Ergonomics and usability of children interfaces: Spore®, the case study

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Child Computer Interaction
• Usability Engineering

Background:

• Children's interaction with digital interfaces presents unique cognitive and usability challenges.
• Overly complex interfaces with excessive stimuli can hinder task completion and cause stress.
• Existing interfaces may not adequately account for children's distinct behavioral patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and correct usability problems in digital interfaces designed for children.
• To evaluate the impact of ergonomic principles and usability criteria on children's interface interaction.
• To highlight the importance of user-centered design in child-computer interaction.

Main Methods:

• Applying ergonomic concepts and usability criteria to analyze children's interaction with digital interfaces.
• Observing and documenting children's engagement and task completion during interface use.
• Evaluating interface elements for clarity, cognitive load, and age-appropriateness.

Main Results:

• 78.38% of 37 children became overly absorbed in a game, neglecting their tasks.
• Excessive color, elements, and animation created difficulties in information recognition.
• Ambiguity and lack of clarity in some interface screens led to unnecessary stress for children.

Conclusions:

• Ergonomic principles and usability criteria are imperative for designing effective children's interfaces.
• Child-centered design is crucial, revealing issues missed by adult designers.
• Interface clarity and age-appropriateness are key to preventing cognitive and emotional difficulties in young users.