When design process involves the participation of children, it requires methods that take into consideration users’ unique characteristics such as immature cognitive ability, language skill, motor-sensory capability and shyness so that it can effectively elicit their needs. In response to such demand, a variety of methods and guidelines specialized in children have been developed since from 1960’s. Participatory design process can solve design problems concerning children by allowing users’ active participation in generating ideas with an aid of generative toolkits and workshop. While marketing listens to customers’ voices and user-centered design observes users’ behavioral patterns, participatory design analyzes what users have created using the toolkits to elicit their latent needs. In this sense, participatory design can examine problems from children’s standpoint while simultaneously solving problems such as users’ lack of language skill or passive attitude.
This research aims to develop participatory design method to design information architecture based on children’s cognitive process and has undergone the following stages: Firstly, design for children is defined and the need for it is discussed. Secondly, the current design methods specifically developed for children are introduced. Thirdly, qualitative study reveals the problems of design process for children in Korean industry. Fourth, based on the needs from qualitative and literature studies, the novel method is developed and applied to designing a website for kids. It allows children to collaborate and build information structure using tools called ‘Information Blocks’ and ‘Information Tree’. This constructive approach can enrich children’s knowledge, and simultaneously provide designers with data on users’ cognitive process. The result showed that newly developed method revealed rich findings by stimulating children’s participation and their involvement in generating ideas. A case study is introduced to demonstrate the method.
