Creating engaging and educational experiences: developing a child-friendly video app for Roku TV
About the client
An experienced Nordic company well known in the video industry. They offer a range of solutions and products specifically designed to help construct, deliver, and enhance captivating video experiences.
Business needs and challenges
The main goal of the project was to support the company in providing a child-friendly video app, offering content carefully prepared with young viewers in mind. This included a variety of educational programmes, captivating, animated films, and hands-on DIY projects, all narrated and explained to peers by children. To accommodate the different stages of development of young audiences, the content has been carefully divided into three distinct age categories. In the 2-4 years age group, the focus is on early learning content that supports speech, language, and social-emotional development. The age group 5-7 years received materials aimed at improving reading, writing, and motor skills. Finally, children aged 8-10 were offered a more diverse range of content, covering areas such as STEM knowledge and creative exploration in art and music.
The most significant challenge encountered was ensuring compatibility with older devices running the Roku 3 operating system.
There were also hurdles in implementing the design as envisioned. For instance, the platform initially lacked the option to bold text, a feature we needed in several sections. Fortunately, during the project, an update to version 10.5 of the system was released, which provided greater flexibility in text editing. We also needed to devise a method for user login using Roku accounts. This involved creating a pop-up that asks users whether they wish to log in with their Roku account or use a different email address.
Our responsibilities
Our team was tasked with creating an all-in-one Roku TV app that provides a complete, end-to-end solution. This responsibility involved leading the development of the app through various stages, from conceptualising the architecture to successfully passing the official Roku certification process. Throughout the project, we strictly adhered to Roku standards and guidelines, which was crucial in obtaining certification. Our commitment to quality and attention to detail played a key role in the smooth and successful implementation of this project, which culminated in the Roku TV app, which stands out for its comprehensive features and robust functionality.
The result
We have developed an app that is both visually modern and highly functional, offering a smooth and responsive user experience. This app is designed with family-friendly features, allowing parents to set up sub-accounts for their children. These accounts provide age-appropriate content and give parents control over usage, including the ability to set viewing time limits. A pop-up window enforces these restrictions, and parents can extend viewing time by entering a pre-set password.
Additionally, the video app provides a live channel with content selected by the broadcaster. Users can personalise their experience by adding channels and content to their favourites list and have the freedom to search and discover a variety of new content. The innovative feature we introduced includes audio content and podcasts, expanding the range of available materials.
The app is freely available on various platforms and revenue is generated through advertising. The application certification process was efficient and successful. We are proud to contribute to a project that plays a significant role in children’s education and development.
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