Teletubbies

http://pbskids.org/teletubbies/peekaboo.html

Intended audience
Young children, probably between 2-4 years old.

Usefulness of content

For the targeted age range, the content is very good:

• There are a variety of games which build pattern recognition, counting, and basic motor skills, to name just a few.
• Sound is used well: a computer whirs and beeps, rabbits boing, and Teletubbies "uh-oh".
• You can work on a picture and send it to a friend, or print out sheets to color offline.

Consistency of design

The design is very consistent:

• For starters, the main page is a web metaphor for the Teletubbies' home, so it should be easy for young children to understand and explore the site.
• The mouse turns into a huge yellow arrow when you are on the main portion of the screen; it's kind of like that huge pencil they make you use when you're first learning how to write.
• The same color scheme is used throughout the web site.
• The same characters (Teletubbies, bunnies, flowers) are used throughout the web site.
• The only notable inconsistency is the coloring book pages. For some reason, clicking on one of these brings up the printer interface. I don't think it's a good idea to give a three year old access to that menu as you could easily end up with 50 copies.

Ease of navigation

This site is extremely easy to navigate:

• Graphical links shift when you mouse over them, so it's easy to tell which areas of the metaphor are links to games.
• A big arrow in the lower left corner gets you back to the main page, as well as clicking on the Teletubbies logo in the upper right hand corner, so there are two ways to get back home.
• The use of the metaphor of the Teletubbies home as a main page for the web site makes it extremely easy to navigate for children who cannot yet read.

Although Teletubbies personally creep me out, this is a very well designed web site. There is a video from the "Parents and Teachers" link which goes into the Teletubbies TV show design and philosophy. As you might guess, almost every aspect of the show, starting from the opening theme, is designed to teach young children in a fun and interactive way. This careful attention to detail manifests itself in the web site as well.