Toy User Interfaces : design tools for Child-Computer Interaction

Abstract

A Toy User Interface (ToyUI) is a setup combination of one or more toy components with other hardware or software components. As part of emerging technologies that permeate the Child-Computer Interaction (CCI) domain, a ToyUI setup can combine toy components with social robots, smartphones, tablets, game consoles, and other gadgets. This thesis presents and compiles a collection of design tools to support interdisciplinary stakeholders in prototyping innovative ToyUI setups. The design tools aim to assist the CCI research community and industries seeking more design opportunities while being aware of the potential ethical and privacy-related issues for designing integrated artifacts for CCI. The research methods apply the Design Science Methodology framework to assess the problem context and propose a treatment design to improve this context. The design tools follow a Human-Centered Design (HCD) perspective covering the steps from inspiration to ideation and implementation, comprising user research, brainstorming, data collection planning, and low to high-fidelity prototyping tools. This thesis also discusses digital versions of the tools to support remote teamwork and education in the context of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Qualitative evaluation in a project-based learning setting covers a series of case studies in seven institutions from Brazil, Canada, and Germany. In total, 255 stakeholders experienced different versions of the design tools, implementing 67 ideas among low and high-fidelity prototypes and digital prototypes. The results highlight lessons learned from the evaluation and how the case studies supported improving the design tools. It also compares the challenges of face-to-face training and remote training challenges during the social distancing context. The proposed tools can become a suitable approach to support training relevant Information Technology and User Experience design skills in interdisciplinary stakeholders. The design tools can improve accessibility in future works, such as offering tangible and block coding to support children, youth, and people with visual impairments, including supporting educators and non-experts to develop ToyUI solutions for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education.