[xbcm4kids] - A skin for kids

To be continued!

Great idea. I think alot of focus needs to go into navigation of the skin. Needs to be simple, so if they are just clicking around they don't get lost. For example going into movies, I think only one view and few options, kids like to click around and always seem to end up clicking somewhere and bringing up an option window and getting stuck there.

Twistedretard Wrote:Thought i would try giving something to the xbmc community that has given me a perfect mediacenter app.
And browsing these forums i realized that there is not really any skin for kids(might be wrong). So i figured i could try to learn xbmc skinning.

But since i dont have any kids and quite frankly dont even like kids, i have no clue how the design should be.

So to all parents out there: Please give me some requests and feedback.
(Like how the movie menu should look like to be kidfriendly)

This is the mockup so far:


And if you know some nice gimp/photoshop brushes thats cool and kidfriendly, please let me know.

Love the effort! Young kids can't read. Icons for moves, tv shows are better. My 4year old gets around fine in PMIII. I have icons for most things. Good luck and use lots of colors!

Nice, I recommend to use thumbs for your catogories, Pictures say much more than words for kids

jarod71 Wrote:Love the effort! Young kids can't read. Icons for moves, tv shows are better. My 4year old gets around fine in PMIII. I have icons for most things. Good luck and use lots of colors!

Maybe should drop the ugly "playing now" section and use all the space in the middle for some big animations. Like small comic guys dragging a screen with alot of cartoons on it or something.

Nice song choice for a kid's skin

Icons are better than text.

My 4 year old gets around pm3.hd fine... maybe a theme for that would be appropriate, it is definitely the most usable skin.

I really don't think the design matters, it's the simplicity a skin could bring to xbmc that would appeal to kids and help users trust their kids with xbmc. Kiosk modes and lock-downs have already been implemented in some skins.. but a minimal skin with simple direct action and very little text hasn't been done.
As for the mock up, I can appreciate the challenge, but what you have put together is not very appealing... it looks like what a corporate group of ignorant adults and ill sighted designers would put together with the compelling challenge you've come up with...

And what icons do you all use?
Tv-Show characters or a picture of a tv?

Prob gonna keep the text for the older kids and have a setting enabled picture mode also then.

DR. Stranger Wrote:I really don't think the design matters, it's the simplicity a skin could bring to xbmc that would appeal to kids and help users trust their kids with xbmc. Kiosk modes and lock-downs have already been implemented in some skins.. but a minimal skin with simple direct action and very little text hasn't been done.

Completely agree, focus on simple navigation with minimal options/text.

Use funny icons, kids will remeber those the best.

Really text is not needed, older kids who can read now how to use a computer today or cell phone...u know they're verry handy in those things and can/will use adult skins.