designing for kids and parents playing together

Designing for Kids and Parents Playing Together

Jesse Schell – GDC 2010

1) You have to decide to design for it!

2) Find themes both kids and parents care about

Nostalgia bridges the generation gap

3) Understand what families want – and provide it!

Families want shared experiences

Families want shared accomplishments

Parents want to feel they have provided meaningful, useful experiences

Parents want to feel they have provided, period

Kids want to feel more emotionally connected to their families

Both kids and parents want to connect to distant relatives

4) Parents want to teach;children want to learn

• Create opportunities for parents to teach

• Kids are aspirational – create situations where they are in over their heads

• Create opportunities for kids to show what they have learned

5) Co-opt existing roles for quick immersion

6) Reverse roles to delight everyone

• Everyone wants a break from the parent/child relationship

• When a child surpasses the skills of the parent, it is a landmark moment

7) Consider gender issues

12 Points of View!

8) Deciding to pay is a collaboration between kids and parents

9) Safety is PARAMOUNT!

10) Design for the family as well as for the individuals

• Design to let them connect with each other

• Families are very busy!

Finally…

The connection between parents and children is the strongest emotional force we know

Questions?

1) You have to decide to design for it

2) Find themes both kids and parents care about

3) Understand what families want – and provide it!

4) Parents want to teach; children want to learn

5) Co-opt existing roles for quick immersion

6) Reverse roles to delight everyone

7) Consider gender issues8) Deciding to pay is a

collaboration between kids and parents

9) Safety is PARAMOUNT!10) Design for the family

as well as for the individuals

Email: jesse@schellgames.comTwitter: @jesseschell

Slides: slideshare.net/jesseschell

Thanks!