Addoo

Project Description

Addoo was an Android-based tablet for children, built at ARDIC in 2011. Parents set the limits they were comfortable with, deciding which apps, content and screen time their child could have, and could then hand over the tablet safely.

Challenge

In 2011, Android had no parental controls or child accounts. A stock tablet gave a child the whole device: settings, the browser, the Play Store and in-app purchases. The product had to serve two very different users on one device: a child who needs something simple, colourful and hard to break out of, and a parent who needs control that is quick to set up and can't be bypassed.

What I did

• Researched existing kids' devices and launchers
• Interviewed the product and development teams
• Defined the two user types (parent and child) and their journeys
• Designed the child launcher: large touch targets, simple navigation, no route out to system settings
• Designed the parent area behind a PIN: app allowlist, content limits, time limits
• Built wireframes, then low- and high-fidelity designs
• Ran user tests with parents and children

What are the goals of the project?

Give children a tablet of their own that is safe by default, and give parents simple control over what their child can use and for how long.