on interaction design and children

framework on co-design sessions with children

PhD thesis: Designing with Children: Reflections on Effective Involvement of Children in the Interaction Design Process

With my PhD research I explored a way to ease the organisation of co-design sessions with children through reflective practice by providing an understanding of the practice and its implications.

The research followed a design research process, with the emphasis on the exploration and investigation of the context of the co-design practice with children. The framework resulting from this research aims to assist design practitioners, especially less experienced ones, in taking decisions when planning and coordinating co-design sessions in a flexible way that can be applied to different design situations.

Supervisors: Prof. Janet Read, (UCLan, UK); Prof. Russell Beale, (University of Birmingham, UK).

Examiners: Prof. Yvonne Rogers (UCL, UK); Dr. Daniel Fitton (UCLan, UK).

mobile device for music application

UMSIC – Usability of Music for Social Inclusion of Children (2008-2011)

(Project Reference: FP7-ICT-2008-224561)

project website

UMSIC is a European funded project within the FP7. It developed a mobile game application (based on the Nokia N810 device) to encourage social inclusion of children through music playing, making and sharing. I worked on this project with the ChiCI group at UCLan, coordinating co-design sessions with the English and Finnish partners to evaluate initial design concepts with children and gather user requirements.

My tasks within the project:

• evaluating design concepts with users
• eliciting users requirements
• coordinating design partners
• design project logo

Related Publications

Mazzone, E., Tikkanen, R., Read, J.C., Iivari, N., and Beale, R. “Integrating Children’s Contributions in the Interaction Design Process”. International Journal of art and Technology, Vol. 5, Nos. 2/3/4, pp.319–346 (2012)

interactive museum schoolvisits

BEAM – Broadband Enhancement of Activities for Museum (2006)

Funded by the Lancashire Digital Development Agency (LDDA) and in collaboration with the Lancashire County Museum Services. I worked in this research project with the ChiCI group at University of Central Lancashire (UK). The project aimed at enhancing children’s experience allowing them to use novel technologies in the museum environment, whilst supporting learning activities with pre- and post-visit interaction via the internet.

My tasks within the project:

• field observation in local museums
• requirements gathering from children, teachers, museum staff
• co-design sessions with children
• mock-ups
• evaluation with users in the field

Related Publications

Mazzone, E., Read, J.C., Beale, R. (2008) “Understanding Children’s Contribution during Informant Design” in Proceedings of the British HCI Conference 2008, Liverpool, UK, ACM Press

Kelly, R., Mazzone, E., Horton, P., Read, J. (2006) “Bluebells: A Design Method for Child-Centred Product Development”. in Proceedings of NordiCHI 2006, Oslo, Norway. ACM Press

Read, J., Kelly, R., Mazzone, E., Horton, M. (2006) “Bluebells: Designing and Fun”, in Proceedings of the Fun and Games 2006 Conference, Preston, UK

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