Introducing the RITEC Design Toolbox to support children’s well-being in digital play

Here at the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, we talk to a lot of folks who design digital products for children. One topic that comes up consistently is the challenge of applying quality academic research to everyday design practice.

We are very proud to be a part of the Responsible Innovation in Technology for Children (RITEC) project because a key goal has always been to generate research-based insights from children’s perspectives that are easy for designers to use.

After more than three years of research with over 750 children in 18 countries followed by interviews, consultations, and workshops with 40 online gaming design teams from around the world who shared what would most help them to design with children’s well-being in mind, we couldn’t be more thrilled that the RITEC Design Toolbox is ready to use!

A few weeks ago, we got a sneak peak of the Toolbox, first at the Games & SDG Summit, where Shuli Gilutz from UNICEF shared an overview on a panel on child rights in the digital age. Afterwards, attendees were able to participate in a breakout session to map out how to get the toolbox into more designers’ hands.

 

The following day, we gathered a group of creators and researchers who have already been engaged in applying the RITEC-8 well-being dimensions to their work, to test out the Toolbox with a design problem that they have faced.

The group dug in and explored the resources, which they said helped facilitate deep conversations about the various components of well-being and how they can be experienced by children. They also noted that the Toolbox got them thinking about design approaches that can leverage different aspects of the RITEC-8 framework to achieve positive well-being outcomes.

We can’t wait to see how designers of kids’ digital play get inspired by the RITEC Design Toolbox, and we look forward to supporting their efforts. Please share your experience and feedback with us here!