to the dinner table, bowling alley, or the the workout room. While these little stuffed animal characters run on the treadmills and bounce on the trampoline, or even shoot a game of pool together. You can even ask any other subscriber to join you for a game. Get this, Mark, they even earn points playing games and doing the right thing. They can go shopping, or spin the wheel for prizes!!
They always have to tend their gardens, and make sure that their animals are well feed and get plenty of rest. I am amazed by the things they are learning. The entrance fee is they have to buy a stuffed animal from your local retailer at $10-$15 a pop. Webkinz is continually coming up with the newest and latest theme and animals of the month. Actually, there is a big "valentines day" animal coming out. Also, if you go online to webkinz on Valentines Day, there is a special prize and extra points to earn. Of course you can go to the virtual online store and spend your pretend money and buy accessories for your kitchen (blender or sandwich maker) or dress your animal for there up and coming tennis match.
Wow, your right. We have a lot to learn.
Matt