Jakob Nielsen, of the Nielsen Norman Group, recently wrote an interesting post about designing website for teens. He provides good information for anyone considering this age group. The study includes tips for designing for smaller screens such as laptops with track pads, touch-screen tablets, and smart phones.
Jakob Nielsen, Alertbox, 2/4/13
The research shared in Nielsen's post is important. The results of research conducted 8 years ago are compared with current findings. Nielsen discusses some of the myths about teens and technology. As Nielsen points out, teens might appear to be tech-savvy in some ways, but they possess brains that are in the midst of cognitive development, just one factor to consider when designing web experiences for this age group.
Nielsen Norman Group's related product, "Teenagers (Ages 13-17) on the Web" provides additional information on this topic. It includes 110 design guidelines informed by research conducted with teens. Busy web developers might find the fee of $149.00 for this report appropriate.
The information in this report would also be useful to design/development teams who aim to provide web-based educational content for this age group.
Pew Internet & American Life
Another good resource for designers/developers targeting applications or websites for teens is the Pew Research Center website. The Pew Internet & American Life Project continues to investigate a wide range of topics related to the use of technology among people of all walks of life. What I like about the Pew Research Center is that their reports are free, and include summaries as well as samples of interview questions.
Researchers from the Pew Internet and American Life Project share their knowledge in a variety of forms. Data is available for download in SPSS and comma-delimited format, crosstab files and questionnaires.
The website also provides access to number of presentations, such as the one below:
The website also provides access to number of presentations, such as the one below:
Teens 2012: Truth, Trends, and Myths About Teen Online Behavior from Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project
RELATED/SOMEWHAT RELATED
Nielson-Norman Group Research Reports
College Students (Ages 18-24) on the Web
Pew Research Center Resources
Featured Research: Teens
Pew Research Center Trend Data (Teens)
In-store Mobile Commerce During the 2012 Holiday Shopping Season
Teens and Education Resources
The following websites also provide resources for other age groups and related topics.
Edudemic
Edudemic Ed-Tech Tools
Edutopia
Edutopia: 6-8 Grade Level Resources
Edutopia: 9-12 Grade Level Resources
Mind/Shift
Part II will focus on teens and considerations for educational technology.
Pew Research Center Resources
Featured Research: Teens
Pew Research Center Trend Data (Teens)
In-store Mobile Commerce During the 2012 Holiday Shopping Season
Teens and Education Resources
The following websites also provide resources for other age groups and related topics.
Edudemic
Edudemic Ed-Tech Tools
Edutopia
Edutopia: 6-8 Grade Level Resources
Edutopia: 9-12 Grade Level Resources
Mind/Shift
Part II will focus on teens and considerations for educational technology.
Comment Policy : Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, saepe gubergren sed id, et est posse insolens temporibus, alterum blandit offendit est et. Quando vocibus nam at. Quo malis detraxit ut, eu nulla decore mentitum, eu ferri postulant urbanitas pri. Nihil consul viderer vel ea, vel doctus accusamus gloriatur ut. Elitr iuvaret.