Littlewagen
Littlewagen is the tool that turns kids’ imagination into their parent’s perfect Volkswagen. An interactive experience built to deliver useful information for the brand (and the parents).
Due to the COVID-19 situation, this project is on hold at an early stage of development.
Service
UX Writing
& Creativity
Year
2020
My Role
How do you convert the complex algorithms of Volkswagen’s car configuration tool into a simple and fun process aimed at children 5-10? This was the question my work had to answer through:
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Research
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Creativity
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UX writing
The Basis
Designing for kids is an incredible responsibility. Children’s cognitive skills are still developing, so their reasoning abilities are weaker than those of adults. To help them successfully use an interface, it should be clear according to their mental models and prior knowledge.
Nielsen Norman Group’s recommendations on how to design for kids helped me find our path:
Tip 1: Give them clear and specific instructions by stating the goal.
Idea: Invite them to build the coolest car for their parents.
Tip 2: Instructions should be tailored to the kids’ level of understanding.
Idea: Make the most of storytelling to create a tale.
Tip 3: Use existing knowledge about the world to help kids accomplish tasks.
Idea: Explain carn features with superpowers and cartoon characters.
The Framework
Littlewagen takes advantage of the software developed for the adult’s configuration tool and adds an extra layer of creativity. This is how we get to gather important information while kids have fun.
The Tale
Kids’ bridge understanding gaps through fantasy, and that’s what they get. Instead of asking them about models and driving assists, we ask them to choose between a wizard’s magic blue or a dragon’s fire red. With every choice, they fill the gaps of their own story while the voice of the storyteller guides them through the user journey.
The Happy Ending
At the end of this interactive experience, kids get to see their very own Littlewagen. A cartoon-like supercar that can be transformed into a real-life Volkswagen in one click.
The Storytelling
This choose your own adventure short tale, will be illustrated with over 100 kid-friendly interactive animations to build a self-explanatory interface and help with the decision making.
