[WEB4LIB] Designing Websites for Children

[Andrew Mutch]

Donald,

This is from builder.com:

Building Web sites for kids

"Children think and learn differently than adults do, and the Web sites they
like are different, too. Basic Web design principles still apply--keep pages
fast and lean, for example--but kid-oriented Web builders face unique issues
when designing sites specifically for a young audience."

http://builder.com/Graphics/Kids/

Also, anyone designing web sites oriented towards children should be aware of
COPPA [Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule] and how it impacts the
information that you can collect.  For more see:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/kidzprivacy/resources.htm

Andrew Mutch
Library Systems Technician
Waterford Township Public Library
Waterford, MI

Donald Barclay wrote:

> My library, in cooperation with the Houston Museum of the Health Sciences,
> is developing a consumer-health website for kids (pre-teens and teenagers to
> start, then expanding to include younger children). I've designed Websites
> aimed at adults (almost typed "designed adult websites," which of course has
> a different meaning), but I have a feeling that designing for kids may be
> its own separate, demanding art form.
>
> I've been unsuccessfully searching the Web for anything that tells me about
> good design principles for Websites aimed at kids or that says anything
> about how kids use Websites. Lots of stuff about teaching kids to design
> their own Websites and lots of links to Websites for kids, but that's not
> what I need.
>
> Anyone have any leads on this topic? Anyone with experience designing
> Websites for kids?
>
> Donald A. Barclay
> Houston Academy of Medicine-                         always the beautiful
> answer
> Texas Medical Center Library                         who asks a more
> beautiful question
> dbarclay at library.tmc.edu                                     --e.e. cummings
> 713-799-7120