The Practice of Involving Children in the Design of Kids’ Apps : A Study of Market Oriented Child Culture Production

Abstract: This thesis discusses the practice of involving children in the production of kids’ apps in order to gain an understanding of how notions of children and childhood are being shaped by and shape this practice. This is achieved through a narrative analysis of interviews with five design and research professionals from the kids’ apps industry. The informants express a strong moral obligation to create quality experiences for the child user. Children are portrayed as with agency and competence in shaping and sharing their views on the world, but also as dependent of adults’ good intentions when it comes to the design of consumer products. A common belief is that when creating quality products for children, adults need to consult children to gain insight into their different physical and cognitive capabilities as well as their culture and ways of making meaning of the world.