Understanding Our Audience
Before designing ScreenEase, we conducted targeted user research to better understand our primary audience: parents of young children aged 4–10, as well as the children themselves.
Key Insights from Research:
84% of surveyed parents said screen time leads to daily arguments or resistance
Parents want control, but not at the cost of emotional stress or punitive discipline
Children respond better to encouragement and gamified routines than strict lockouts
Families appreciated the idea of a "mediator" figure (like RoboEase) that delivers limits in a fun, neutral tone
Flexibility is key—parents wanted the ability to override schedules for things like homework or family movie night without having to reset everything
Understanding Our Audience
Before designing ScreenEase, we conducted targeted user research to better understand our primary audience: parents of young children aged 4–10, as well as the children themselves.
Key Insights from Research:
84% of surveyed parents said screen time leads to daily arguments or resistance
Parents want control, but not at the cost of emotional stress or punitive discipline
Children respond better to encouragement and gamified routines than strict lockouts
Families appreciated the idea of a "mediator" figure (like RoboEase) that delivers limits in a fun, neutral tone
Flexibility is key—parents wanted the ability to override schedules for things like homework or family movie night without having to reset everything
User Personas
ScreenEase is designed for real families navigating daily screen time challenges. Our personas represent the parents and children at the heart of these routines. These personas shape how ScreenEase balances structure with play. By understanding their needs, we design features that truly support families. Every choice—from RoboEase to rewards—is built with them in mind.
Quantitative Research
We conducted a survey with 20 parents of children ages 4–10 to explore screen time challenges at home.
60% found existing parental controls confusing or hard to set up.
65% said their children respond poorly to abrupt screen shutoffs.
75% said screen time leads to daily arguments or resistance.
90% wanted easier ways to make one-time changes.
User Needs
Positive Transitions: Children need friendly, playful cues when screen time ends.
Easy Set Up: Parents need a quick, intuitive way to set screen time limits.
Positive Transitions: Children need friendly, playful cues when screen time ends.
Product User Challenges
Resistance to limits: Kids often push back when screens turn off abruptly.
Overwhelming interfaces: Parents find some screen management tools too complex to use daily.
Inflexible scheduling: Most apps don’t allow easy, real-time changes for things for special occasions.
Competitor Analysis
Google Family Link
A free parental control app by Google that allows parents to manage screen time, app usage, and device settings for their child’s Android device. It focuses on monitoring and control but lacks engagement tools for children.
Strengths:
Free and widely available for Android users
Allows screen time limits, app blocking, and activity reports
Simple interface for parents
Weaknesses:
Lacks engaging features for children
Transitions are abrupt with no visual or emotional cues
No reward system or mascot to ease resistance
OurPact
A screen time management app for both iOS and Android that offers scheduling, app blocking, and location tracking. It provides strong control features but has a steeper learning curve and limited child-friendly interactions.
Strengths:
Offers app scheduling, blocking, and location tracking
Allows instant screen pauses
Cross-platform support for iOS and Android
Weaknesses:
Child-facing experience is minimal and lacks motivation
Premium features locked behind a paywall
Setup can be complex for non-tech-savvy users
Competitor Analysis
Google Family Link
A free parental control app by Google that allows parents to manage screen time, app usage, and device settings for their child’s Android device. It focuses on monitoring and control but lacks engagement tools for children.
Strengths:
Free and widely available for Android users
Allows screen time limits, app blocking, and activity reports
Simple interface for parents
Weaknesses:
Lacks engaging features for children
Transitions are abrupt with no visual or emotional cues
No reward system or mascot to ease resistance
OurPact
A screen time management app for both iOS and Android that offers scheduling, app blocking, and location tracking. It provides strong control features but has a steeper learning curve and limited child-friendly interactions.
Strengths:
Offers app scheduling, blocking, and location tracking
Allows instant screen pauses
Cross-platform support for iOS and Android
Weaknesses:
Child-facing experience is minimal and lacks motivation
Premium features locked behind a paywall
Setup can be complex for non-tech-savvy users
