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Cinekid for Professionals Conference 2012

\Schedule

9.45 Welcome

Latest Trends

10.00 French Animation Wave, keynote by Michel Ocelot

10.20 Panel: French Animation Wave

10.45 The Right Ideas at the Right Time: The Art of Experience Strategy. James

Deeley

11.25 International Kids' TV Trends. Johanna Karsenty

11.55 Designing for Designers. Eric Rosenbaum

12.25 Will the First Screen Become the Second Screen. Jan Willem Huisman

12.35 Lunch

13.35 Welcome back

Mobile Applications, creative

13.40 Innovative apps. Davin Risk

14.00 Mobile Game Design Principles for Young Children. Carla Fisher

14.25 Design Principles: Older Children. Juliet Tzabar

14.50 Demonstration by Sander Veenhof

15.00 Coffee

15.30 Stella and Sam: Inclusive Storytelling. Davin Risk

15.45 Panel, Q&A: Mobile Applications. Content, Storytelling, Design.

16.10 Working Transmedially in The Netherlands. Klaas Kuitenbrouwer and Monica

Bremer

Mobile applications, business

16.25 Now We’re Talking App Business: Deal Strategy and Distribution Models.

Brenda Bisner

16.55 How Stuff Gets Made. Juliet Tzabar

17.15 Panel, Q&A Mobile Applications. Business strategy, Marketing and Production.

17.45 Round up

17.55 Virtueel Platform MediaLab drinks @ The MediaLab

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\Talk Descriptions

FFFFrench Animation Waverench Animation Waverench Animation Waverench Animation Wave

Michel Ocelot

My feature "Kirikou and the Sorceress" is often quoted as the start of the new prosperity of

French animation. I'll expose what the landscape was before Kirikou, how I made Kirikou, and

what happened after Kirikou. I'll linger on the special features of this film and the peculiarity of

its success, ending with schools and new features.

IIIInternational Kids’ TV Trendsnternational Kids’ TV Trendsnternational Kids’ TV Trendsnternational Kids’ TV Trends

Johanna Karsenty

While children today can't get enough of the small screen, with more time than ever spent

watching TV, the way they watch content is changing fast. Beyond cartoons, kids are spoilt for

choice when it comes to content with sports, entertainment and scripted all vying for their

attention. Eurodata TV Worldwide unveils latest consumption trends, global hits and local

sensations in the Kids' TV market place.

TTTThe right Ideas at the Right Time: The Art of Experience Strategy he right Ideas at the Right Time: The Art of Experience Strategy he right Ideas at the Right Time: The Art of Experience Strategy he right Ideas at the Right Time: The Art of Experience Strategy

James Deeley

The world of digital media and entertainment is becoming ever more diverse and crowded, with

increasingly sophisticated and fragmented audiences. Reaching and connecting with any

audience is a challenge brands face today; to find, inspire and create loyalty in a user base

found spread over an ever-expanding number of digital and social channels, and on an ever-

growing number of devices.

An Experience Strategy forms a platform to achieve these goals, and the glue to creating

connected, immersive and rewarding digital experiences. By considering the user at the heart

of a long-term vision, embracing the power of fans, developing personalised destinations, and

holding a deep knowledge and genuine passion for your subject, relationships can be created

with your audience that last and grow.

James Deeley, of UK agency TH_NK, will reveal some of the principles and approaches used in

creating Experience Strategies for some of the world’s leading entertainment brands, how they

can provide the foundations for innovative and ambitious results.

DDDDesigning for Designersesigning for Designersesigning for Designersesigning for Designers

Eric Rosenbaum

We can empower kids to invent, and create the future of media. They need tools that make the

power of creative technology more accessible. It's easy to design for passive consumers; the

challenge is to design for creative designers, who tinker, improvise, re-purpose and create

things we've never imagined. In this talk Eric will discuss his work as a student at MIT Media

Lab, where he is part of the Lifelong Kindergarten group, developing new technologies and

learning environments to help people learn through creative play. He'll demonstrate

MelodyMorph, a new way to make music by creating new instruments (what if you blew up a

piano so you could rearrange the keys?). He'll show Scratch 2.0, the latest version of a

graphical programming language that lets kids around the world create their own interactive

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media, like games, animations, and interactive art, and share them on the web. Finally, he'll

share MaKey MaKey, an invention kit for inventing computer interfaces using everyday

materials, like a banana piano, a game controller drawn in pencil, or photo booth for your cat

that takes pictures when he drinks.

Will the first screen become the second screen?Will the first screen become the second screen?Will the first screen become the second screen?Will the first screen become the second screen?

Jan Willem Huisman

Education is hard work and so are games. The game industry is an expert in making people

work and enjoy it. IJsfontein applies this approach to all its projects and involves the player in a

meaningful and challenging learning experience.

In his presentation, Jan Willem Huisman, one of the co-founders of IJsfontein, will share his

experience and vision on the relation between the first and second screen, in crossmedia

projects. He defines the interaction between the two screens and takes a closer look at what

changes might take place in the interaction the next 5 years, taking three case studies in

consideration.

InnoInnoInnoInnovative Appsvative Appsvative Appsvative Apps

Davin Risk

Lead designer at Zinc Roe, Davin Risk, profiles his favourite children’s apps. The market for

children’s apps is massive, so let Davin will be your guide. He provides his take on each app,

including thoughts on innovative design, in-depth storytelling and exactly which apps provide

more than the proverbial ‘nanny’ service. Mr. Risk offers you the low down on which apps are

both inspirational and quality rich.

Mobile Game Design Principles for Young ChildrenMobile Game Design Principles for Young ChildrenMobile Game Design Principles for Young ChildrenMobile Game Design Principles for Young Children

Carla Fisher

Creating games for children, especially children under 7, poses unusual challenges. As adults,

we are far removed from the cognitive and motor skill development that are hallmarks of the

developing child. To help bridge that gap, this session will draw on academic and industry

research to provide attendees with usability and game design principles for kids games. The

session will focus on research relevant to developing for mobile apps, but the provided design

guidelines will often be generalizable to all design and educational content. Topics to be

addressed include icon and button design, guidelines for audio and text instructions, best

practices for eBooks, and kid-friendly cooperative play.

Design Principles: Older ChildrenDesign Principles: Older ChildrenDesign Principles: Older ChildrenDesign Principles: Older Children

Juliet Tzabar

What are the design principles to consider when creating a successful interactive product for

kids aged 6-12? Juliet Tzabar will present her BAFTA-winning interactive entertainment

studio¹s golden rules when making digital content for this audience. Her talk will consider the

medialandscape in which today’s tweens operate; what are the key ingredients of a popular

game engine? What makes children want to share digital content with their friends? How to

build in virality so that your app is the talk of the playground; and when their grandmothers

are playing Angry Birds what makes a kid’s app anyway?

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DDDDemonstrationemonstrationemonstrationemonstration

Sander Veenhof

Artist Sander Veenhof is specialized in merging digital matter and our material reality. Thanks

to a technique called 'augmented reality', his creations now appear in the world around us.

Resulting in a semi-virtual universe with infinite possibilities, accessible using a smartphone.

Download the free Layar app, charge your batteries, and be ready for a live demo.

Stella and Sam: Inclusive StorytStella and Sam: Inclusive StorytStella and Sam: Inclusive StorytStella and Sam: Inclusive Storytellingellingellingelling

Davin Risk

Lead Designer, Davin Risk, will outline the creative process of adapting the popular Stella and

Sam books by Canadian author Marie-Louise Gay into unique narrative activities. The sense of

wonder, adventure, and creativity from the original stories prompted zinc Roe design and its

television partners to find a more inclusive way of telling new Stella and Sam stories across

multiple media. The six current Stella and Sam apps have original animated storytelling

interwoven with moments of play and discovery that make kids part of the story and evolve the

narrative with each use.

Research presentation Working transmedially in the NetherlandsResearch presentation Working transmedially in the NetherlandsResearch presentation Working transmedially in the NetherlandsResearch presentation Working transmedially in the Netherlands

Klaas Kuitenbrouwer and Monica Bremer

In Working transmedially in the Netherlands Virtueel Platform presents an overview of the

current transmedial practice and its main producers in the Netherlands. Also presented are the

hindrances to the practice, that exist mainly in the area of financing and public-private

collaboration. The publication closes with a series of advices to enhance the climate and culture

for transmedial projects in the Netherlands.

The way we use media changes rapidly. More and more we access various platforms and

channels simultaneously. Transmedial storytelling is a creative response to this development: a

transmedial story world can be entered through different media that offer complementary

content and ways of participation. A transmedial project by nature asks for collaboration

across disciplines, and often e-culture plays a central part. It is a very interesting new cultural

form, but the regulations and the financing logic that would support it, has not fully developed

yet.

Monica Bremer and Klaas Kuitenbrouwer offer a brief summary of the main points of the

publication. The booklet itself will be presented at the Medialab drinks, after the conference.

HHHHow Stuff Gets Madeow Stuff Gets Madeow Stuff Gets Madeow Stuff Gets Made. . . .

Juliet Tzabar

This talk will focus on the essentials of how interactive ‘stuff’ gets made. IP production and

digital services have been bedfellows in the kids content space for over 10 years now as

partnership between digital and broadcast experts has become the norm. How can you make

the most of this collaboration to deliver the very best product? Can you really make an impact

without a publisher or broadcaster on board? What does a production company look like in the

digital age? And with the latest generation of content producers having been born net natives

what impact will their diverse media production skills and the vast technology arsenal

available to them have on storytelling across all platforms?

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\Biographies

Brenda Bisner (US) Brenda Bisner (US) Brenda Bisner (US) Brenda Bisner (US) is a brand strategist with over decade’s worth of success and massive

Rolodex. She possesses the skills to grow any brand and / or business in today’s marketplace,

with a deep understanding of how to navigate through the Digital space. Bisner has negotiated

and produced over 30 app deals, was instrumental in launching four different kids’ websites,

and has developed, produced, and sold live action, animated, and reality series across multiple

genres around the world – all of which translates into global knowledge of both the traditional

and digital landscape. She developed the first reality show for Nickelodeon, worked at boutique

agency Branscome in New York handling Global sales and acquisitions of short films and

features from all around the world. She worked as Vice President of Children’s Acquisitions for

Digital, Home Entertainment and International Distribution at Porchlight Entertainment and

later licensing VP at Cookie Jar closing key licensing deals for major brands and developing

their Digital strategy.

Laurent BoileauLaurent BoileauLaurent BoileauLaurent Boileau (FR) worked for 10 years as chief cameraman and then as chief editor on

numerous documentaries. In 1999, he became a director. His passion for the comic strip and the

graphic arts brought him to realize several movies about graphic novels: Spirou une

renaissance, Franquin Gaston et Cie, Les Chevaux de papier, La Pologne de Marzi. At the 20th

anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, he developed an animation series for the Belgian

television. Approved for Adoption is his first feature film. It mixes various animation

techniques, real images and archive footage.

Monica BremerMonica BremerMonica BremerMonica Bremer (NL) studied Law and Film Studies at the University of Amsterdam and in

Exeter, UK. She has been a lawyer since 1988. In 2003 she started her own firm together with

Marcel de Zwaan. Monica Bremer advises companies and organisations (including museums)

but also individual directors, writers, musicians and actors. Bremer is a teacher at the Master

curriculum Art, Law and Public /Private Financing at the Faculty of Law of the University of

Amsterdam.

James DeeleyJames DeeleyJames DeeleyJames Deeley (UK) has been creating digital experiences for over 15 years for some of the

world’s most ambitious brands. With a background in Design Marketing, James has a

kaleidoscopic creative approach, which draws across the disciplines of Experience Design,

Creative Strategy, Brand Marketing and Gonzo Design to create immersive digital propositions

with magical touches and consumer delight time and time again.

As London Creative Director for Creative Agency TH_NK, James leads a team of Creative

Strategists working across a variety of accounts. Most recently, his focus has been across the

Media & Entertainment sector working with clients such as BBC Worldwide (Doctor Who;

Future Digital Strategy); Proposition Lead for J.K. Rowling’s Pottermore and is currently

working with Channel 4 on a ground breaking transmedia experience for Utopia, a hard hitting

conspiracy drama to be broadcast in 2013.

Carla Engelbrecht FisherCarla Engelbrecht FisherCarla Engelbrecht FisherCarla Engelbrecht Fisher (US) is a game designer with a research obsession and the founder of

No Crusts Interactive, a children’s game design firm that focuses on creating educational and

developmentally appropriate interactive experiences. Having spent nearly fifteen years making

children’s digital goods, she’s designed, produced, researched, and consulted on a wide variety

of commercial and educational products, from Web to mobile to gaming consoles. Prior to

starting No Crusts Interactive, she worked for Sesame Workshop, PBS KIDS, and Highlights for

Children. Dr. Fisher speaks internationally about developing children’s games at industry and

academic events and is the co-author of the Kidscreen blog Kids Got Game. She holds a

doctorate in instructional technology from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she

studied technology and its relationship with human cognition and development, particularly as

it applies to children and games. Additionally, Dr. Fisher holds a master's degree in media

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studies from the New School University and has, on occasion, been known to twist balloon

animals and hats.

Eric GoossensEric GoossensEric GoossensEric Goossens (BE) founded together with animation expert Anton Roebben the production

company Walking The Dog, which produces creative animation films and series. Eric Goossens

is also the vice chairman of anim.be, the association of Belgian animation producers.

Jan Willem Huisman Jan Willem Huisman Jan Willem Huisman Jan Willem Huisman (NL) is founder of IJsfontein Interactive Media. Together with two

student friends from the Interaction Design department of the HKU, school for the arts of

Utrecht, Holland he founded IJsfontein in 1997. Jan Willem is now IJsfontein’s CEO. Their goal

was to launch a company that uses the computer to develop people in a playful manner,

specialized in the target group kids (soon broader audiences would be served). IJsfontein now

has forty people working for the company, ranging from concept directors to marketeers and

from designers to sales executives. The company develops games, websites & applications and

interactive exhibits. As the years went by more awards and nominations followed along the

way, both national (Spin Award, Cinekid New Media Award) as international (Prix Jeunesse,

BAFTA and Japan Prize).

Johanna KarsentyJohanna KarsentyJohanna KarsentyJohanna Karsenty (FR) is currently Kids

Research Manager at Eurodata TV

Worldwide where she is in charge of

international children's television studies,

notably the Kids TV Report. She graduated

from the Business Administration Institute

of Toulouse with a Masters in Marketing,

specialising in new technologies. Eurodata

TV Worldwide distributes programming

and audience information, based on its

partnership with the national institutes

operating people meter systems throughout

the world.

Klaas KuitenbrouwerKlaas KuitenbrouwerKlaas KuitenbrouwerKlaas Kuitenbrouwer (NL) was educated as a historian, then developed as an artist and now

works in the places where culture and technology intertwine. He is program manager at

Virtueel Platform, the Dutch knowledge institute for e-culture. He makes programs and events

around themes from interdisciplinary technological culture: hybrid developments (the fusion of

digital and physical space), transmedial narrativity, new cultural economy. He also teaches at

the Rietveld Academy and the Utrecht School of the Arts.

Michel OcelotMichel OcelotMichel OcelotMichel Ocelot (FR) is a graphic designer, script writer and director of animated films. In a first

part of his life he animated and directed author shorts and short serials. He was elected

president of ASIFA (Association Internationale du Film d'Animation), a position he quit after 6

years, to devote himself to filmmaking. In 1998 he released the feature Kirikou and the

Sorceress which was a marking success, changing the animation landscape in France. He went

on making successful features, as Azur & Asmar, Tales of the Night and two more Kirikou films,

the last one being distributed now, Kirikou and men and women. Michel Ocelot also teaches.

About Eurodata TV Worldwide Created by Médiamétrie, Eurodata TV Worldwide distributes programming and audience information, based on its partnership with the national institutes operating people meter systems throughout the world. Today, Eurodata TV Worldwide’s database contains more than 5500 channels in more than 100 territories and provides an exhaustive amount of daily program information including: content, production, international distribution and the audience levels for targeted programs, all data emanating directly from the relevant authorized institute based in each country around the world. These data provide a range of services which help in the decision-making process of international professionals within the audio-visual world like producers, distributors, broadcasters, copyright organisations, sponsors, etc.

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Davin RiskDavin RiskDavin RiskDavin Risk (CA) has designed and developed online media since every page was grey.

Before joining zinc Roe, Davin served as the Creative Director at ChumCity Interactive and Art

Director at Snap Media. He is also the co-founder of the creative studio Fluffco with his partner,

Gayla Trail.

Projects with narrative, culture, and community at their core are what drive his interest in

interactive media. Davin has contributed to an eclectic list of ventures: large-scale youth

communities, art magazines, casual games, e-learning portals, Olympic mascots, video awards,

non-profits, museum exhibits, book designs, apparel, TV stations, and more. He even won a

contest for sculpting an iPod Shuffle out of banana, apple, and spaghetti.

Eric RosenbaumEric RosenbaumEric RosenbaumEric Rosenbaum (US) is a doctoral student in the Lifelong Kindergarten group at MIT Media

Lab, where he creates new technologies at the intersection of music, improvisation, play and

learning. He has a background in neuroscience, music, and education. His extremely innovative

projects include the MaKey MaKey invention kit, the Singing Fingers app for finger painting

with sound, the Glowdoodle web site for painting with light, MmmTsss software for improvising

with looping sounds, and a Scratch-like language for creating interactive behaviours in the

virtual world of Second Life.

Farid TabarkiFarid TabarkiFarid TabarkiFarid Tabarki (moderator, NL), is the founder and director of Studio Zeitgeist which conducts

research and develops projects on the local, national and European Zeitgeist. The studio focuses

on themes like radical decentralisation, radical transparency, (social) media, aesthetics, social

entrepreneurship and education. They have developed projects for organizations like MTV,

Philips, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Hyves, TEDxRotterdam and GRAD European

Centre for Culture and Debate in Belgrade.

Previously, Farid was editor-in-chief of Coolpolitics, a Dutch civic organisation that encourages

young people to develop in their role as citizens and works towards building a stronger Dutch,

European and global society.

In 2006 and 2007, Farid presented the parliamentary election edition of MTV Coolpolitics,

which was broadcasted live on TMF and MTV Benelux. In 2011 he presented the Dutch

television program Dare to Think, from Socrates to Sartre.

Farid is an often asked keynote speaker and conference moderator. In March he was therefore

named Trendwatcher of the Year 2012 – 2013.

Juliet TzabarJuliet TzabarJuliet TzabarJuliet Tzabar (UK) is Managing Director at Plug-in Media and has worked in digital media for

over 12 years. In 2011, Juliet was also shortlisted for the Women in Technology Entrepreneur of

the Year award. Following an early career in television as an Art Director she switched to

digital in 2000. Juliet specialises in delivering interactive projects with a broadcast tie-in and

has produced games and websites for many well-loved children’s brands: Blue Peter, Bob the

Builder and Teletubbies to name but a few. Juliet joined Plug-in Media in 2007 and has overseen

the company’s growth and success, establishing it as one of the UK’s leading digital agencies.

Dutch new media artist Sander VeenhofSander VeenhofSander VeenhofSander Veenhof (NL) studied computer science at the VU university in

Amsterdam and graduated at the Instable Media department of the Rietveld Art Academy. He

works at the cross section of these domains, combining his technical skills with the wish to

innovate and explore the foreseeable future. Creating interactive storytelling projects for

festivals such as Cinekid, IFFR, Lowlands and Oerol, Veenhof has become a specialist in

'augmented reality', the ultimate merger of digital and analogue environments, bringing the

infinite possibilities of virtual reality to the world beyond the computer screen.

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\Background information

Biofilmography Michel Ocelot

Author, director, animator and graphic designer.

Born on the French Riviera, childhood in Guinea, youth in the lower Loire valley, then life in

Paris.

Michel Ocelot has dedicated his entire career to film animation. All his works, since the

beginning, are based on his own scripts and graphics.

Among his short films, he directs The Three Inventors (1980 Bafta for best animated film,

London), followed by The Legend of the Poor Hunchback (1983 Cesar for best animated short

film, Paris).

In 1998, Michel Ocelot reaches the general public with the critical and popular success of his

first feature film Kirikou and the Sorceress. He then releases Princes and Princesses, old tales

in a shadow theater, and Kirikou and the Wild Beasts, co-directed with Bénédicte Galup.

Azur and Asmar (2006), his 4th feature film, is still a fairy tale, from one shore to another in

the Mediterranean. It was selected by the Cannes Film Festival for its Director’s Fortnight.

Late 2008, he releases a compilation DVD of his short films, The Hidden Treasures of Michel

Ocelot, his life before Kirikou…

In a shadow theater, and for the first time in 3D, his new feature film, Tales of the Night, will be

released next Summer in France. It ran in the competition for the top prizes at the prestigious

61rst edition of the Berlin Film Festival.

Michel Ocelot has just completed the shooting of new Kirikou adventures, Kirikou and Men and

Women, released in October in France.

Filmography

Every single film directed by Michel Ocelot has been rewarded in international film festivals.

Feature films

1998 Kirikou and the Sorceress

2000 Princes and Princesses

2005 Kirikou and the Wild Beasts

2006 Azur and Asmar (The Princes’ Quest)

2011 Tales of the Night

2012 Kirikou and Men and Women

Short films

1979 The Three Inventors

1981 The Equality Girls

1982 The Legend of the Poor Hunchback

1987 The 4 Vows

2008 The Wedding Guest

Television

1976 Gideon the duck

1986 The Insensitive Princess

1989 Ciné Si

1992 The Dancing Shepherdess, The Maid and the Magician, The Jewel Prince

2010 Dragons and Princesses

Music video

2007 Earth Intruders by Björk

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The most successful European children's films

Arthur et les Minimoys and Planet 51 were the most successful animation fi lms for children in terms of

admissions, selling 8.7 and 5.6 million cinema tickets respectively from release unti l end 2010 across Europe. Table 2 shows the full top 25 list of European animation fi lms ranked by admissions. French and German films accounted for 20 fi lms out of the top 25, and the remaining five films included one

Spanish fi lm, two Belgian and two Scandinavian animation titles. On a cumulative basis the top 25 animation films accounted for 67% of total admissions to the chi ldrenʼs animation films in the data sample.

Table 2: Top 25 European animation films for children 2001 - 2010

# Film Country of originProd- uction year

Director

CumulativeAdmissions2001-2010

Number release markets

1 Arthur et les Minimoys FR 2006 Luc Besson 8 656 389 27

2 Planet 51 ES / GB 2009 J. Blanco & J . Abad 5 608 702 21

3 Arthur et la vengeance deMaltazard FR 2009 Luc Besson 4 944 345 22

4 Sammy's avonturen: De geheime doorgang BE / US 2010 Ben Stassen 3 656 093 17

5 Astérix et les Vikings FR / DK 2006 S. Fjeldmark & J. Moller 3 636 280 23

6 Der Kleine Eisbär DE 2001 T. Rothkirch & P. De Rycker 3 635 822 6

7 Arthur et la guerre des 2 mondes FR 2010 Luc Besson 3 321 930 6

8 Lissi und der Wilde Kaiser DE 2007 Michael Herbig 3 112 749 10

9 Niko - lentäjän poika FI / DE / DK / IE 2008 M. Hegner & K. Juusonen 2 878 456 2010 The Magic Roundabout FR / GB 2005 D. Borthwick & J. Duval 2 598 293 1211 Hui Buh DE 2005 Sebastian Niemann 2 348 574 4

12 Kirikou et les bêtes sauvages FR 2005 M. Ocelot & B. Galup 2 299 429 16

13 Der Kleine Eisbär 2 - Die geheimnisvolle Insel DE 2005 T. Rothkirch &

P. De Rycker 2 080 578 8

14 Die Konferenz der Tiere DE 2010 H. Tappe & R. Kloos 1 947 578 4

15 Azur et Asmar FR / BE / ES / IT 2006 Michel Ocelot 1 890 472 10

16 Lauras Stern DE / BG 2004 T. Rothkirch & P. De Rycker 1 873 826 7

17 Fly Me to the Moon BE / US 2008 Ben Stassen 1 798 900 21

18 Urmel aus dem Eis DE 2006 H. Tappe & R. Kloos 1 532 927 10

19 Felix - Ein Hase auf Weltreise DE / I T 2005 G. Lagana & G.M. Lagana 1 525 112 5

20 Happily N'Ever After DE 2007 Y. Kaplan & P. Bolger 1 471 277 17

21 Les triplettes de Belleville FR / BE / CA / GB 2002 Sylvain Chomet 1 442 621 22

22 La prophétie des grenouilles FR 2003 J.R. Girerd 1 283 941 13

23 The Ugly Duckling and Me! DK / DE / FR / IE 2006 M. Hegner& K. Kiilerich 1 221 339 14

24 Chasseurs de dragons FR / LU / DE 2008 F. Hemmen & G. Ivernel 1 195 522 18

25 Prinzessin Lillifee DE 2009 A. Simpson & A . Niebuhr 1 096 251 7

Total Top 25 67 057 406

Source: European Audiovisual Observatory

European Audiovisual Observatory - Audiovisual Media for Children in Europe

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Children Still Love TV! Children Still Love TV! Children Still Love TV! Children Still Love TV! –––– Eurodata TV Worldwide Eurodata TV Worldwide Eurodata TV Worldwide Eurodata TV Worldwide

Kids Keep WatchingKids Keep WatchingKids Keep WatchingKids Keep Watching Children still love TV and are watching more than ever, as confirmed by the seventh edition of

Eurodata TV Worldwide’s Kids TV Report. Johanna Karsenty, Kids Research Manager, notes

that “children are embracing media multitasking and cross platform content, expecting to be

able to interact with their favourite titles and characters online. This activity feeds back into

great TV ratings, encouraging rather than competing with kids’ love for the small screen”.

While kids’ enthusiasm for TV remains as strong as ever, the increasing maturity of digital

channel offers means that current leaders have to fight hard to stay on top. In the meantime,

generalist channels in most of the countries studied are in the process of dramatically reducing

their children’s offers or stopping them completely, pointing to the end of the era of breakfast

and after-school blocks. In terms of content, the increasingly varied schedules of the children’s

channels is allowing genres other than animation to shine, even if cartoons still retain their

place at the heart of children’s viewing.

Children foster their reChildren foster their reChildren foster their reChildren foster their relationship with TVlationship with TVlationship with TVlationship with TV

Children remained glued to the small screen over the first half of 2012, with daily viewing time

stable since the same period last year, and significantly above levels of four years ago. This fact

may come as a surprise to those who have been become used to hearing on the internet’s ever

increasing dominance over the media lives of children. It is becoming clear, however, that new

technologies, including the web, catch up, mobile and tablets, are in fact encouraging children

to spend even more time in front of the small screen.

In the United Kingdom, daily viewing time stands at 2 hours 20 minutes among children 4-15

over the first semester 2012, 4 minutes less than the first semester 2011 but still 6 minutes

more than the first semester 2009. In Spain, with 2 hours 44 minutes registered from January

to June 2012 among young viewers 4-12, the time children spend watching television is 6

minutes a day more than in 2011.

Both France and Italy introduced the time-shifted viewing measurement in 2011 which

contributed to the rise in daily viewing time in these countries. With 2 hours 50 minutes this

last semester, Italian children aged 4 to 14 years old remain the biggest consumers of small

screen among “the big five” European countries (France, Italy, Germany, Spain and the United

Kingdom).

The competition heats upThe competition heats upThe competition heats upThe competition heats up

As noted last semester, the increasing maturity of digital markets means that leading channels

have to fight hard to hold onto their crowns.

In France and Italy, generalist channels still dominate the children’s landscape in terms of

market share. The commercial channel TF1 in France and Italia 1 in Italy, despite a slight fall in

their performances, keep their leads with respectively a 20.5% and 12.7% share among children

4-14. It remains to be seen how far this situation will change with the analogue switch off, now

completed in France and underway in Italy. In both countries, the shares for the leading

children’s channels, Gulli in France and Boing in Italy, declined slightly in the face on an

increasingly competitive market.

In Spain, from January to June 2012, three youth channels were above the 10% mark in terms

of market share among children. The public channel Clan continues to dominate the Spanish

market with a 14.9% share among children aged 4 to 12 years old. However, Disney Channel is

still hard on its heels and the relative newcomer Boing has been making sharp inroads into the

audiences of its longer established rivals, with shares up by almost 2 points since last semester.

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Over in Germany, the gap which used to separate KiKA from the leader Super RTL is getting

smaller and smaller: this semester KiKA’s market share rose to 17.6%. When an average is

made just across the hours of broadcast for each channel, KiKA is even ahead of Super RTL.

Invincible animation?Invincible animation?Invincible animation?Invincible animation?

What children watch differs depending on whether they are watching a thematic children’s

channel or a traditional kids’ programming block. All countries combined, 80% of the formats

featured in the top 15 rankings on generalist channels were animation programs, whereas this

percentage falls to 60% on youth channels, and this follows the tendency for thematic channels

to fill their schedules with a wider variety of programming than traditional cartoons. However,

these overall proportions vary greatly by country.

In France and Italy, when it comes to children’s programs, kids’ attention is clearly devoted to

animated series. The French public channel France 3 dominates the tops, with as its best

performing show Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated. The top 15 ranking on Italian generalist

channels is exclusively made up of cartoons with the manga Dragon Ball Z (Italia1) retaining

the top spot. It should be noted that in these two countries it is generalist channels that

maintain their hold over the very best performances for children’s programming.

Although children from other countries enjoyed a greater variety of genres, animation is

nevertheless once again on top when it comes to the most watched titles. However we can point

out some great performances in other genres. In Spain, entertainment entered the top 15 with

titles such as the new game show Be Boing (Boing). In the UK this semester, animation was

more successful than usual on generalist channels, however the new magazine Incredible

Edibles (CBBC), confirmed the craze for factual, while in Germany this taste was also fostered

by programs such as Terra MaX (ZDF).

In this highly competitive market, broadcasters must fight hard to establish distinctive offers

that anticipate evolutions in viewing habits. The fact that television still retains a big place in

children’s hearts, however, is undeniable, as an ever more exciting menu of contents and

choices keeps them coming back for more.

Sources: Eurodata TV Worldwide / Relevant Partners

For further information about The Kids TV Report 2012, please contact:

Claire Mitchell, Sales Manager – cmitchell@eurodatatv.com

Tel: +33 (0) 1 71 09 93 44

Johanna Karsenty, Kids TV Report Manager - jkarsenty@eurodatatv.com

Tel: +33 (0) 1 47 58 94 35

14

Chapter from: Design, Make, Play. Growing the Next Generation of STEM Innovators

Edited by Margaret Honey & David Kanter

January 2013, Routledge.

Designing for TinkerabilityDesigning for TinkerabilityDesigning for TinkerabilityDesigning for Tinkerability Mitchel Resnick and Eric Rosenbaum

MIT Media Lab

1. Introduction1. Introduction1. Introduction1. Introduction

Make magazine. Maker Faires. Makerspaces. Maker clubs. In the past few years, there has been a surge

of interest in making. A growing number of people are becoming engaged in building, creating,

personalizing, and customizing things in the world around them — making their own jewelry, their own

furniture, their own robots. The emerging Maker Movement is catalyzed by both technological and

cultural trends. New technologies are making it easier and cheaper for people to create and share things,

in both the physical world and the digital world. At the same time, the Maker Movement builds upon a

broader cultural shift towards a do-it-yourself approach to life, where people take pride and pleasure in

creating things personally rather than only consuming mass-produced goods.

Although most people involved in the Maker Movement are not focused explicitly on education or

learning, the ideas and practices of the Maker Movement resonate with a long tradition in the field of

education — from John Dewey’s progressivism (Dewey, 1938) to Seymour Papert’s constructionism

(Papert, 1980, 1993) — that encourages a project-based, experiential approach to learning. This approach

is somewhat out of favor in many of today’s education systems, with their strong emphasis on content

delivery and quantitative assessment. But the enthusiasm surrounding the Maker Movement provides a

new opportunity for reinvigorating and revalidating the progressive-constructionist tradition in

education.

To do so, however, requires more than just “making.” Too often, we have seen schools introduce making

into the curriculum in a way that saps all the spirit from the activity: “Here are the instructions for

making your robotic car. Follow the instructions carefully. You will be evaluated on how well your car

performs.” Or: “Design a bridge that can support 100 pounds. Based on your design, calculate the strains

on the bridge. Once you are sure that your design can support 100 pounds, build the bridge and confirm

that it can support the weight.”

In these activities, students are making something, but the learning experience is limited. Just making

things is not enough. There are many different approaches to making things, and some lead to richer

learning experiences than others. In this paper, we focus on a particular approach to making that we

describe as tinkering. The tinkering approach is characterized by a playful, experimental, iterative style

of engagement, in which makers are continually reassessing their goals, exploring new paths, and

imagining new possibilities. Tinkering is undervalued (and even discouraged) in many educational

settings today, but it is well aligned with the goals and spirit of the progressive-constructionist tradition

— and, in our view, it is exactly what is needed to help young people prepare for life in today’s society.

Our primary goal in this paper is to examine strategies for encouraging and supporting a tinkering

approach to making and learning. We view this as a design challenge: How can we design technologies

and activities for tinkerability? We start, in the next two sections, by giving a fuller description of what

we mean by tinkering and why we think it is so valuable as part of the learning process. Then we examine

specific technologies and activities we have designed in our research group at the MIT Media Lab,

discussing our strategies for encouraging and supporting tinkering.

2. What Is Tinkering?2. What Is Tinkering?2. What Is Tinkering?2. What Is Tinkering?

The term tinkering means different things to different people. It is not uncommon to hear the term used

dismissively — just tinkering — in reference to someone working without a clear goal or purpose, or

without making noticeable progress. But in our view, just and tinkering don’t belong together. We see

tinkering as a valid and valuable style of working, characterized by a playful, exploratory, iterative style

of engaging with a problem or project. When people are tinkering, they are constantly trying out ideas,

making adjustments and refinements, then experimenting with new possibilities, over and over and over.

Many people think of tinkering in opposition to planning — and they often view planning as an inherently

superior approach. Planning seems more organized, more direct, more efficient. Planners survey a

situation, identify problems and needs, develop a clear plan, then execute it. Do it once and do it right.

What could be better than that?

The tinkering process is messier. Tinkerers are always exploring, experimenting, trying new things.

Whereas planners typically rely on formal rules and abstract calculations (for example, calculating the

15

optimal position for a supporting beam in a structure), tinkerers tend to react to the specific details of the

particular situation (experimentally trying different locations for the supporting beam — or exploring

other ways to support the structure). In the words of design theorist Don Schoen, tinkerers have “a

conversation with the material” (Schoen, 1983).

Sometimes, tinkerers start without a goal. Instead of the top-down approach of traditional planning,

tinkerers use a bottom-up approach. They begin by messing around with materials (for example, snapping

LEGO bricks together in different patterns), and a goal emerges from their playful explorations (for

example, deciding to build a fantasy castle). Other times, tinkerers have a general goal, but they aren’t

quite sure how to get there. They might start with a tentative plan, but they continually adapt and

renegotiate their plans based on their interactions with the materials and people they are working with.

For example, a child might start with the goal of building a security system for her bedroom, and then

experiment with many different materials, strategies, and strategies before coming up with a final

version.

There is a long tradition of tinkering in many cultures around the world. In almost all countries, local

craft traditions have evolved over centuries, characterized by experimenting and tinkering with

indigenous materials. In many places, people develop a do-it-yourself mindset, sometimes out of economic

necessity, making use of whatever tools and materials happen to be available to them at a given time.

This style of interaction is sometimes described as bricolage. Anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss (1966)

describes how people in many parts of the world, acting as bricoleurs, continually improvise with

currently available materials to build or repair objects in their everyday lives. Levi-Strauss contrasts the

bricoleur with the engineer, who systematically develops a plan, then gathers the materials needed to

execute it.

Tinkering and bricolage are closely aligned with play. Many people see play as a form of entertainment or

fun, but we see it somewhat differently. To us, play is a style of engaging with the world, a process of

testing the boundaries and experimenting with new possibilities. We see tinkering as a playful style of

designing and making, where you constantly experiment, explore, and try out new ideas in the process of

creating something. Tinkering can be hard work, and sometimes it might not seem like play. But there is

always a playful spirit underlying the tinkering process.

People often associate tinkering with physical construction — building a castle with LEGO bricks, making a

tree house with wood and nails, creating a circuit with electronic components. The Maker Movement has

reinforced this image, since it focuses on making things in the physical world. But we take a broader view

of tinkering. We see tinkering as a style of making things, regardless of whether the things are physical or

virtual. You can tinker when you’re programming an animation or writing a story, not just when you’re

making something physical. The key issue is the style of interaction, not the media or materials being

used.

3. Why Is Tinkering Important?3. Why Is Tinkering Important?3. Why Is Tinkering Important?3. Why Is Tinkering Important?

Tinkering is not a new idea. From the time the earliest humans began making and using tools, tinkering

has been a valuable strategy for making things. But tinkering is more important today than ever before.

We live in a world that is characterized by uncertainty and rapid change. Many of the things you learn

today will soon be obsolete. Success in the future will depend not on what you know, or how much you

know, but on your ability to think and act creatively — on your ability to come up with innovative

solutions to unexpected situations and unanticipated problems.

In such a fast-changing environment, tinkering is a particularly valuable strategy. Tinkerers understand

how to improvise, adapt, and iterate, so they are never stuck on old plans as new situations arise.

Tinkering prioritizes creativity and agility over efficiency and optimization, a worthwhile tradeoff for a

constantly changing world

Despite its benefits, tinkering is often undervalued in today’s society, particularly in formal education

systems. Schools tend to emphasize the value of planning, teaching students to analyze all options,

develop a strategy, then carry out the plans. That’s why students who are natural planners tend to do

well in school. But what about students who are natural tinkerers? They often feel left out or alienated,

especially in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) classes, which particularly emphasize top-

down planning. Thus, many students are turned off to math and science, leading to a less scientifically

literate populace and a restricted pipeline to STEM professions.

It doesn’t have to be this way. STEM disciplines are not inherently planning-oriented. In fact, expert

practitioners in STEM disciplines typically employ much more tinkering in their work than is common in

STEM classroom activities (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989). Many of the greatest scientists and

engineers throughout history — from Leonardo da Vinci to Alexander Graham Bell to Barbara McClintock

to Richard Feynman — saw themselves as tinkerers. In order to broaden participation and foster

innovation in STEM disciplines, we must rethink and revise STEM curricula to become welcoming and

appealing to tinkerers, not just planners.

16

Turkle and Papert (1990) argue for “epistemological pluralism” — that is, respecting and valuing multiple

styles of learning and multiple ways of knowing. They suggest that logic and planning should be “on tap”

(available as needed for particular situations), not “on top” (assumed to be superior). Because of the

privileged status of logic and planning, Turkle and Papert worry that many people will be excluded from

STEM disciplines not by explicit rules “but by ways of thinking that make them reluctant to join in.” They

argue that tinkering and bricolage should be given equal status with logic and planning: “Bricolage is a

way to organize work. It is not a stage in a progression to a superior form” (p. 141).

Many educators are sceptical about tinkering. There are several common critiques. Some educators

worry that tinkerers might succeed at creating things without fully understanding what they are doing.

That might be true in some cases, but even in those cases, tinkering provides an opportunity for learners

to develop fragments of knowledge that they can later integrate into a more complete understanding

(Hancock, 2003). Others worry that tinkering is too unstructured to lead to success. That critique

confuses tinkering with random exploration. The bottom-up process of tinkering starts with explorations

that might seem rather random, but it doesn’t end there. True tinkerers know how to turn their initial

explorations (bottom) into a focused activity (up). It is the combination of bottom and up that makes

tinkering a valuable process.

Of course, top-down planning can be valuable too. But in many settings, planning is viewed as the correct

approach for solving problems, not just one of several alternatives. Our goal is to end the privileged status

of planning, and give equal emphasis to tinkering.

4. Computation + Tinkerability4. Computation + Tinkerability4. Computation + Tinkerability4. Computation + Tinkerability

Many materials — such as wooden blocks and modeling clay — support and encourage tinkering, enabling

people to create houses, castles, bridges, sculptures, and other structures. But what if you want to create

things that move, sense, react, interact, and communicate? That typically requires computational tools

and materials. Computational materials might not seem very amenable to tinkering, since computation is

often associated with logic and precision. And, indeed, computational activities (particularly

programming) have often been introduced in ways that appeal more to planners than tinkerers – for

example, learning how to efficiently sort a list of numbers.

In our Lifelong Kindergarten research group at the MIT Media Lab, we’re trying to change the ways that

young people use and think about computation. We’ve developed a collection of computational

construction kits and activities that explicitly encourage designing and tinkering with computation. In

collaboration with the LEGO Group, for example, we developed the LEGO Mindstorms and WeDo robotics

kits, which enable young people to build robotics devices that move, sense, interact, and communicate. In

the process, young people learn important mathematical, engineering, and computational ideas. Even

more important, they learn to think creatively and work collaboratively, essential skills for active

participation in today’s society.

In this section, we describe two of our group’s computational construction kits, Scratch and MaKey

MaKey, that are designed explicitly to engage young people in tinkering. In the next section, we use these

two kits as the basis for our analysis of how to design for tinkerability.

ScratchScratchScratchScratch. With Scratch, you can program your own interactive stories, games, animations, and

simulations — then share your creations online. To create a program in Scratch, you snap together

graphical programming blocks into a script, much like snapping together LEGO bricks (Figure 1). For each

character (or sprite) in your Scratch project, you need to assemble a set of scripts to control its behavior

(Figure 2). For a fish sprite, for example, one script might control the motion of the fish across the screen,

while another script tells the fish to change directions if it bumps into coral. From a collection of simple

programming blocks, combined with images and sounds, you can create a wide variety of different types of

projects. Since the launch of Scratch in 2007, young people around the world have shared more than 2.6

million projects on the Scratch website (Figure 3), including interactive newsletters, science simulations,

virtual tours, public-service announcements, video games, and animated dance contests (Resnick et al.,

2009; Maloney et al., 2010; Brennan & Resnick, 2012).

17

Figure 1: Scratch programming blocks

Figure 2: Scratch programming interface

Figure 3: Scratch website and online community

As young people create Scratch projects, they typically engage

in an extended tinkering process – creating programming

scripts and costumes for each sprite, testing them out to see if

they behave as expected, then revising and adapting them,

over and over again. To get a sense of this process, consider

the work of a Scratch community member who goes by the

username EmeraldDragon. During her first seven months in

the community, EmeraldDragon shared 25 projects on the

Scratch website. In one of her first projects, EmeraldDragon

created a game in which a user can control the movements of

an animated dragon. She created 12 images of a dragon, each

with the dragon’s legs in slightly different positions, then

created a programming script that cycled through the images to create the appearance of motion, much

like a flipbook.

EmeraldDragon experimented with different versions of the script to make the dragon move in different

directions when the user pressed different keys. When EmeraldDragon shared the project on the Scratch

website, she included the following comment: “I was

just tinkering with the scripts in the game and i finally

figured out how to make it so you can run back and

forth! I'll fix up the game and put out the new and

improved still not yet a game version!”

EmeraldDragon named her project My Dragon Game

(NOT finished), to make clear that the project was still

a work-in-progress (Figure 4). In her Project Notes, she

wrote: “I am working on being able to run back and

forth without the rock disappearing. Any tips or help?”

In the Comments section under the project, other

members of the Scratch community provided

suggestions on how to improve the project.

EmeraldDragon soon shared a new version of her

project, this time with the name My Dragon Game

(Still NOT finished).

EmeraldDragon clearly understood that tinkering is an

ongoing process of revision and adaptation. As she

wrote in her Project Notes: “This is just a stage in a

long process.”

Figure 4: EmeraldDragon’s game

18

MaKey MaKeyMaKey MaKeyMaKey MaKeyMaKey MaKey. With MaKey MaKey (http://makeymakey.com), you can create interfaces to the computer

out of any object that conducts electricity: for example, make a piano keyboard out of pieces of fruit, or use

Play-Doh to create a controller for a PacMan game (Silver & Rosenbaum, 2012). To make a new interface,

you connect objects with alligator clips to the MaKey MaKey circuit board (Figure 5), which plugs into a

computer’s USB port. MaKey MaKey pretends it’s a computer keyboard, so you can make your own keys.

You can replace your space bar, or any other key, with a banana, or with any other object that conducts

even a little bit of electricity. MaKey MaKey detects when you touch an object to complete a circuit and

sends a signal to the computer that a key has been pressed (Figure 6).

Figure 5: MaKey MaKey circuit board, with a USB cable

and alligator clips Figure 6: A MaKey MaKey circuit

Here’s a scenario, based on several projects we observed at workshops, that illustrates the workings of

MaKey MaKey in more detail. Anna, a 12-year-old girl, is fascinated by a banana piano that she saw in a

MaKey MaKey video (Figure 7), and she decides she wants to make one herself. First she finds a web page

that lets her play a scale on the piano by typing the letters on the home row of the keyboard: a, s, d, f, etc.

Next she plugs her MaKey MaKey circuit board into her computer, so she can make her own keys that will

trigger piano notes. She lays out a row of bananas, and uses alligator clips to connect each one to a

different letter on the MaKey MaKey. Then she connects herself to the MaKey MaKey, by connecting a

lime to “earth” (also known as “ground”) on the MaKey MaKey, and holds the lime in her hand. Now, when

she touches one of the bananas, a circuit is completed: a tiny amount of current flows from the ‘a’ input on

the MaKey MaKey, through a banana, through her, through the lime, and back to “earth” on the MaKey

MaKey. The MaKey MaKey detects the connection, and tells the computer that the ‘a’ key has been

pressed, causing the piano web page to play a musical note.

Figure 7: Banana Piano

As she plugs in more bananas, Anna makes some

accidental discoveries. At first, the bananas are in

the wrong order, so rather than forming a scale they

play a fragment of a familiar melody. This leads to

some playful rearranging of bananas as a musical

experiment. During this process, Anna notices that

two of the bananas are touching, so that when she

touches one of them they both trigger notes, playing

a chord. Later, Anna’s friend Leo drops by, and

together they try making a circuit through both of

their bodies. If Anna holds the lime, and Leo touches

a banana, they can trigger a note by giving each other a high-five – or when Anna taps Leo on the nose.

This leads to the idea of making a human drum kit: they find a web page that plays different drum sounds

when you press keys, and gather some other friends to connect into the circuit, so each can trigger a

different sound.

Later Anna and Leo experiment with different materials. They search around the house and find several

that work well, including jello, pennies, play-doh, and the graphite in a pencil drawing on paper. Forming

play-doh into different shapes leads to the idea of making a game controller, with play-doh buttons. By

connecting the buttons to the arrow keys on the MaKey MaKey, they can play a Mario Brothers game

(Figure 8).

19

Figure 8: Play-doh game controller

Through these tinkering processes with

MaKey MaKey, Anna and Leo were able

to quickly try out new ideas, pursue

serendipitous discoveries, experiment

with a range of different physical

materials, and create their own

inventions in different genres.

5. Designing Kits for Tinkerability5. Designing Kits for Tinkerability5. Designing Kits for Tinkerability5. Designing Kits for Tinkerability

How do you design for tinkerability?

Reflecting on the construction kits that

our research group has developed over

the years, we identified three core

principles guiding our designs: immediate feedback, fluid experimentation, and open exploration.

5.1 Immediate Feedback

The tinkering process typically involves a series of quick experiments – and to do quick experiments, you

need quick results. In highly tinkerable construction kits, there is a very short interval of time between

making a change and seeing its effect. Many physical processes have this property, of course: when you

fold a sheet of paper, you don’t have to wait to see the crease. But some physical processes — such as

baking, metal casting, or gluing — do require a wait, so tinkering with them is more challenging. Some

computational construction kits are stuck in a paradigm from the past, when computation was slow and

you had to wait to see the results of your program. We design our kits for immediate feedback, so you can

quickly see the results of your actions — and also see a representation of the process as it plays out.

See the ResultSee the ResultSee the ResultSee the Result

In Scratch, you can simply click on a programming block and watch what happens. There are no separate

steps for compiling, no separate modes for editing. For most blocks, results are immediate, such as a

movement, color change, or sound effect. You learn what the blocks do simply by trying them out. You

can even click on a block while it is still in the palette, without even dragging it to the scripting area

(where you connect blocks together into scripts).

Ideally, tinkering should be a continuous, ongoing process. In Scratch, you can continue to tinker with

Scratch scripts even as they are running. For example, you might start by clicking on a Scratch script to

make a sprite move across the screen. Then click on other scripts to make them run in parallel (for

example, adding a soundtrack or animating the sprite) while the first script is still running. You can also

modify a script while it is running (for example, changing the number in a move block to increase the

speed of a sprite) or even insert a new block into the script. This “liveness” allows you to try out many

possibilities and see the results immediately, in the context of a running program. The goal is to make

people feel they can interact with programming blocks the same way they interact with physical objects.

MaKey MaKey is also designed for immediate feedback. Let’s say you make a keypad out of Play-Doh to

control a video-game character. As soon as you touch the Play-Doh (to complete the circuit), the

character on the screen moves. You can also test out the MaKey MaKey circuit board before creating any

interface. The board itself has conductive pads that allow you to complete a circuit with your fingers.

Touch the Earth pad (also known as ground) with one finger and the Space pad with another finger, and

MaKey MaKey will make the computer think that the keyboard spacebar has been pressed.

See the ProcessSee the ProcessSee the ProcessSee the Process

In most programming environments, it is not possible to directly observe the internal properties of the

program while it is running. These properties include what the program is doing right now (the current

location in its execution) and what the program “knows” (the values of its variables and other data

structures). Just as it’s sometimes easier to understand what’s wrong with a car by looking under the

hood (or, at least, by watching the indicator lights on the dashboard), it’s easier to fix bugs in a computer

program when you can see its internal properties while it’s running.

MaKey Makey has some simple indicators of its internal process: LED lights on the board indicate when a

circuit has been completed, so you can debug the board and circuit independent of what’s happening on

the computer screen.

20

Scratch has a range of features that allow you to monitor programs as they run. Scratch scripts always

highlight while they are running, so you can see which code is being triggered when. If you select single-

stepping mode, each individual block within a script highlights as it runs, allowing for more fine-grained

analysis and debugging.

The Scratch interface also has optional monitors that allow you to see the current values of data stored in

variables and lists. In most other programming languages, data structures are hidden from view, but

Scratch data structures are visible and manipulable, enhancing tinkerability. As a Scratch program runs,

you can watch the variables and lists update in real time. You can also type directly into list monitors,

modifying the values of items in a list, even while a program is running. The goal is to allow Scratchers to

tinker with data — and to gain a better understanding of how the data relate to the rest of the program.

5.2 Fluid Experimentation

The tinkering process is inherently iterative. Tinkerers start by exploring and experimenting, then

revising and refining their goals, plans, and creations. Then they are ready to start a new cycle of

exploring and experimenting, then revising and refining, over and over. The quicker the iteration, the

faster the generation and refinement of ideas. To support this style of interaction, we design our

constructions kits so that it’s easy for people to get started with experimenting — and then easy to

continue experimenting by connecting (and disconnecting and reconnecting) objects within the project.

Easy to Get StEasy to Get StEasy to Get StEasy to Get Startedartedartedarted

One of the biggest challenges in tinkering with technological tools is the time it takes to get started. When

you have an idea you want to express, or some materials you want to experiment with, you want to dive

in right away without spending a lot of time setting up. Electronics projects often require basic

infrastructure to be set up, such as wiring on a breadboard, before you can start interacting with new

parts. Similarly, in programming, some setup code is often required before you can begin expressing new

ideas. In order to support fluid experimentation, we design our kits to minimize these setup processes as

much as possible.

When you launch Scratch, you can start trying things right away. There is a default character (the

Scratch cat), which already has some media to play with: two images that form a walking animation, and

a “meow” sound. You can start programming behaviors for the cat immediately: click the move block and

the cat moves; click the next costume block and the cat animates; click the play sound block and the cat

meows. The blocks start with reasonable default values for their inputs, so you can start playing with the

blocks right away, without filling in any inputs.

MaKey MaKey requires no configuration on the computer because it is a plug-and-play USB device that

appears to the computer to be a standard mouse and keyboard. The system works with any software or

website that responds to keyboard and mouse commands; no special software is needed. The MaKey

MaKey circuit board has a fixed arrangement of inputs mapped to keyboard and mouse events, so it also

needs no configuration before you begin. You can plug the board into the computer and start making

circuits (and keystrokes) right away. Without any setup, you can start experimenting with different

physical materials and make your own physical interface.

Easy to ConnectEasy to ConnectEasy to ConnectEasy to Connect

The tinkerability of a construction kit is determined, to a large degree, by how parts of the construction kit

connect with one another. In designing connectors for our construction kits, we take inspiration from

LEGO bricks: they are easy to snap together and also easy to take apart, and they have just the right

amount of “clutch power” to make structures sturdy. This carefully chosen compromise is what makes

LEGO kits so tinkerable. Plain wooden blocks are easier to stack up but also easier to knock down. At the

other extreme, erector sets are good for making stronger structures, but the structures are more difficult

to put together and take apart. LEGO bricks are in between, enabling quick, iterative experimentation.

In the MaKey MaKey kit, alligator clips are used to attach homemade switches to holes in the circuit

board. The clips are quick and easy to use, so you can rapidly test different connections and swap them

around, but they provide enough mechanical strength to hold together under the strain of gameplay or

musical performance. This makes them more tinkerable than other typical electronics connectors such as

female headers (small holes that wires can be fed into but easily slip out of) or screw terminals (which hold

wires firmly but require a screwdriver to open and close).

In Scratch, the shapes of the programming blocks constrain how the blocks are put together. When you

pull blocks from the palette, it is immediately obvious, from the shapes of the blocks, which blocks can be

connected with one another. Unlike traditional text-based programming languages, there is no obscure

syntax (semicolons, square brackets, etc.) to learn. Instead, the grammar is visual, indicated by the

shapes of the blocks and connectors. Blocks snap together only if the combination make sense. Of course,

21

the blocks might not behave as you intended, but there can be no syntax errors. If blocks snap together,

they are sure to run.

Blocks that take inputs have “sockets” of different shapes, indicating what type of block should go inside.

For example, the move block has an oval socket, indicating that it expects a number as its input. You can

insert any oval-shaped block — such as the block that reports the y-position of the mouse cursor. The

conditional if and if-else and wait-until blocks have a hexagon-shaped input, indicating that they expect a

Boolean (true-false) value as input. For example, you can insert a hexagonal touching? block that reports

(true or false) whether the sprite is touching another sprite (see Figure 1). Some blocks are more tolerant.

The say block, for example, has a square socket indicating that it can take any type of input (a number, a

string, or a Boolean).

The shapes and connectors make it easy to tinker and experiment with the Scratch programming blocks,

just as with LEGO bricks. You can snap blocks together, try them out, then disconnect them and try other

combinations. The cost of experimentation is low. Also, you can leave some blocks (or stacks of blocks)

lying around your workspace (see Figure 2), in case you might want to use them later, just as you would

with LEGO bricks — unlike most programming environments, where you need to keep your workspace tidy

and organized.

5.3 Open Exploration

Supporting immediate feedback and fluid experimentation isn’t enough. It’s also important to enable and

inspire people to explore a diverse array of possibilities. To do that, construction kits must support a wide

variety of materials and a wide variety of genres.

Variety of MaterialsVariety of MaterialsVariety of MaterialsVariety of Materials

Scratch comes bundled with a large library of media intended to spark new project ideas; these media

include images and backgrounds, sound effects and music loops, and sprites with programming scripts

and media already embedded in them. Scratch also provides several ways to create and import your own

media. You can create images with the built-in paint editor, take photos with your computer’s camera, or

record sounds with the built-in recorder. You can also import images and sounds from your hard disk or

the web, simply by dragging and dropping them into Scratch.

Even more important, Scratch provides access to an ever-growing and evolving library of projects created

by other members of the Scratch community. You can grab images, sounds, and scripts from other

projects and integrate them into your own. Everything shared on the Scratch website is covered by the

Creative Commons share-alike license, so community members are free to borrow from one another, as

long as they give credit. Roughly one-third of the 2.5 million projects on the Scratch websites are remixes,

in which one community member built upon the work of another. The website serves as a continuing

source of inspiration, with thousands of new projects shared every day.

Unlike Scratch, MaKey MaKey comes with no materials at all (aside from the circuit board and

connectors). Instead, the kit is designed to encourage you to see the world as your construction kit. You

can make MaKey MaKey circuits and switches out of anything that conducts electricity — food, plants,

pencil drawings, aluminum foil, water, Play-Doh, even your own body. For making structures to support

the circuit, you can use any object or material (insulating or conducting), anything from cardboard to

beach balls to buckets to hats.

Variety of GenresVariety of GenresVariety of GenresVariety of Genres

When starting out, tinkerers often have no clear idea of what they want to make. So construction kits

that support many different genres of projects are useful, providing they offer the flexibility to shift

genres as users iteratively adapt and revise their creations over time.

Unlike many software construction kits (such as Gamemaker and Gamestar Mechanic — which, as their

names suggest, focus explicitly on games), Scratch enables you to create a wide range of different types of

projects, including interactive stories, games, animations, simulations, art, and music. Different parts of

the Scratch construction kit are well tuned for different genres. The paint editor and image-effect blocks

support animation; say and think blocks (for making speech balloons) support stories; collision-detection

and keyboard-interaction blocks support games; pen blocks (to make sprites draw as they move) support

interactive art; mathematical-operation blocks support simulations; and note, instrument, and tempo

blocks support music. Because these tools are all in the same kit, a single Scratch project can blend

together multiple genres. A tinkerer can start working on one type of project and later decide to morph it

into a different genre (or combination of genres) as it develops — for example, transforming an animation

into a game or a simulation into interactive art.

MaKey MaKey also supports creations in a variety of genres, because it can be used to create a controller

for any piece of software that can be controlled with a keyboard. For example, you can create a MaKey

22

Makey interface device to control a video game, a sound synthesizer, a video player, a text editor, a web

browser, a paint program, or even a Scratch project.

6. Tinkering with Tinkerability6. Tinkering with Tinkerability6. Tinkering with Tinkerability6. Tinkering with Tinkerability

In this paper, we have outlined some of our current thinking on how to design construction kits for

tinkerability. But designing construction kits is only part of what’s needed. Even the most tinkerable

construction kit will not be successful unless it is accompanied by the right types of activities, support

materials, facilitation, space, and community. In short, designing contexts for tinkerability is as

important as designing kits for tinkerability.

It is beyond the scope of this paper to examine these issues in depth. But, in closing, we share a short

summary of some key lessons we have learned in designing contexts for tinkerability. These ideas can be

useful for educators who want to support young people in the process of designing and tinkering.

Emphasize process over product. While making something is an important part of the tinkering process,

too much emphasis on the final product can undermine the experimentation that is at the heart of

tinkering. Here are some ways to highlight process: document and discuss intermediate stages, failed

experiments, and sources of inspiration.

Set themes, not challenges. Rather than posing challenges to solve (as is typical in many design

workshops), propose themes to explore. Select workshop themes that are broad enough to give everyone

freedom to work on projects that they care about, but specific enough to foster a sense of shared

experience among participants (Rusk, Resnick, Berg, & Pezalla-Granlund, 2008). For example, we might

ask workshop participants to design an interactive card for a holiday celebration.

Highlight diverse examples. Show sample projects that illustrate the wide diversity of what’s possible,

provoking people to think divergently. Keep examples and documentation on display for continuing

inspiration.

Tinker with space. Consider how you might rearrange or relocate, to open new possibilities for exploration

and collaboration. For example, how can the arrangement of tables and screens help people see each

other’s work? How can the arrangement of materials encourage clever and unexpected combinations?

Encourage engagement with people, not just materials. In addition to having a “conversation with the

material,” tinkerers also benefit from having conversations (and collaborations) with other people.

Pose questions instead of giving answers. Resist the urge to explain too much or fix problems. Instead,

support tinkerers in their explorations by asking questions, pointing out interesting phenomena, and

wondering aloud about alternative possibilities.

Combine diving in with stepping-back. While it is valuable for tinkerers to immerse themselves in the

process of making, it is also important for them to step back and reflect upon the process.

Our goal is to provide everyone — of all ages, backgrounds, and interests — with new opportunities to learn

through tinkering. To do this well, we ourselves need to remain engaged as tinkerers (and meta-

tinkerers), playfully experimenting with new ways to design for tinkerability. We see this paper as just a

start. We plan to continue to tinker with and iterate ideas and technologies, continuing to refine our

thinking about the nature of tinkering and strategies for enhancing it.

AcknowledgmentsAcknowledgmentsAcknowledgmentsAcknowledgments

Many members of the Lifelong Kindergarten research group at the MIT Media Lab contributed to the ideas

and projects discussed in this paper. We are grateful to Seymour Papert and Sherry Turkle, who have

deeply influenced the ways we think about tinkering and learning.

References

Brennan, K., & Resnick, M. (2012). Imagining, creating, playing, sharing, reflecting: How online

community supports young people as designers of interactive media. In N. Lavigne & C. Mouza (Eds.),

Emerging technologies for the classroom: A learning sciences perspective. Springer.

Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educational

Researcher, 18(1), 32–42.

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Hancock, C. (2003). Real-time programming and the big ideas of computational literacy. Doctoral

dissertation. MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA.

Levi-Strauss, C. (1966). The savage mind. Chicago: University of Chicago.

Maloney, J., Resnick, M., Rusk, N., Silverman, B., & Eastmond, E. (2010). The Scratch Programming

Language and Environment. ACM Transactions on Computing Education (TOCE), vol. 10, no. 4.

Papert, S. (1980). Mindstorms: Children, computers, and powerful ideas. New York: Basic Books.

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Papert, S. (1993). The children's machine: Rethinking school in the age of the computer. NewYork: Basic

Books.

Resnick, M. (2007). All I really need to know (about creative thinking) I learned (by studying how

children learn) in kindergarten. Paper presented at the ACM Creativity & Cognition conference,

Washington DC, June 2007. Proceedings of the ACM Creativity & Cognition Conference. New York: ACM.

Resnick, M., Maloney, J., Monroy-Hernandez, A., Rusk, N., Eastmond, E., Brennan, K., Millner, A.,

Rosenbaum, E., Silver, J., Silverman, B., & Kafai, Y. (2009). Scratch: Programming for all.

Communications of the ACM, 52(11), 60–67.

Rusk, N., Resnick, M., Berg, R., & Pezalla-Granlund, M. (2008). New pathways into robotics: Strategies

for broadening participation. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 17(1), 59–69.

Silver, J., & Rosenbaum, E. (2012). Makey Makey: Improvising tangible and nature-based user

interfaces. Paper presented at the Sixth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded and Embodied

Interaction, Queen’s Human Media Lab, Kingston, Ontario, February 19–22, 2012. Proceedings of the

International Conference on Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction. New York: ACM.

Schoen, D. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. London: Maurice

Temple Smith Ltd.

Turkle, S., & Papert, S. (1990). Epistemological pluralism. Signs, 16(1).

24

Welcome to the world of media! The three R’s: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic

Of all target groups, children are probably the most difficult to reach, because they can be

devastatingly honest and critical. Many companies find it difficult to find the right way of

reaching children and young people. Which products work and which don’t? What should you be

wary of if you want to reach children and young people and why is this target group different?

Do you want to reach children with your marketing activities? Then you’ll first need

to understand how this group functions and what makes

them tick. Once you’ve understood that, you’ll understand a

lot better how you can win the interest of youth in your

company or brand.

ChasmChasmChasmChasm

One of the spearheads of kids communication is cross-media

thinking. Children use many platforms. They’ll make use of

anything that’s available. If you want to earn a logical place

within the daily life of a child, then you need to be visible on

multiple platforms. The cross-media concept can encompass

both on and offline activities. You’re no longer just dealing

with Generation X. The youth of today is Generation Y, a

generation that’s grown up with computers and the

internet. This is becoming described as “digital is the new

standard” and there is talk of “the chasm between

Generation Y, the digital natives, and Generation X, the

digital immigrants.” It all means that Generation Y has

grown up with all manner of digital tools and sees digital

communication as being a perfectly normal part of daily life.

The big problem is that many marketeers (mostly members

of Generation X) don’t understand how to reach Generation

Y.

By looking at practical examples, it’s possible to discover

what the most effective means of communication is with

this new generation. In the TIKKIT project, for instance,

children from the ages of 8 to 12 are stimulated through the

use of exciting games and fun competitions to discover what

there is to see in different musea. The project makes use of a

new approach. Instead of just leading the target group to

the landing page, it’s also approached on the platforms that

children already frequent. The games aren’t only playable

on the TIKKIT landing page, but also on Hyves and the Spil Games game platforms

Spelletjes.nl, Spel.nl and Girlsgogames.nl. An intelligent media choice.

It’s important not just to place games on Hyves but also to take the dynamics of Hyves into consideration. What do children do there? They’re very aware of their own status and communicate with friends. It’s a communication platform for children under 12 years old, which makes it unique. The gameplay of various games in the TIKKIT universe was changed to reflect the fact that they were being played on Hyves. For instance, children could make monsters by mixing liquids in test tubes and then place pictures of them on their profile pages. The version on the Spil platforms was less involved, more like a racing game. All elements displayed within the games are linked to a museum. The main platform for TIKKIT has been kept intentionally small and more attention has been paid to the visibility within Hyves, running the communication campaigns there.

25

PaperPaperPaperPaper

Apart from the various platforms, TIKKIT also has an Augmented Reality (AR card)

card called the TIKKIT treasure card. This card has a special function within the

games. Children can pick this card up for free at one of the seventy musea that have

taken part in this project. There’s a unique code on the card, which, when the card is

held in front of a webcam, enables a 3D model to be viewed. The AR card has been

shown to be the perfect connection between the virtual and the physical worlds.

Because of the unique code, children feel special and they can make something virtual

out of something physical. Children nowadays also want to do something, not just

discover things. The combination of on and offline communication seemed to be the

perfect solution. Children with a card receive a letter and the rest discover the project

via Hyves and Spil Games.

“A presence on multiple platforms is

essential.”

TangibleTangibleTangibleTangible

To reach your target group online, it’s important that your project is visible on

multiple platforms. Young children are mostly found on Hyves. In order to setup a

profile on Facebook, the user has to be thirteen years old. Therefore, the youngest

members of the target group won’t be reachable via this medium. However, many

children are members of game platforms. You can reach children offline by using

tangible products. Make sure to choose offline tools which fit with your online

activities.

As you can see in this example, an integral approach for your cross-media concept is

essential. That is true for most communication activities and it’s no different for

communication with children. Games and quizzes that you implement, the places that

children can play these games and the on and offline promotion should all form a

seamless whole.

26

WordWordWordWord

The quality of your activities is also extremely important. Make sure that the product

works and is well put together. Children are digital natives and are very critical.

They’ll immediately see if something doesn’t quite work. If something in your online

games is not clear or too difficult, the chances are small that they’ll try another of the

games available. They’ve disappeared before you know it, before you’ve had the chance

to introduce them to your company or brand. Games and quizzes in which a child plays

a role are the most popular, games which are too complicated are not as popular.

It’s also important to take the distribution channels or, in other words, the places

where you’ll launch the games, seriously. Should you choose the wrong channel for

your game, you’ll risk missing your target group. Research where your target group

hangs out (Spil Games, Hyves, Facebook or other platforms), how they behave there

and what they want. Especially engage them in conversation, and don’t pretend your

company is anything other than what it is. Keep your

replies consistent and if you promise something, make

sure to keep your word.

As you saw from the example, a physical letter, with

the child’s name on it, including an exclusive code

works well. The conversion rates for this can be very

high. Bannering is a good method to raise awareness.

Make banners which are directed towards children:

jolly, funny and as interactive as possible.

BonusesBonusesBonusesBonuses

You’ll need to keep children who you’ve managed to

attract to your brand interested and connected. The

concentration span of children is very short. You don’t

stay top of mind for long. You therefore need to think of

something to keep them engaged and give them an

reason to return.

Children are very loyal, but want to be kept busy with

new things. You can do this by offering new content.

“Pay attention to the

concentration span of

children.”

This can be achieved by offering new games and quizzes, but can also include opening a

dialogue with them, sharing tips and tricks, organising small events and posting the

results (video, photos) online. Create plenty of content that interests the children.

You’ll reach them by giving them things to do and discover. The connection between

the virtual and the physical world is an important part of this, but the most important

thing is to make it fun for the children.

COLOFONCOLOFONCOLOFONCOLOFON

Celine Enuma, Communication at IJsfontein, www.ijsfontein.nl, (020) 330 01 11

If you are going to approach children using games, you have to keep to certain rules. You’ll find these in the Kinder- en Jeugdreclamecode (KJC) or Children and Youth Advertising Guidelines. Here are a few examples of the rules surrounding the collection of personal details from children and teenagers:

• You must do everything possible to inform the child and/or his/her parent of the reason as to why you are requesting these personal details. This information should be freely available and understandable for the child.

• If you are using a game, offering a prize or other activity to promote your product, you’re not allowed to request more information than is absolutely necessary to be able to win the prize, play the game, etc.

• For certain types of usage of personal details, the parents or carers of a child must give their permission if that child is under 16.

27

Spotlight on Carla Fisher, No Crusts InteractiveSpotlight on Carla Fisher, No Crusts InteractiveSpotlight on Carla Fisher, No Crusts InteractiveSpotlight on Carla Fisher, No Crusts Interactive Exclusive Interviews, Online

by Clelia Rivera on August 28, 2012

Carla Fisher is the President and Founder of No Crusts Interactive, which focuses on design,

production, and research of children’s educational tech with particular emphasis on games.

What made you passionate about video games?What made you passionate about video games?What made you passionate about video games?What made you passionate about video games?

I’ve always loved games, even made them when I was a kid. I had a strange obsession with fortune

telling games (I only wish I knew what my 10-year old self projected as fortunes back then!) But it

wasn’t until after college that I found a career in games, when I was working at Highlights for

Children. We were cranking out 2-3 games a month at times, all educational, and all for children, and

I fell in love with the possibilities. Children are naturally curious. Games have incredible

opportunities for fostering that curiosity, especially when it comes to education, and that’s what I

love exploring time and time again.

How did you enter the video game industry?How did you enter the video game industry?How did you enter the video game industry?How did you enter the video game industry?

I started in children’s media at Highlights for Children magazine, where I spent several years

developing games and managing the community for HighlightsKids.com. Later, I moved to PBS KIDS

and Sesame Workshop to produce interactive content, including a classroom initiative for struggling

readers. During this time, I also earned a master’s degree in media studies and a doctorate in

education. Over time, I found myself advising developers about design principles for children, and

began speaking about the subject at various gaming conferences. A few years ago, I was asked to join

the design team of the Sesame Street Nintendo games, which led to the founding of No Crusts

Interactive.

Can you tell us about No Crusts Interactive? How has it helped further educational game Can you tell us about No Crusts Interactive? How has it helped further educational game Can you tell us about No Crusts Interactive? How has it helped further educational game Can you tell us about No Crusts Interactive? How has it helped further educational game

production?production?production?production?

No Crusts Interactive is a children’s digital game design firm specializing in creating

developmentally appropriate, educational interactive experiences. We design games for children of

all ages on all platforms, from iPhone apps to Flash-based Web games, to console video games. Our

clients include Sesame Workshop, Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment, HarperCollins

Children, and Museum of Modern Art, among others.

Part of our company’s mission is to help game designers make better games for kids by sharing

research and design principles.

There is often a perception that games for kids mean bigger buttons, shorter words, and watered-

down game mechanics. But children have unique cognitive and physical needs that have to be taken

into account in order to make successful, quality kids games.

By bridging academia and industry to share the latest research, we hope to contribute to an overall

improvement in the quality of children’s games and a greater value for the kinds of games we

produce.

How have your past career experiences helped you in your current position?How have your past career experiences helped you in your current position?How have your past career experiences helped you in your current position?How have your past career experiences helped you in your current position?

It’s been a long, windy road, but perhaps the best way to think about it is that all of my past career

experiences have all been in service of making better brands and interactive products, from research

and development, to production, to marketing and deployment. At No Crusts Interactive, we’re

putting together all of those pieces to make thoughtfully-designed games.

How have smartphones and tablets affected the game market?How have smartphones and tablets affected the game market?How have smartphones and tablets affected the game market?How have smartphones and tablets affected the game market?

That’s a huge question. Touchscreen are introducing a whole new ballgame, especially in games for

kids. For us, the most exciting thing is that touchscreen technologies mean more cognitively and

physically accessible games for kids. The computer screen and the mouse are incredibly hard for

preschoolers to use, and for a long time they were all we had to work with. Touchscreens are so much

easier and more immediate. The research told us that the mouse and computer screen were

28

cognitively challenging for kids, even in the 90s, but now that touchscreens are widely available,

we’re finally being able to overcome that.

What qualities do successful children’s games share?What qualities do successful children’s games share?What qualities do successful children’s games share?What qualities do successful children’s games share?

I hesitate to say that all successful children’s games must do any one thing, but there are a few

things that I look to when I’m evaluating children’s games — or making them for that matter.

Usability is obviously something that should be considered.

We always think it’s critical to recognize that kids are different from adults, cognitively and

physically, and to make that understanding core to the design.

Whether it’s larger hotspots, thoughtful educational scaffolding, or voiceover for non-readers, seeing

that a developer has thought in depth about their audience is always a good sign.

On a larger level, I think the most successful children’s games foster exploration and avoid the trap

of becoming “electronic flashcards.” Games are a great way to support things like critical thinking

skills, STEM learning (science, technology, engineering, and math), and exploratory play. There is

definitely a place for the ABCs and 123s, but there are also games that challenge children to observe

and interact with worlds, cooperate with one another (or with their parents) and practice things like

trial and error. And of course great narrative and characters can enrich that experience and make it

even more enjoyable for the user.

How is designing children’s games diffeHow is designing children’s games diffeHow is designing children’s games diffeHow is designing children’s games different than games for an older audience?rent than games for an older audience?rent than games for an older audience?rent than games for an older audience?

Kids have different cognitive and physical needs. They’re developing skills that we take for granted,

including fine motor skills. Ever try moving the mouse with your non-dominant hand? That’s one

way to think about a child’s developing skills. Or how about the last time you skimmed through a

differential equations text?

Kids games are also often driven by curriculum, which means we have to not only answer to a

commercial bottom line, but also an educational one. Balancing these with creating a fun experience

can be challenging, and is different than just thinking about what mechanic is the most “fun” in

some abstract way.

However, there is a lot that we as children’s developers can learn from games designed for an older

audience. I recently gave a talk at SxSW 2012 entitled, “What Left 4 Dead Can Teach Us About Kids

Games.” Left 4 Dead is a zombie, apocalyptic, first person shooter, and in no way appropriate for

children. Yet the game features amazingly well-designed cooperative play, a skill that children need

to practice as well as adults. So it’s important to be open to inspiration from a wide range of sources,

while drawing from the knowledge we have about child development to make sure what we’re doing

is appropriate.

What is a common mistake developers make when creating children’s games? How can it be What is a common mistake developers make when creating children’s games? How can it be What is a common mistake developers make when creating children’s games? How can it be What is a common mistake developers make when creating children’s games? How can it be

avoided?avoided?avoided?avoided?

One mistake that developers commonly make when developing games for child is also a common

error in developing games for adults — cluttering the screen with unnecessary design elements.

Sometimes it can be hard to eliminate aspects of a design that make a screen look “pretty,” but

children need a simple, directive design even more than adults. The cleaner the screen, the better. So

take out the frills, and keep only the text and images needed to play. This will encourage easier

usability from the start.

How can research benefit game development?How can research benefit game development?How can research benefit game development?How can research benefit game development?

There’s two aspects to research — knowing what has been done before and then testing the things

that are new to your particular product. We spend loads of time keeping up on the research to know

what has been done elsewhere so that we’re not investing time and energy in reinventing the wheel.

But once we know what has been done and use that to inform the design, we also employ playtesting.

In many cases, we observe users interacting with the games rather than ask for direct feedback.

(Our users are often still developing their language skills anyway, so we’re as likely to hear about

29

their stuffed hippo as we are to hear their thoughts on the game.) This way, we not only find out if

the children are enjoying themselves and picking up what they’re supposed to be learning, but we

also see them interacting with the device. This can be really revelatory, both in terms of usability

issues (realizing we shouldn’t have put that button there!) or even seeing children pursue a different

objective than the one we’d designed, like collecting objects rather than completing a level.

What are No Crusts Interactive’s plans for the futWhat are No Crusts Interactive’s plans for the futWhat are No Crusts Interactive’s plans for the futWhat are No Crusts Interactive’s plans for the future?ure?ure?ure?

At No Crusts Interactive, we continue to provide design, creative, curriculum, and usability insight

to children’s interactive products while incubating a number of our own projects.

30

Virtueel PlatformVirtueel PlatformVirtueel PlatformVirtueel Platform

What gets in tWhat gets in tWhat gets in tWhat gets in the way of United Stories he way of United Stories he way of United Stories he way of United Stories

At the Cinekid Festival, Virtueel Platform presents a publication of the main

conclusions of three investigations into the current transmedia practice in the

Netherlands. The main goal was to come to recommendations to improve the

conditions for cultural transmedia productions in the Netherlands.

Our use of media is changing, this is no news. More and more often we access various media

platforms simultaneously to collect information, while media organizations (newspapers,

broadcasters) also operate on different platforms at the same time. Transmedia storytelling is a

creative answer to this convergence culture.

The term transmedia is in fairly common use in the Netherlands. Examples of recent

interesting Dutch transmedial projects are Human Birdwings, by Floris Kaayk, H.S.C.

Mercurius, by Spektor Storytelling, Raveleijn, by the Efteling, Hoe Overleef Ik…by AVRO and

author Francine Oomen.

Working transmedially is a way to create one coherent story world using different media

platforms complementary. Think of a film of which the story world can be explored in a game,

and that is given background in a set of comics; or a book of which the characters have an

online identity and communicate with fans. For many media makers it is no longer an exotic

idea to develop a story over different platforms. Also the audience has become acquainted with

the possibility of stories continuing on the web or via social media after the broadcast of the

main events on TV.

There is no standard model for transmedia projects: every theme, every narrative starting

point demands its own manner of applying new media next to older ones. But games,

interaction and digital media often play a key role with an online environment as a centre or

meeting place. For makers of e-culture, transmedial production is an important emerging

practice. This is why Virtueel Platform chose transmedia as one of its key themes in 2012.

ResearchResearchResearchResearch

An interesting and many-faced practice has emerged, that generates beautiful and innovative

projects. But it is also clear that those who want to realize projects with a more cultural

inclination (for which collaboration between public and private partners seem logical) have to

undertake complicated detours to pull their project of the ground.

Virtueel Platforms investigation consists of three parts. The first part is a field research among

pre-eminent Dutch makers into what are the interesting possibilities of transmedial ways of

working. This part also goes into the obstacles they come across when trying to realize their

works. Interviews with seven innovating makers on the opportunities and the impediments of

working transmedially are included in the publication.

In order to gain more operational knowledge, Virtueel Platform undertook a second

experimental trajectory. With illustrator Sieb Posthuma they explored how his character Rintje

could be cast in a transmedial form. What parties should play a role in developing the content

and the production and how should the project be constructed financially? This investigation

led to two possible scenarios: one public-private scenario, in collaboration with a broadcast

organization and a publisher; and one wholly private scenario with the publisher as primary

partner.

Through this investigation Virtueel Platform gained a view of what is possible and what is

complicated when a project is funded through both public (broadcasters, culture funds) and

31

private (of commercial enterprises) means. Then they asked Monica Bremer, lawyer and

specialist in the area of public-private collaborations to take a closer look at how the Dutch

Media Act and the regulations of the cultural funds facilitate or obstruct transmedial practices.

She formulated some recommendations to help overcome the hindrances.

ReReReRecommendationscommendationscommendationscommendations

The results of the three investigations and the concluding recommendations were discussed

with the main stakeholders (makers, funds, festivals, sector institutes, educational

organizations) in the cultural field around transmedia practices.

This is a concise summary:

> For the Dutch culture funds:> For the Dutch culture funds:> For the Dutch culture funds:> For the Dutch culture funds: (the Netherlands Film fund, the Media fund, the Dutch

Foundation for Literature, the Creative Industries Fund) Collaborate with the other funds in

order to align the application systems and the budgetary frameworks: this would allow a

transmedia project to apply for subsidies for its different constituting elements at different

funds according to the same logic.

Next to this, develop the possibility for transmedia projects ask for support as one entire whole

at the collective funds. The commission that would discuss such a request would have to consist

of members of all different collaborating funds.

Of course expertise to judge the quality of transmedia proposals is required within every fund.

> For the Dutch Media Authority and de Dutch Media Act: > For the Dutch Media Authority and de Dutch Media Act: > For the Dutch Media Authority and de Dutch Media Act: > For the Dutch Media Authority and de Dutch Media Act: Open an information and

examination desk where third parties and non-broadcasters can also have their plans for

public-private collaborations checked.

Simplify the rules for public-private collaborations and investigate the possibilities of a system

in which public-private projects are required to announce their collaborations beforehand, but

are only randomly tested for their juridical soundness. This would come instead of the current

system in which every public-private collaboration has to get an explicit permission before it

may be effected, a process that takes at least eight weeks.

Create a space for experimentation with more open rules for cultural public-private

collaborations, to make the Dutch rules align more with the European rules of the MEDIA

program.

> For makers: > For makers: > For makers: > For makers: Share you knowledge with other makers. Especially the knowledge on production

methods, financing, and businessmodels is essential for the further development of a flowering

transmedial practice.

Before applying for subsidies, choose whether you want to ask for support as one entire project

with one fund, or as different parts at different funds. If the funds will implement the scheme

suggested above, it will be possible to ask for support as one entire project at the combined

funds. But: if an application is then turned down, this applies to the whole of the project.

Collaborate with educational institutions for smaller or pilot projects. By sharing and

developing knowledge with students, the group of experienced transmedia makers grows

healthily.

> For educational institutions: > For educational institutions: > For educational institutions: > For educational institutions: Develop curricula in which students can learn to develop the

scenarios for participtory stories for transmedia productions. Stimulate the developments of

skills of ‘story architects’ that understand the production logistics and content of different

disciplines that are part of the transmedia project.

> For festivals and sector institutes:> For festivals and sector institutes:> For festivals and sector institutes:> For festivals and sector institutes: organize, facilitate and stimulate

meeting places where makers and other stake holding parties can come together to exchange

knowledge and ideas on transmedial ways of working.

32

\Colophon

Stichting CinekidStichting CinekidStichting CinekidStichting Cinekid Phone: +31 20 531 7890Phone: +31 20 531 7890Phone: +31 20 531 7890Phone: +31 20 531 7890

KleineKleineKleineKleine----Gartmanplantsoen 21Gartmanplantsoen 21Gartmanplantsoen 21Gartmanplantsoen 21 Fax: +31 20 531 7899Fax: +31 20 531 7899Fax: +31 20 531 7899Fax: +31 20 531 7899

1017 RP Amsterdam1017 RP Amsterdam1017 RP Amsterdam1017 RP Amsterdam Email: info@cinekid.nlEmail: info@cinekid.nlEmail: info@cinekid.nlEmail: info@cinekid.nl

The NetherlandsThe NetherlandsThe NetherlandsThe Netherlands www.cinekid.nlwww.cinekid.nlwww.cinekid.nlwww.cinekid.nl

Board of Directors: Board of Directors: Board of Directors: Board of Directors: Michiel Buitelaar (Chairman), Niels Baas, Eline Danker, Paul van der Linden, Sabine

Veenendaal

Festival Director / Festival Programmer Festival Director / Festival Programmer Festival Director / Festival Programmer Festival Director / Festival Programmer ---- Film: Film: Film: Film: Sannette Naeyé

CoCoCoCo----Programmer FilmProgrammer FilmProgrammer FilmProgrammer Film / Project Manager Film: / Project Manager Film: / Project Manager Film: / Project Manager Film: Erik Tijman

Festival Programmer Festival Programmer Festival Programmer Festival Programmer ---- Television: Television: Television: Television: Fleur Winters

Festival Programmer Festival Programmer Festival Programmer Festival Programmer ---- New Media / Crossmedia: New Media / Crossmedia: New Media / Crossmedia: New Media / Crossmedia: Paulien Dresscher

Project Manager: Project Manager: Project Manager: Project Manager: Elly Engel

Business Executive: Business Executive: Business Executive: Business Executive: Jurriaan Rammeloo

Marketing and Communication Officer: Marketing and Communication Officer: Marketing and Communication Officer: Marketing and Communication Officer: Dennis van Rijswijk

Cinekid for Professionals 2011

Head Cinekid for Professionals: Head Cinekid for Professionals: Head Cinekid for Professionals: Head Cinekid for Professionals: Fleur Winters

Senior Producer Junior CoSenior Producer Junior CoSenior Producer Junior CoSenior Producer Junior Co----production Market: production Market: production Market: production Market: Allison Cody

Head of the Guest Department: Head of the Guest Department: Head of the Guest Department: Head of the Guest Department: Mirte Engelhard

Conference CoConference CoConference CoConference Co----ordinator & Producer CfP: ordinator & Producer CfP: ordinator & Producer CfP: ordinator & Producer CfP: Cathelijne Berghouwer

ScreeningClub CoScreeningClub CoScreeningClub CoScreeningClub Co----ordinator: ordinator: ordinator: ordinator: Fred de Haas

Producer ScreeningClub: Producer ScreeningClub: Producer ScreeningClub: Producer ScreeningClub: Lotte van den Berg

Junior Producer:Junior Producer:Junior Producer:Junior Producer: Patrick Evertse

Junior ProducerJunior ProducerJunior ProducerJunior Producer: Sanne Scholing

CoCoCoCo----oooordinator Expert Meeting: rdinator Expert Meeting: rdinator Expert Meeting: rdinator Expert Meeting: Jenny Booms

Production Manager: Production Manager: Production Manager: Production Manager: Cro Lampe

Guest Desk: Guest Desk: Guest Desk: Guest Desk: Amber Nefkens

Car seCar seCar seCar service: rvice: rvice: rvice: Sanne Bais

Main Sponsors Cinekid 2012

Bernard van Leer Foundation, De Volkskrant, Zapp, Mondriaan Fonds.Bernard van Leer Foundation, De Volkskrant, Zapp, Mondriaan Fonds.Bernard van Leer Foundation, De Volkskrant, Zapp, Mondriaan Fonds.Bernard van Leer Foundation, De Volkskrant, Zapp, Mondriaan Fonds.

Sponsors Cinekid 2012Sponsors Cinekid 2012Sponsors Cinekid 2012Sponsors Cinekid 2012

Art Support, PlayMais, Beamsystems, Cam-A-Lot, Cineco, Eye international, Fedex, Festival tickets, Fiep

Westendorp Foundation, Film*Techniek Rotterdam, High5!, H&S Computerservices, IJsfontein, Lloyd

Hotel, NPO Sales, NTR, Virtueel Platform, Westergasfabriek, Wim Pel Productions, UPC Nederland, Zapp.

Cinekid 2012 has been made possibleCinekid 2012 has been made possibleCinekid 2012 has been made possibleCinekid 2012 has been made possible

with the financial support of:with the financial support of:with the financial support of:with the financial support of:

Amsterdams Fund for the Arts, City of Amsterdam, Fiep Westendorp Foundation, Fonds voor

Cultuurparticipatie, MEDIA programma van de Europese Unie, Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en

Wetenschappen, Nederlands Filmfonds, SNS Reaal Fonds, Mondriaan Fonds.

CinekCinekCinekCinekid for Professionals 2012 is supported by id for Professionals 2012 is supported by id for Professionals 2012 is supported by id for Professionals 2012 is supported by :

The Dutch Film Fund and the MEDIA Programme of the European Union.

Cinekid for Professionals 2012Cinekid for Professionals 2012Cinekid for Professionals 2012Cinekid for Professionals 2012

has been made possible by:has been made possible by:has been made possible by:has been made possible by:

Bernard van Leer Foundation, Wim Pel Productions, IJsfontein, NTR, Virtueel Platform, Eye

International, Zapp, NTR, DDG, Lloyd Hotel, Netwerk Scenarioschrijvers, Norwegian Film Institute, ACE,

The Children’s Media Conference, Power to the Pixel, EAVE, Mijn Kind Online, AIM, Primehouse.

33

Cinekid for Professionals wishes to thank:

OUR PARTNERS:

34

\Notes