Preferences of young children regarding interface layouts in child community web sites

This study investigates the child preferences regarding interface layouts in child community web sites. The objective of studying this area is to identify ways of making web sites more usable for children. Two experiments are conducted: interface layout experiment and layout evaluation. In the interface layout experiment, researchers recruited eight fifth-grade students with approximately one-year of Internet experience to arrange interface components and make research interfaces. During the layout evaluation, 16 students with some computer background are divided into two groups and asked to manipulate research interfaces and experimental interfaces, a sample of child community websites on Yahoo. Every movement of the tested students is recorded and the experiment is followed by retrospective interviews with the students. Four criteria of manipulative performance, degree of manipulation, recognition, remembrance and satisfaction, are then shown and discussed. The findings of the layout evaluation indicate that the research interfaces are superior to the experimental interfaces. In addition, this study proposes some interface layout guidelines for child community websites.