Icons for Kids: Can Young Children Understand Graphical Representations of App Store Categories?

Abstract

This paper proposes the use of graphical representations - colloquially referred to as "icons" - of app-store program categories and provides evidence via a user study that these icons can be understood by young children (aged 4-8). Given the rapid growth of this user base, providing such graphical representations is important to aid young children in navigating (under usual parental supervision) and understanding the large number of apps available. This work further provides an initial set of candidate graphical representations that have been evaluated with children, which serve as a starting point for future implementations and exploration.