PBS KIDS GO 2.0
DESIGN | WEB
- TOOLS / SOFTWARE:
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- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Photoshop
GO! was an educational television brand for early elementary-age children, distinct from the preschool-focused PBS KIDS brand. The Go! brand appeared on air and online from 2004 to 2013. As online streaming gained popularity, PBS KIDS launched the PBS KIDS GO! video player on its website on September 8, 2008. This federally funded platform featured rotating video content from all PBS KIDS GO! shows and included in-video interactive games for select titles.
I joined the PBS KIDS GO! team to design and develop the first video player for the platform, identifying best practices for an audience of 2 to 8 year-olds through repeated prototyping. The player combined multiple technologies, including Adobe Animate (Flash), HTML, and a content management system (CMS) called The Platform. Using 2.0 and 3.0 ActionScript, I designed the player, the “Time Square” tower of games, the secret games vault, and redesigned both the games page and homepage, creating rich multimedia interactivity that engaged children through both content and playful discovery.
I later expanded the existing interactive experience while maintaining the legacy code base. I enhanced game curation, ensured a consistent visual brand aesthetic, and advocated for an equitable experience for 14M users, regardless of internet speed.
This work provided a unique opportunity to combine creativity, technical expertise, and user-focused design to delight young audiences. It remains a career highlight, and I am grateful to my coworker Renzo Olguin, whose ActionScript expertise made many of these experiences possible.
THE PROCESS
Come and take a deeper dive into the creative process behind these PBS KIDS GO homepage takeovers.