Design for Experience
Design for childrens play and learning
2nd lecture by Mathieu Gielen.
Questions that are treated in the lecture:
 How do you divide age categories of the children?
 From which age category is it possible to recognize a music composition?
 How long can you keep the attention of a child?
 How can you give an installation a high replay value?
 How do children value an object that is given to them?
 How does a childs fantasy works and how can analyze that?
 How can you motivate children to play together?
Child development
A childs development is categorised in three subjects:
 Physical: Motor and sensory skills.
 Cognitive
 Social-emotional
Physical & Cognitive
The most of the growing-process of the human-body happens before birth. Here the body develops it’s
senses. In the first months after birth, a child’s behaviour is unconscious and uncontrolled, body
movements exist from reflexes to voluntary movements. In a later stadium the nerve system of a child
becomes mature and the child becomes conscious of controlling his body. The actions of the child
causes high visual responses that will develop the motoric skills and conscious movements. For example:
The flower excercise that is learned in the kindergarten. A child needs to make gross movements and
will refine them to very detailed movements so he can practice his fine motoric skills. A short insight in
the child development can be given in the following rendition that is based on Piaget:
 0-2 Year:
Sensory-motor phase
Schemes, reaction.
 2-7 Year:
Pre-operational phase
No processes, no notion of reversibility.
 7-11 Year:
Operational phase
Processes and connections.
 11+ Year:
Formal phase
Abstractions, definitions, representations.
However, this insight is very limited and abstract. It is better to look at the differences in child behaviour
between different phases.
Physical development goes one on one with cognitive development.
Social-emotional
The social-emotional aspect of play is divided into four forms of play:
 Solitary play
 Parallel play
no attention to each other, own story/experiment
 Associated play
Copying, attention
 Social play
Rules, empathy
The emphasis on the forms of play corresponds to the grouping we saw from Piaget.
Why do we play?
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To have an effect on the environment which leads to reactions and gives us a confirmation of
our existence.
To built up your ego.
Curiousity.
Controlling your fears. A game is not real but gives us a simulation of reality.
Stimulate further development.
Four elements that motivates playing
 curiousity
 control
 fantasy
 achievement
What’s the relevance of playing?
Play is fueled by intrinsic motivation, based upon the natural urge for exploration and the fundamental
ability to act. ‘The Challenge is determined by engaging a players self esteem using personally
meaningfull goals with uncertain outcomes.’
Outcoming emotions of playing
Behaviour is dynamic. There is a constant switch between excitement, anxiety, relaxation and boredom.
For instance: If somebody goes in a rollercoaster, he will get a high level of arrousel and will switch
between anxiety and excitement. If that person will go a few times in the same rollercoaster, he will get
more relaxed with the circumstances but after a while he also get’s bored.
4 dimensions of everyday motivation - Kerr & Apter 1992
Serious
Means-ends
Playfull
Conforming
Rules
Rebellious
Mastery
Transaction
Sympathy
Self
Relations
Other
If there is a right balance between the four elements, it will cause a flow between ability and challenge.
If the player stays in the flow area he will be more involved in the gameplay and will continue improving
himself.
Flow theory according to Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's.
Danger in play
Excitement can be caused by danger within experienced safety. As people we can sense security zones
that will affect our experience:
Zones of security can be used for excitement. There are examples for the different zones:
 Trauma zone:
A boat sinks, there are sharks in the water, I will die.
 Danger zone:
A boat sinks, but it’s okay because I can swim.
 Safety zone:
A boat sinks, but the water level is slow.
 Detachmentzone:
A boat sinks, but it’s only in the movie.
Types of play
 Movement play
 Sensopatic play
 Playful handling of objects
 Construction play
 Fantasy and roleplay
 Succes and teamplay
Play occurs in a play frame of pseudo reality → only starts when a child feels safe and has the space for
it.
Needs from child perspective
Gene Delvecchio
Boys:
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Girls:
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Strength, power, win, master.
Good vs Evil.
Gross, bizarre.
Outrageous/Silly.
Control/Empowerment.
Brewery/Fears.
Love/Affection.
Competitive friendship.
Beauty.
Glamour.
Nurturing.
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Outrageous/Silly.
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Control/Empowerment.
Bravery/Fears.
Love/Affection.
Sharing friendship networks.
An example of a film trying to contain every element so that it becomes a film for all ages is: Shrek.