Refurbishing the Web, Kid Style: An Inside Look at Virtual Renovations

Selling to Kids, Nov 15, 2000

A few years ago, kid corporations flocked to the Web, often slapping up sites that were little more than brochure-ware in the rush to stake a claim to a piece of e-territory. Today, those sites are showing their age - not only do they look dingy and outdated next to Flash-y sites like Nick.com, but they don't meet kids' needs or wants in this interactive medium. As we head into the new year, companies are realizing that they need more than a URL to remain competitive with young surfers, and the kids industry is seeing a boom in Web renovations.

These remodeling jobs range from do-it-yourself redesigns, which cost little more than late-night pizza orders by the creative team, to multimillion dollar projects. We spoke to the teams behind some of the best redesigns at both ends of the price spectrum to find out what it takes to bring a kids Web site into the 21st Century.

Call in the Kids

This spring, Sarah Lachkar, Wild Planet Toys' senior product manager, came to the conclusion that the company's Web site wasn't a strong reflection of its "spunky, sassy brand image." It was time to scrap the old site in favor of a design that sent a strong message about the Wild Planet brand. But the redesign would have to be conducted on a tight budget - the final pricetag was only about $150,000.

"It was easy to get to that decision," Lachkar says. "How was another story. I don't think one of us had any expertise in this area. It became a mission of mine to find a way for us as an organization to navigate through the big hairy world of Web design." The company focused on uncovering the needs of its audiences. Wild Planet partnered with FreeZone.com to create Kid Planet, a separate site for kids, to take advantage of the dotcom's superior knowledge of how to appeal to youth online. (See our review in "Web Browser"). "It was the smartest thing we could have done," Lachkar says. "We relied on FreeZone and their network of kids to tell us what doesn't work."

The quest to solicit advice and feedback directly from kids didn't end with the FreeZone partnership. Winners of Wild Planet's Kid Inventor challenge become members of KIT, the Kid Inventor Team, which gives the manufacturer ongoing feedback not only on its toys, but now on its Web site, as well.

Form vs. Function

Once you've uncovered what your young audience is looking for in a Web site, veteran redesigners recommend you keep it simple. Kid sites should be fun to look at and listen to, but too much emphasis on form can impair function. Earlier this year, Mattel embarked on a multimillion dollar redesign of Barbie.com (S2K, Aug. 23). From a design standpoint, the new site is awe- inspiring. But what's less obvious - and just as impressive - is the way Mattel has balanced the site's visual impact with simple, engaging activities that leverage traditional play patterns.

Christina DeRosa, Mattel's VP of Web site and media content, reflects on the process of creating a Concentration game with a Barbie spin for the revised site. "We sat around with Barbie furniture in the room and said, 'What if we hide shoes in Barbie furniture,'" she says.

Bringing the Real World to the Web

Those kinds of straightforward activities that take advantage of the way kids interact with your products in the real world can be the biggest winners on your site. They stave off the potential frustration factor of more complex, high-tech activities, and they offer a clean, interactive experience with your brand. The same principle applies to basic organization of a site - less is often more.

FreeZone embarked on its own ambitious redesign earlier this year with plans to update a site that resembled a magazine (content sometimes scrolled on for three or four screens). "We struggled," says Drew Scott, editorial director. "There are so many things you want to give your audience, and we had to cut back on the number of things in there to make it navigable, clean and bright." In order to balance that clean look with a wide variety of choices for kids - and simultaneously keep the site fresh - the FreeZone team incorporated a selection of teaser links throughout the site where they could give kids a sample of material that is in different sections. These teasers are a perfect opportunity to include kid comments from FreeZone's chats.

"One thing that was really helpful in doing that was we have two former toy designers on staff," says Mike Wean, creative director. "Along with the online experience, they gave us a good sense of what works for kids."

Disney.com also redesigned its online offerings with an eye to what works offline. The new site's various "neighborhoods" mirror the various areas of a Disney theme park. "We've even taken the offline and placed it online in our navigation," says Dan Sherlock, VP of marketing and new business development for Disney Online. "The primary way to navigate the site is on the monorail."

Flash Frustration

When you're building tools like an online monorail, technology can be a problem. Flash animation, sound, audio and streaming media will definitely pull your Web site into the new millennium, but are they right for your audience? There are a variety of factors involved in the technology decision: is your typical user the kind of kid who will enjoy and benefit from bells and whistles, or one who is short on attention and will be frustrated by slow load times? Is your goal to create a transition site that will be upgraded again in a year, or are you aiming for a long-term solution that doesn't have to be retro-fitted as kids' connection speeds increase? And do you have the financial and IT resources to support a high-tech site? Wild Planet, for example, decided to go with Flash technology. "That hasn't been without ups and downs," Lachkar says. "It's more fun for those who have access to it than for those who have slow modems. We made the choice because we feel that's where the Web is going."