Personalization Boosts Engagement in ABCmouse
Project Overview
This 10-day diary study aimed to understand how children aged 2 to 7 interact with ABCmouse, uncovering patterns in daily engagement and identifying barriers to consistent usage. The study provided critical insights into enhancing app navigation and personalizing experiences to improve engagement and meet parental expectations.
My Role and Responsibilities
As the Associate Director of Design Research, I led the design and execution of the diary study. I collaborated with a Senior User Researcher, Junior User Researcher, Director of Product, and Director of Design. My responsibilities included designing the study, gathering and analyzing insights, and communicating findings to the team to drive product improvements.
Research Goals and Questions
Research Goals
Understand children's daily engagement patterns with ABCmouse over ten days.
Identify factors that encourage or hinder regular use of the app.
Assess whether ABCmouse meets parent expectations in supporting their child’s learning.
Key Research Questions
How often and for how long do children engage with ABCmouse each day?
What motivates or frustrates children when using the app?
Do parents observe meaningful learning or improvement through their child's use of ABCmouse?
Methodology
Research Methods
Diary Study: Parents submitted daily video diaries detailing their child's interaction with ABCmouse, accompanied by interviews at the beginning, midpoint, and end of the study.
Participant Recruitment Strategy
Recruited 15 families with children aged 2 to 7 years who had never used ABCmouse but frequently played digital games. This ensured fresh perspectives on ABCmouse's usability and appeal.
Timeline and Constraints
The study spanned ten days, with parents submitting daily video diaries and participating in Zoom interviews at key intervals to provide comprehensive insights.
Research Process
Step-by-Step Approach
1. Conducted an initial meet and greet with parents via Zoom to set expectations and introduce the study process.
2. Collected daily video diaries from parents, capturing their child’s interaction with ABCmouse, including engagement, duration, and any observed frustrations.
3. Conducted a midpoint check-in after five days to track progress and gather early insights.
4. Held a final in-depth interview at the end of the 10 days to consolidate feedback and discuss overall impressions.
5. Analyzed app usage data and transcribed all video diaries to identify patterns and draw actionable insights.
Tools and Techniques
Used Zoom for interviews, video diary submissions via a secure portal, and app usage data analysis to triangulate findings. Regular collaboration with the product and design teams allowed for iterative feedback on early insights.
Key Findings and Insights
Main Discoveries
1. Parental Use Cases: Parents used ABCmouse both as an educational tool and to keep children occupied when they needed uninterrupted time, indicating the dual value of the app.
2. Child Engagement: Children enjoyed using ABCmouse, especially when they could share their experiences with their parents, enhancing their sense of achievement and boosting perceived educational value.
3. Initial Navigation Frustrations: Many children (60%) initially struggled with navigating from the homepage, often clicking on prominent banners and having difficulty finding their favorite content.
4. Impact on Subscription Likelihood: Parents were more likely to subscribe to ABCmouse (80%) when their children demonstrated enjoyment and learning, showing that engagement directly influences perceived value.
5. Content Preferences: Children frequently returned to specific sections of the app, suggesting a preference for familiar content and highlighting the need for personalized recommendations to encourage exploration of new activities.
Visual Representation
The line chart above titled, "Engagement and Frustration Journey Map from ABCmouse Diary Study" provides insights into the engagement and frustration levels of 15 families over a 10-day period of using ABCmouse. The chart illustrates key patterns in how personalized experiences impact user engagement:
- High Engagement on Day 3: Engagement peaked on Day 3 due to positive "Show and Tell" interactions, where children enjoyed sharing their progress with parents. This highlights the importance of personalized and socially interactive elements in driving engagement.
- Increased Frustration on Day 6: A significant spike in frustration occurred on Day 6, associated with navigation challenges, particularly difficulty with navigating away from the large homepage banner. This indicates a critical area for improving user experience through clearer and more intuitive navigation.
- Consistent Engagement on Days 8-10: Engagement levels stabilized and remained high from Days 8 to 10 as children engaged with their favorite content, showing that access to personalized, preferred activities can sustain engagement over time.
This journey map underscores the value of personalization in enhancing user engagement while identifying areas where navigation improvements are needed to reduce frustration and support a positive user experience.
Recommendations and Impact
Actionable Suggestions
1. Introduce a "Continue Playing" CTA: Design a prominent button on the homepage to guide children back to the content they previously enjoyed, reducing frustration with navigation and promoting continued engagement.
2. Simplify Homepage Layout: Reduce visual distractions and promote the Learning Path more prominently to encourage children to follow the intended educational progression.
3. Personalize Experiences: Explore personalized content recommendations based on each child's prior activities and interactions, enhancing engagement and keeping them within the core learning loop.
Impact on Product Decisions
These recommendations were shared with the product and design teams, leading to discussions about iterative changes to the app's navigation system. Implementing the "Continue Playing" button and refining the homepage layout are expected to reduce navigation challenges and increase user engagement.
Measurable Outcomes
Anticipated reduction in initial navigation frustrations among new users.
Increased engagement metrics due to the introduction of personalized experiences and improved navigation elements.
Reflections and Learnings
Challenges Faced
Ensuring consistent diary submissions from parents was challenging, requiring reminders and follow-ups to maintain data continuity.
What I’d Do Differently
Implement a structured reminder system to ensure daily submissions and increase engagement with participants throughout the study.
Skills Developed or Improved
Improved my ability to handle large volumes of qualitative data, as we managed and analyzed 150 video diaries. Enhanced collaborative skills were also developed through close coordination with multiple teams to ensure the findings were actionable for product development.
Next Steps
Potential Follow-up Research
Conduct a follow-up study to test the effectiveness of the newly implemented "Continue Playing" feature and redesigned homepage, validating whether these changes improve navigation and engagement.
Long-Term Implications
This study highlighted the critical importance of user-friendly navigation in educational apps for children. By improving ease of use and personalizing experiences, ABCmouse can foster better long-term engagement, leading to more satisfied parents and consistent app usage by kids.