How We Crafted a Child‑Friendly UI for a 3‑8 Year‑Old English Learning App

01 User Personas

Unlike many education products, children’s products have two user types: the child (the user) and the parent (the purchaser). Parents care about learning outcomes and efficiency, while children look for fun.

02 Core Functions of the APP

The APP is the first interface parents see. It presents various learning content, lets parents select courses for their children, and provides post‑learning performance reports.

03 Visual Design Goals

From user and scenario analysis, three design directions were identified:

Efficient Browsing : Parents need to browse content quickly.

Child‑Friendly Feel : Although the APP targets parents, it must convey that the product is for children.

Affability : The design should be warm and inviting so parents are comfortable letting their kids use the app.

04 Visual Design Thinking

Three design ideas guide the visual language:

Highlight Content : Clear hierarchy and emphasis on primary information.

Cartoonish / Affable : Use a bright brand‑IP color (yellow) with complementary space‑purple, soft blues, and controlled accent colors.

Rich, Ordered Color : Consistent palette that reinforces the brand’s space‑fox IP.

Icons are designed to be round, full, and bold, using geometric shapes and thick strokes to convey a cartoon feel. Typography uses Fangzheng Cuoyuan Simplified for a rounded, friendly look, supplemented by Fangzheng Zhunyuan Simplified for additional weights.

Elastic animations add a light, playful atmosphere to transitions.

IP elements are woven throughout the UI, from loading animations to level‑specific illustrations, enhancing brand recognition and cartoon appeal.

05 Design Implementation & Collaboration

A base 8‑pixel grid system ensures consistent spacing and sizing across screens, speeding up design decisions.

Pad adaptation uses larger controls (1.5× the size of mobile controls) and introduces new sizes for elements that appear too small on larger screens.

A component library was built to standardize UI elements, improve reuse, and facilitate collaboration between designers and developers.

Design specifications are maintained in a Sketch file that references the UI kit, allowing real‑time updates and shared access for multiple designers.

06 Summary

The visual design of Liulishuo® Children’s English APP stems from a deep understanding of users and scenarios, clear design goals, and systematic implementation across devices. By establishing solid design principles, a flexible grid, and a shared component library, the team ensures consistent, efficient iteration while delivering an engaging, child‑friendly experience.