When's the last time you renovated, or redecorated your home? Why did you decide to renovate? Was there something wrong with what you had in the first place? Your furniture could be the same, but maybe you've moved it around a bit, taken a piece out, bought a new lamp or end table, and swiped on a fresh coat of paint. Just like homes, websites have to be freshened up every now and then also. Websites can get cluttered, just like rooms can, which makes it hard to find what you are looking for, and inevitably can lead to a lower number of users.
For changes to occur at TVOKids.com, there is a process. The web team relies on feedback from the TVOKids Internet Council (a body comprised of teachers, parents and education experts who meet 1-2 times/year) as well as feedback from kids themselves via focus testing, which is done directly with children. Once the feedback is received regarding what works, and what doesn't, the TVOKids.com team sits down together to discuss changes and the time needed to make the changes.
The web team consists of a manger, and project manager, a content writer, two illustrators, three programmers, one maintenance illustrator and an educator, who all sit together to talk about the most effective ways to clean up the site based on the feedback.
On September 4th, TVOKids.com launched the new site. Make sure to check it out at http://www.tvokids.com/. The members of the team were also excited about the change.
"It was great to update the site with a clean design that still reflects the TVOKids.com brand. I think kids will really enjoy some of the new features like the colour picker we have added to the site." Says Andrew Ebert, Illustrator/Web Developer.
"Our new game picker makes it very easy for kids to choose from our selection of 150+ amazing educational games but also preview their own favourite game. Based on how many times they played a game, we track user preferences. All this is done without accessing or collecting personally identifiable information which exceeds teh standards set in place by other kid's sites." Says, Caroline Soucy, Manager of TVOKids.com.
So, go, check it out, and make sure to play a few games while you're there. My personal favourite, The Big Escape! And parents, don't forget, if you'd like to know more about what makes our online games educational and how to enhance the experience at home, check out our Activities page.
