ZOOM
Learning Together,
Even When Apart.
KIDS
ABOUT ZOOM KIDS
In response to the rise in remote learning driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, Zoom emerged as a versatile platform for online meetings and classes. While it proved effective in certain areas, such as remote work, other aspects, like the educational experience in elementary schools, remained largely unregarded.
Therefore, I launched a project to investigate how Zoom could better address the needs of little kids that have to start their student life, from home.
MISSION
Zoom Kids aims to develop a new "student-experience" that emphasizes safety, happiness and the sense of self-importance for children. Its goal is to redesign the overall studying atmosphere for children that have to experience school from home.
PROBLEM
In elementary schools, children learning from home through Zoom often encounter several challenges, including difficulty focusing on the teacher, a sense of diminished self-importance, and an overwhelmed feeling from the numerous settings, menus and sub-menus presented by Zoom's UX.
PERSONAS
Sometimes I am muted and without video but I feel that everyone
sees and hears me.
It's frustrating when there are so many students videos on the screen, while I just want to focus on the teacher.
After class, I'd love to chat with my friends, but all I see is 'meeting ended by host'.
All these menus and buttons confuse me. I wish there was a simpler way to use this app without feeling overwhelmed.
No Hierarchy at the Meeting Screen
The teacher is represented as just another squared video in the call. Lacking teacher's proper dominance, it makes it hard for the students to follow her.
Like the teacher, the student that watching the class sees himself represented as just another squared video without any special emphasis, what may affect the child's sense of self-importance.
PROBLEM DEEP DIVE
Overall Complexity
There are too many options even though the new learners just need a few of them. When trying to use the action bar features, it pops up a new distracting modal for every feature, including a lot of unneeded options, leading to an overwhelming feeling. For example, for just writing a note, the note modal will pop up including 5 different tabs.
End of Meeting Shock
At school, the bell ringing is a happy moment for the students telling them the lesson is over. However, in the virtual realm of Zoom, this moment is fragmented by a modal declaring "This meeting has been ended by host.", which can be a panic moment for little children, instead of a happy one.
THINKING PROCESS
SELECTED SCREENS
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