Boosting K–12 engagement with architecture through co-play and digital storytelling
Designed a mobile companion to the Kid Architect book series that increased content engagement by 40%, using avatars, location-based discovery game, and family participation.
ROLE
Product Designer,
Content Manager
CLIENT
Kid Architect
TIMELINE
4 months | 2023
SECTOR
EdTech
The Challenge
Why wasn’t this inclusive book connecting with kids?
The Kid Architect books were designed without a visible protagonist, so all children could see themselves in the story. But it struggled to engage readers and lacked diversity in its audience. The author brought our team on to solve this.
Research & Insights
What we learned from architects, parents, kids, papers, and our direct and indirect competitors
Kids engaged more when parents played with them
Successful learning tools used hands-on, multichannel engagement
Kids preferred customizable characters over none
Most architecture tools were flat or overly technical
I think a lot of it was my mom really just dropping hint to me...So she would build, We, I remember as a little kid, you know, probably kindergarten age or earlier, we would just build little block bowling alleys just out of just blocks.
— Architect
What drove me towards architecture was when I was about, I believe like 14 or 15, my, my dad decided we should build our own house. So that, that process really drove me to do architecture.
— Architecture Student
When I was a kid my father was a photographer and we would go take architectural photography a lot. So there was a little bit of interest coming from that as well.
— Architect
The Opportunity
I saw an opportunity to extend the book as a mobile experience
Learning that 91% of kids have phones by age 14, I proposed a mobile app that extended the book’s mission in a format where kids already spend time. The idea focused on customizable avatars, location-based architecture discovery game, and parent-child co-play, all based on our research findings.
My Process
I designed, prototyped, created content, tested, and iterated
Created user journeys, flows, wireframes, and interactive prototypes.
I did in-person field research in Columbus, IN (book setting) to build accurate location-based content for the app.
Tested with real users (kids + parents), who responded enthusiastically to avatar customization, voice narration by the author, and the discovery game.
Iterated based on feedback: updated avatar system to offer more customization.
BEFORE
AFTER
Customizable avatar
Prepared avatars to select
Results & Real-World Roadblock
40% engagement boost, but the client unwilling to ship
Kids loved the game, asked for more locations
Parents appreciated the learning + outdoor mix
Testers showed interest in reading the books
Stakeholder declined further investment due to cost and effort
“Sometimes the hardest thing is convincing the person who asked for help.”
When I read about places, it makes me feel to go there and explore it.
—10 year old girl
This made architecture to feel like a game I could play with my daughter.
—Parent
Key Takeaways
What this project taught me about product reality
Research is only powerful if it’s paired with buy-in
I’m strongest when connecting research into tangible, testable ideas
Kids and families want to learn together and design can make that possible
The Final Design
Let's create future experiences together :)
Copyright © 2025 Mahnaz H.
