Color design in application interfaces for children

Abstract

AbstractThis study investigated the effect of age and application type on the color design of user interfaces for children's applications. We collected 223 popular children's applications from the Apple App Store, focusing on children of three age groups (3‐5, 6‐8, and 9‐11 years old). There were two types of applications: educational applications and game applications. To explore further and compare the differences between children and adults, we also collected color data on 58 adult applications (29 educational applications and 29 game applications). Due to the characteristics of the specific model, this article selects the HSB (Hue, Saturate, Bright) color model—which is composed of hue, saturation, and brightness, with a high degree of matching with the color vision of the human eye—to analyze the color of the application interfaces. According to the statistics, in terms of hue, different types of application interfaces use different frequencies of colors. Multicolor educational application interfaces use cool colors, such as blue; multicolor game application interfaces use warm colors, such as red and orange; and so on. In terms of saturation, the frequency of high saturation in children's user interfaces is higher than that in adult user interfaces. In terms of brightness, children's application interfaces often use brighter colors. We also compared the statistical results with traditional color cognitive conclusions and discussed the possible reasons.