Task
To test the user experience of both the parents and children on the KaZoom platforms, which include it’s website, digital library and reader apps.
KaZoom Kids Books
Roles | Team of 3
Researcher, Strategist, & Lead Storyboarder
Responsibilities
User Research | Analysis | Design Strategy | Book Prototype | Storyboard Illustration
Introduction
KaZoom Kids Books is a multicultural, interactive children’s book publishing company. Their mission is to bring greater diversity to children’s literature. Their flagship product is the KaZoom Kids iStoryBooks App, a digital interactive library, where they publish multicultural children’s books and games for ages 3 to 8. These books will engage a child with read-along narration, sound, music, animation and Interactive technology.
We felt that in order to best serve the users needs during the subscription process and in interacting with the platform, we had to fully understand how users felt about what KaZoom delivers.
The Challenge
To understand cultural storytelling from the user’s perspective.
Discovery & Research
We used many processes and methodologies to research and really learn who the users of the product are, how they would use the product, and how they learn and share their culture now.
Competitive Analysis
We researched KaZoom’s competitor as an online interactive book library, as well as a provider of multicultural stories. The top 3 contenders were Speakabooks, The Reading Rainbow Skybrary, and ABC Mouse. We found these to be highly interactive and engaging, and diversity in it’s characters could be found, especially in the Reading Rainbow Skybrary. KaZoom would not be the only diverse platform, but the only platform to only present multicultural stories.
Published Papers
We leveraged published research and our existing knowledge with our new research and as a starting point. Our past experiences already validated that more diversity is needed in literature for children.
Google Survey
We sent out a survey to parents asking questions about cultural storytelling and their book buying habits. We found that parents are more concerned with their children’s interests when buying book, rather than cultural context. However, cultural representation was also important to parents, with parents saying things like:
“ I try to teach them that it is ok to be black and to appreciate this side of them. They have already dealt with racist comments from their schoolmates. So, I am teaching them the beauty of themselves. ”
Field Research
We conducted and extensive amount of field research. We observed everywhere from the libraries, to bookstores, and museums, and spoke to librarians, teachers, and parents. Key locations and observations were:
The Harold Washington Library’s children section
- Books are not sectioned of by culture, and you can find diversity throughout the shelves (though not enough if you ask the librarians).
- We learned from a librarian here, that of the 500 or so public schools in Chicago, only about 150 of them have librarians.
Bronzeville Children’s Museum
The only children’s museum that specialized in teaching African American History.
They make sure kids learn with 4 steps to each exhibit:
- An explanation
- A make and take craft
- A film
- An interactive activity
The founder, the accomplished Peggy Montez, firmly believes that:
“The best way to captivate the minds of children is usually visually.”
She also felt we should:
“Give them something that will educate them on ALL cultures, we live in a global world.”
Her staff felt:
“There is a drought of knowledge of self.”
57th Street Books in Hyde Park
This is a book store on the south side of Chicago, and they carried a vast array of books, including local authors and multicultural books
Lincoln/Belmont Library
My team observed a first readers club here.
- First to second graders gathered and discussed a book they’d all read
- Were not conscious of their different cultures
- Spent 40 minutes making friendship bracelets for each other! (Friendship was the theme of the book)
We learned kids can spend a lot of time on a subject when they are engaged and having fun with an activity!
User Interviews
We spoke to users who’d already subscribed to KaZoom Kids Books, as well as getting the opinion of children.
Current subscribers said:
“I think the books are being written because I see them pop up sometimes…I have to go to go smaller publishers to find them.”
“I have to look online to find a book that talks about our culture”
I interviewed my cousin’s 7 year daughter, Delilah, to see what kids really want.
Delilah loves Shopkins, and stories about brave girls, regardless of ethnicity and culture. She is aware of her different backgrounds — Mexican, African American, and Italian — and learns about each from different sides of her family.
Her Grandmother most strongly tries to teach her about her culture, making sure she is aware of her Mexican background and explaining traditions to her.
Synthesis
From our research, two themes appeared:
Parents vs Children’s Values
Accessibility
Parents vs Children’s Values
Parents
- Want their kids to
understand their unique cultural background - Believe culture can be taught
Children
- Want to fit in with peers
- Must experience culture
- Most engaged when learning on multiple levels
How might we expose children to stories that celebrate their unique cultural backgrounds while allowing them to fit in among their peers?
Accessibility
The small selection of multicultural books on the market are being produced by smaller publishers who don’t have the reach of large companies.
If libraries, bookstores, and teachers want to include multicultural stories, they have to spend extra time and effort to find books outside of their large publishers.
There is an opportunity to have a larger impact on low income students because they have very limited access to books.
How might we help small publishers increase their visibility to children, parents, and teachers where they are already looking for books – such as libraries and classrooms?
How might we increase our impact by helping those who don’t have books easily available to them – such as low-income children – have greater access to our books?
Ideation
We took our How Might We statements and ran some ideation sessions to get fresh ideas from outside views.
Some ideas that came from these sessions were:
• The addition of traditional books to the existing digital subscription
- This provides wider accessibility for users to find the product
- Allows childrens to choose what they read
- Extends the reach of KaZoom Kids Books
• Cultural and Educational Events
- Increase awareness of different cultures
- Bring access and awareness of KaZoom directly to it’s audiences
- Involve communities in writing and sharing their old stories
Design Direction
We felt that delivering traditional books as a supplement to the digital library was the best, short term solution to extend the reach of KaZoom Kids Books and best serve it’s user base.
- By adding traditional books to the digital library subscription, we can provide wider and easier access to KaZoom Books.
- Delivery options put multicultural books within parents’ and teachers’ reach to share with children.
- Two ways to interact with these books – along with related activities – engage children on multiple levels and organically make cultural knowledge a part of their lives.
- Connecting with their peers through these book channels and sharing activities helps kids feel like they are fitting in with their friends.
- The book delivery provides wider distribution of KaZoom books, allowing them to compete with large publishers and fulfilling its mission of sharing diverse cultural stories.
Prototyping
Our solution would look like this:
A package delivered directly to your home containing
- A book of you or your child’s choosing
- An accompanying related activity
- Additional activity materials (coloring pages, recipe cards, connect the dots, etc)
- Letter to the child with author notes
- Letter to the parent
- “Write your own story” kit
User Journey
We developed a User Journey/Service Blueprint to aid our client in how these processes would work and could be incorporated into her business.
Storyboarding
I storyboarded how this would solve for 3 target users.
Kids
Like Cole, who wants to fit in with his peers and read what his friends are reading
Parents
Like Marissa, who wants her children to read more and learn about their unique cultural background
Teachers
Like Ms. Adams, who wants an easy way to find and access books about cultural stories
Cole & KaZoom
Cole is excited to receive KaZoom as a gift from a friend. He gets to not only read a story, but build his own kite like in the book, with his family and friends. His mother gets to enjoy bonding and story time to share cultural stories with Cole. Cole gets to choose books from the digital library while he waits on another traditional book and activity to be delivered. He loves the animated interactions in the digital books. Cole is super excited when his new KaZoom box arrives, and shares the news with his friends on social media. Cole adds his KaZoom books to his library. Over time, his collection grows and he and his friends have access to read as much as they want!
Marissa & KaZoom
Marissa learns about KaZoom through a community event, where KaZoom was raising awareness. She researches KaZoom, it’s products, and subscription model. She enrolls and immediately introduces her daughter, Rosie, to the digital library. When the first Book in a Box arrives, Rosie is SO excited to receive mail and complete and activity with her mom, while Marissa shares how art related to their culture. Marissa also has an older son, and when he reads the traditional books, Rosie engages with the digital library. Rosie loves reading like her cool older brother. Marissa beams with pride as her children embrace reading and learning culture.
Ms. Adams & KaZoom
Ms. Adams has a hard time finding cultural stories to share with her class. She scours the internet and spends a lot of time on literature blogs. She learns about KaZoom on a blog post. She evaluates the library, subscribes, and places her first order. Her box of 5 books arrives and she is thrilled to have so many options to read to her class, and the kids are excited and engaged with the characters they relate to. Ms. Adams provides her students with access to the digital library so they can read from home. Online, the kids can pick what to read, and see what their classmates are reading and interact with each other to discuss books they love!
Business
To be successful, KaZoom would have monthly and annual plans to best fit parent and teacher needs.
Tier 1
Access to full digital library
Tier 2
Access to full digital library
+
1 traditional book delivered at a time
+
Activity kit
Educator Plan
5 traditional books delivered at a time
+
Access to full digital library for up to XX students
Solution Statement
Parent vs. Child Values
- Parents and grandparents can give their kids multicultural books and experiences
- Kids can share the KaZoom experience with their peers
- Helps them fit in
- Cultivates the child’s own culture
- Kids are being engaged on multiple levels
- Physical books
- Activities
- Digital library
Accessibility
- Gives small publishers a
distribution channel - Makes books accessible to all
Next Steps
Long-term opportunities
- Community events
- Creating new content/supporting new authors
- “Buy one, give one” option
- Create school-wide and library plans