“The Kids Want Mobile!” Or what can be learned at the children's application developers conference

In April, I happened to be in Berlin and managed to combine business with pleasure: visit “The Kids Want Mobile!”. Now my head is occupied by the thoughts of such guys as Christoph Niemann (illustrator, its applications are published by Fox & Sheep), Darran Garnham (Commercial Director Moshi Monsters), Thijs Bosma (TribePlay), Thomas Bleyer (Ravensburger Digital), Barry O'Neill (StoryToys), Oleg Stavitsky (psychedelic Bubl), Michael Elman (creative director of Budge Studios), Stefan Bielau (co-founder of Dynamo Partners), Kika Gilbert (Tinybop, and the first Apple app called 2013 app), Chris Haughton (a brilliant illustrator, his children's books are published more than in 15 languages), Anttu Harlin (Gigglebug Entertainment), Verena Delius and Moritz Hohl (founders of Fox & Sheep).

They told in secret that even before the idea of ​​the application, you should know three things, if you want it to be successful. First, how will you ensure that the application is of high quality in all areas: design, interactive, work speed, etc. Second, you need to figure out how to optimize it for marketing and promotion. And third: you must clearly know where and how you will promote and advertise it. Without these three components do not even come up with an idea for the application.
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From the 12 hour flow of information, which, however, was interrupted by wonderful afternoon tea and lunch, I will try to briefly outline the main points. Recalling the teaching methods of Yitzhak Pintosevich, one can call them the “10 commandments and the main secret of the development of children's applications”.

1. The application should be as simple and intuitive to the child as possible. Try to keep the number of texts to a minimum in order to get rid of the limitation of language localizations.
2. Do the main orientation of the application to the game moments. In applications, interactivity is more important than the story itself, as opposed to print publications.
3. Characters should be well remembered, potentially having the ability to model their character and emotions through facial gestures and movements. It is necessary to develop characters not as for one story, but as if for the whole series.
4. The presence of a children's focus group is considered mandatory. You need to observe how the children of the focal age group work with the tablet, and develop applications based on these observations in the first place.
   
   If a child can't understand our way of learning, maybe we should use the way he uses?
   
   
5. Clearly define the orientation to the age audience. Kids 2-4 years old are playing with the tablet with their parents. Children over 4–7 years old play on their own, but often resort to the help of parents. Children over 7 years old do not allow parents to their games.
   
   One of the most important motivations for parents to buy a tablet for a child is to free up personal time.
   
   
6. Many children cannot read, but can speak and understand speech. Therefore, use voice prompts. In most cases, the sound when the game is on. Parents turn off the sound only if it is intrusive, harsh or irritable.
7. Try to make the application give positive emotions, make the player happier. To do this, encourage the player to receive awards: visual effects (salute, applause) and virtual prizes (stars, cups, medals, sweets). The most effective way to make the player happier is to make him laugh and laugh.
8. Use innovative device capabilities in applications. When developing, try to focus on new devices, and do not try to support old ones. Market trends suggest that most people acquire new devices and update old ones.
9. Use devices not only for the image of objects of the real world. Model an environment that can only be created and known using this device. Create applications that expand the imagination, show what is not in the real world, and do not imitate it.
10. Use the technological capabilities of the device for the controls (gyroscope, compass, built-in camera), this enhances the interactivity of the application and makes it more fun.

The main secret of a potentially commercially successful application works while respecting the commandments described. And it lies in the design of additional ways to monetize the application. They can be: the purchase of new stories, slides, embedded games and additional characters. Set a small amount of monetization, focus on the income from a large conversion.

You cannot use cash equivalents in children's applications, such as buying additional game coins or any other game resources for money. Otherwise, you will cause a conflict not only between the parents and the developers, but also between the parents and the children themselves. Remember, children are our everything! Try your application to make them better, smarter and happier.