Barney Saltzberg Noodlings: Playing with Light: I wrote recently that creating a character, and designing the character feels like an illustrators version of a casting call. Finding the...

Sesame StreetHow to Reach and Teach Preschoolers with Digital Books.Jennifer PerryQualitative research about preschooler apps.Sesame Workshop app 'guidelines'Publishing 2 to 6. Founded in 1968.Print books sell about 23 million a year in the US. They are also printed in 50 countries.Digital reach 16.5 million kids and paretns across digital platforms every quarter. Sesame Workshop consumer digital ocntent experiences up almost 30% from January 2011.Digital ContentTV 60%35% on Non-TV platforms.85% are former, or lapsed, TV viewers.Older viewers say that digital brought them back into the fold....All their apps were sold in 75 hundred countries. (All in English. Will translate soon)Ebooks and apps are becoming a key content format:Sesame St. eBookstore subscription website and app 160 ebooks40 stand alone ebooks for e-reader devices.25 apps (paid and free) for iphone/ipad/itouch13 are book based baded on pre-existing print books5 additional book based iOS apps to release by June 2012Book based apps account for 52% of unit sales for all Sesame Street iOS appsDigital Research To keep and grow this customer base.What do we want to learn?Usability:app or ebook easy to use?What kinds of user interfaces available?Comprehension.Does child understand how to use it?Appeal. Does the user enjoy this?What features most popular?Will users re-use the app again and again and recommend it?Make it Easy to UseEasy access to all key features at all times is essential.Individual pages, activities, parent tips, settings, etc;. should never be more than one or two taps away. (on-screen menu or index)Do not overcomplicate actions.Interruptibility, even in the middle of a story or specific piece of dialog, is important, unless interuptability prevents comprehension.Easy navigation - Navigate forwards and backwards within the story itself.Skip introductions and activity instructions after first use.Turn off "extras" Parent tips, music, narration, etc; by choice.Make it VisualMake all gameplay items that are touchable very clear and obviousl and target all hot spots largeUse highlighting liberallyCombine audio promts with visual reinforcement (Page turn, audio accompanied by arro, audio instructions)Make it flexible more than one way to interact, a tap or a swipe. (Easy to code)Make it for Target Audience Remember, it's for a 3 year old. Design in a landscape view.Positions icons away from the bottom of the device Choose easy to understand icons. With gameplay and activities, design for preschoolers' little fingers and still developing fine motor skills.Make it easy to use.Show, Don't tell. Include demos of core functionality and navigation (easy turn off)Highlight read along text.Keep the focus on learning objective.Keep visual and audio bells and whistles to a minimum.Lock in narration and lock out interactivity to first 'read'.Relate any interactivity or game directly to storyline and//or learning goal.Repeat interactive HintsLess is MoreAudio instructions should be short and preciseAvoid mulit-step actions.Don't linger on one activity indefinitely.Errorless LearningProvide contentReinforce learning in a fun game like way to build confidence. Be CleaR, CREATIVE, AND CATCHY.If information is clear, repeated creatively, and interactive, children are more likely to keep using it.Studies have shown that appeal of apps and ebooks increases for parents with children. We're still learning how to reach and teach.Which platforms will become the most commonly used for preschoolers?How do parent child interactions differ when reading a print book vs. a digital book?

What Trends Are Emerging for Children - and their Parents?Amy Henry, Vice PResident of Youth Insights, C&R Research, YouthBeatIra Mayer, President, EPM Communications, Inc. & Publisher, Youth Markets Alert30% of children today live in single parent households41% of kids born to unmarried mothers in 2008.Hardest thing about being a parent.54% instilling solid values and morals in my children.Do you have the same musical taste as children.Share musical tastes 92% in kids 88% teensDo you share music with child 71% yes. Tweens 68%. They think this tend wil continue.Prioritizing PlayTHe expectations of schooling are more stressful than ever.Top five things that worry kidsSchoolHomeworkDeathFamily RelationshipsGradesNo moneyPlay is perceived to be in "crisis"Thousands of schools in the US no longer have recess Last two decades children have lost an average of 8 hours of free play a week.... Missed the last two points! Sorry.The New Look of Learning.RideMakerz (Were involved in Build a Bear)Engaged learing. Create your own car. Have brick and mortar in Downtown Disney. A Call for CommunityKids have a real desire for community.61% of kids have supported a cause. 63% of tweens.A good way to get on the radar of kids for corporate America.Carving out community where they can find it.Social Networking largest community.All the world is a stageKids see life increasingly as performance oriented. YouTube, Disney, Webbing, Nick. Not all kids are performing, but posting photos, comments, video, messages. (In that order) All kids think of themselves as valid critics. All involved in choosing the next American Idol, etc;Brands as facilitator, not filter. Creating common spaces for diverse content.Common destination for themselves and their friends.6 to DosHelp them find family time.Promote play and improvisation over standardizationCreate communities for your audience and help them create their ownGo pro-social in more than one wayHelp them carve out private spaces in a public worldDevelop destinations where youth with different interests can find their passion.