Kate Bauer

Tools for Kids
By Tikva Morowati, Ahn Nguyen and Kate Bauer

Objective: To design and build a children’s game that teaches the importance of basic skills, such as brushing your teeth, picking up your toys, etc.

Concept: The game would consist of a series of screens or levels, each being its own brief lesson. There will be no words on the interface, as the target audience is mostly, if not all, younger than the typical reading age. Think: “Young Sims”

Target Audience: Primary- Children, Ages 3-5; Secondary- Parents to purchase the game for their children

Interface Design: Simple, parts you can control should be highlighted in some way: color, sounds, motion

Environment: bedroom with bathroom on the side, accessible through a door; one room, one viewpoint, objects in room either active or inactive; separate screen shows up over grayed out main screen when object is clicked on- animation occurs in this screen

Actions: things character will be able to do

Objects needed:

1. cut hair scissors
2. brush teeth toothbrush
3. sleep bed
4. eat healthy candy bar/ apple
5. read books
6. feedback/ play bears
7. turn light on/off light switch/ lamp
8. watch t.v. television set
9. see weather outside window
10. open door between bedroom and bathroom door
11. water plant plant/ watering can
12. feed pet turtle
13. closet monster
14. wash himself bathtub/ bubble bath bottle

Initial Setup:

Main Stage
bedroom with bathroom connected (transitions by moving to the right)

Secondary Stage
bathroom with bedroom connected (transitions by moving to the left)

Animation Stage
screen pops up in front of grayed-out main or secondary stage, character is on screen (portrait-view; from elbows up), and the selected objects are clickable and close-up of that part of the room is in the background of this window, user can click on the objects to make the character do something with them; once something is done, the screen closes and the user is sent back to the main stage

Note: This format is similar for every active object clicked on.

Create an environment or scene that doesn’t exist, or couldn’t exist. Create a stage with musicians who would never play together, unlikely actors and actresses in a film scene they never appeared in, or a magazine cover featuring a story that you would like to see covered (real or imaginary.)

Frankenstein