Scratch Foundation partnered with Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and The GIANT Room to run a series of play-tests and prototyping sessions with young children in Harlem, to understand the barriers to a creative coding experience for the youngest children (K-1), and to have the children participate in designing solutions to best fit their own needs. What we discovered will be immensely helpful as the Scratch Foundation team continues to reimagine ScratchJr, their platform for the youngest Scratchers.

“Creative tools for children should be designed to ensure that learning is playful and engaging. At Scratch, we believe that it is important to use a co-design process, ensuring that the needs and perspectives of our users—especially children—are taken into account at every stage. By involving young people in the design of ScratchJrand Scratch, we can create a platform that truly meets their needs and helps them to develop the skills they need to thrive in the digital age.” - ScratchJr Team

Read the full report about this partnership written by ScratchJr Team on Joan Ganz Cooney Center blog to learn about our procedure, findings, and ways the ScratchJr Team is planning to incorporate findings in their design process. You can also read about this partnership on page 11 of the Scratch Foundation’s annual report.

Is your company designing and developing a product for kids? Reach out to us to learn more on ways The GIANT Room’s team and GIANT kids can support you in your research and development efforts. From recruitment and space for conducting research, to designing a robust research program based on the stage of your product development— including facilitation, data collection and analysis, reports, executive summaries, and experience/play design consulting; we’re here to support.

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