Interaction design research with adolescents: methodological challenges and best practices

  • Authors:
  • Erika S. Poole;Tamara Peyton

  • Affiliations:
  • Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA;Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Interaction Design and Children
  • Year:
  • 2013

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Abstract

Adolescents represent nearly one-fifth of the planet's population, yet the interaction design literature offers little guidance on the unique needs, opportunities, and challenges of designing for this age group. In this paper, we provide guidance on interaction design with adolescents, grounded in methodological and behavioral sciences literature. We clarify what adolescence is and what the needs of adolescents are with respect to their cognitive, emotional, social, and physical changes. We present and discuss common pitfalls that can occur in research and design projects involving adolescent populations. We single out of video data gathering methods as a particularly apropos approach to understanding teen populations and offer up an overview our own approach to videography, called 'mobile video collage'. We conclude with a call to the field of interaction design and children to better understand the unique position, needs and values of adolescents.