My kids loved the Minnesota Children’s Museum. Lots of fun things to do and explore, with two usual outcomes after every visit:
- The kids have some sort of paint or liquid on their hair/face/clothes/shoes/food.
- We all need nappy time when we get home.
In one environment called “Our World,” there is a mock-up of a city bus.
Darn fare is still too much. Look out, lady!
Inside the bus, there is a screen with a metal flywheel below it. The screen is comprised of a map at the bottom and photos of landmarks along the bus route above. Depending on the direction you turn the wheel, the bus moves either left or right along the route and displays the locations at certain stops.
Wouldn't it be cool if we could do this to indicate a stop?
There are no sound effects, no extra buttons, there is no video, and the screen is protected behind a bus window. The interactive is insanely simple yet insanely engaging. Kids of all ages can turn the wheel and make the screen do something. The faster you spin the wheel, the faster the bus moves on the map, and the faster the photos fly by.
Sometimes, the fastest way to engagement is through simplicity. We (both providers and users alike) tend to fall in love with buttons and knobs and dials and screens. But, when creating an interactive experience, it’s absolutely crucial that it be two things:
Accessible
The interactive must be accessible. Ask yourself a few questions when building an interactive. Should the interactivity (the buttons, etc.) be accessible to children? Is the interactivity ADA compliant?* How big should the buttons be?
Simple
This one cannot be overstated. Ask yourself how many functions you need, then find ways to remove the buttons. Consider the iPod. A click-wheel with four embedded navigation buttons, and a selection button in the middle. This thing has absolutely changed the way we listen to music. But it has also set the standard for simple interactivity.
To the extreme I rock the mic like an vandal. Light up a stage and wax a chump link a candle.
I have yet to meet anyone reluctant to push buttons on a screen. But I have seen plenty who walk away because it’s just too difficult to use.
*To learn more about ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance, you can download the ADA Standards for Accessible Design, or visit their website here.
