Design Challenge

 

The challenge is to create an entertaining educational app for kids that focuses on teaching the geography of the United States. Competitors include other iPad apps that are educational and feature colorful graphics that appeal to kids. The target audience is children in the first grade around the ages of six and seven who are just learning how to read and are thirsty for knowledge. This app is also directed towards the teachers and parents of these kids. These adults are looking for a source of   entertainment that is not just a video game but something a young mind can learn from.

 

Design Solution

 

The solution for the app is story based and narrated by a character named “Ronnie.” The graphics and color scheme are bright, playful, and enticing. The three functions to the app are: story mode, in which the user is invited to go on a mission with Ronnie to find an item for his friend Katie. Quiz mode; where students can test their knowledge by naming the states or answering questions about the states, or lastly, “Explore Mode” where the user can simply explore the map and take a look to see what each of the state’s offer. Due to the age of the children, all text is accompanied by imagery to assist them in learning to read.