Create your own adventure with Kazoops

Kazoops is an animated preschool series that follows the adventures of Monty, an inquisitive six-year-old with a vivid imagination, and the family pet pig Jimmy Jones. The series encourages children, through imaginary adventures, to challenge the workings of the world.

A partnership between Cypha and the creators of Kazoops, Cheeky Little Media, was the catalyst for the creation of the Monty's World app.

Built on the Little Animator platform, The Monty's World app needed to be aimed at children aged 4-7 to match the animated series target demographic, and provide both entertainment and education to children while being simple enough for them to use without the need for help.

The Challenge

The primary challenge of this project was deciding what style of game would be produced based on the brand story, internal research and our experience in designing and developing game platforms for a younger audience. We also wanted to build on the concept of imaginative play and challenging the preconceptions of the world imposed on Monty throughout the shows 50 plus episodes.

A key consideration on this project was creating user flows and navigation controls that weren’t too complex for a 4 year old to navigate and understand without adult intervention. Also, incorporating the branding and design language from Kazoops into a harmonious enjoyable experience was key.

The on boarding experience was also crucial to the process to ensure there were no barriers to user download and play.

The Process

Research

Initially a survey was conducted with parents who had children in the age bracket we were targeting. We were intending to find out what the behaviours were of both children and parents and what they valued within an app such as this.

After deciding on a ‘Scene Building’ style game, competitor analysis was also done to ensure that we were pushing the boundaries of this particular game format and that we were offering something more immersive than what was currently available.

Wireframe

During the wireframe and prototyping stage, a big focus was put on the user flows and how to best indicate to the user how to get around and which screens could be accessed at any given time.

Next, the game play was focused on to provide the most entertainment for the child without being overwhelming while also encouraging their creativity. A drawer style bottom navigation element was chosen, displaying various levels, as this was thought to be the easiest way to display such a large number of items without the user needing to endlessly scroll for items. The drawer would be able to be minimised also, to increase space for game play. We also kept the amount of icons on the screen to a bare minimum for the same reason.

Avoiding errors was a key thought at all times so providing informational feedback at all times was also critical to factor in at this stage as the user is so young, with a larger number below reading age, they need additional visual and auditory ques to let them know exactly what is happening at all times and what their choice could result in.

Prototypes

The look and feel of the game initially had a simpler interface, but the client requested that more of their organic shapes be included. This was a challenge to incorporate while still keeping the design simple, so some elements were removed or reduced in size.

The aesthetic of the game clearly had to appeal to children, so a lot of vibrant colours were chosen for the interface and the characters from the show were used where appropriate. The typeface chosen was dictated by the brand guidelines, but the sizing and colouring were chosen to create a clear hierarchy so that the user would know immediately where they should be focusing their attention.

A simple green for positive, red for negative colour scheme was chosen for important buttons and feedback to help guide the user on what action to take next.

wireframes

The solution

Native mobile applications were developed across both Android and iOS with a simple and easy to use CMS to allow for updates to the game, without having to redeploy the app to the app stores.

Monty's World is a successful example of an immersive, enjoyable experience aimed at children aged 4-7. It combines sound UX principles with an exciting interface that appeals to children, encouraging imaginative and creative play.