Brian Silverman, Mitchel Resnick

Abstract

In this paper, we present ten guiding principles for designing construction kits for kids, informed by our experiences over the past two decades: * Design for Designers * Low Floor and Wide Walls * Make Powerful Ideas Salient – Not Forced * Support Many Paths, Many Styles * Make it as Simple as Possible – and Maybe Even Simpler * Choose Black Boxes Carefully * A Little Bit of Programming Goes a Long Way * Give People What They Want – Not What They Ask For * Invent Things That You Would Want to Use Yourself * Iterate, Iterate – then Iterate Again While these principles apply especially to the development of construction kits, we believe that they could be useful for everyone who designs new technologies for kids.