Cheeky Beasts

App IOS & Android

Problem Statement

Learning phonics can be tricky for some children. Students typically do worksheets at school, but that doesn't always transfer to actual reading and writing because it is delivered in such a one-dimensional way.

I created a collection of wacky poems that makes rhyming fun. Every page has an educational popup to help develop children's understanding of phonics, spelling & rhyming words. The App combines a reading application with learning to engage children and help them learn simple phonics while entertained.

I led the project and was responsible for the creative, UX and user interface design. My developer colleague created the animations and coded the IOS and Android version of the app.

Users & audience

Parents of children classified as 'early readers' Age 4-8

Scope & constraints

There was a limited budget so had to be strategic with where we spent our time.

Step 1: Research

Competitive benchmarking &
Interviews

Step 2: Findings

I researched what was available on the kid's Book app market. The books that did well included interactive elements; however, we wanted to take it further to make it educational and humourous.
I interviewed my children and their classmates to test the poems and illustrations. Most poems got either a smile or a laugh, meaning we were on the right track. I also interviewed a primary school teacher and presented the activities we planned to use for the App to ensure they were age appropriate.

Early stage ideation sketches

Impact of research on the product

I looked at simple phonics apps and sketched ideas for combining the two. The approach was to have a user interface with a Book tab that reveals a drawer that lets the user control the book's pages. On each page, a learning exercise is available so the child would read the poem and then click on the learning exercise.

We added a settings page where the parents could read the story themselves or have the App read to them. They can also control learning activities, music and sounds and alerts. A parental control check was in place to access settings per Apple's guidelines.

Outcome & lessons

Cheeky Beasts was featured as the App of the day in the UK and featured on the 'New Apps We Love' lists for the UK, Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia. We were also number one in the book chart in May 2019.

We had a limited budget for promotion and deliberately did not go down the free download with ads route because we wanted this to be safe for kids. However, the kid's app market is saturated, and the expectation is that apps should be free. So ultimately, the challenge is how to monetise ethically but remain viable.

Cheeky Beasts is available in app stores. We've also sold the distribution rights to a third-party pre-loaded tablet distributed in America at libraries and educational institutions.

"The app that will get kids to love poetry"

Kids & Clicks

"Great for parents looking for something a little off the beaten path"

Moms with Apps

Contact

Shoreham-By-Sea
LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/5dm8rejh
Email: celestedupreezdesign@outlook.com
Twitter: @celestedupreez