ChiME Workshop:Designing Better Digital Experiences for Early Childhood

9th September 2026 | New York University Abu Dhabi

Our lab brought together around 20 creators and product designers from media, app, and EdTech companies working with young children for an interactive workshop focused on designing better digital experiences for early childhood.

The workshop introduced participants to the ChiME (Children’s Media Evaluation) framework, which offers practical guidance for incorporating cognitive, social-emotional, and physical developmental principles into digital products designed for young children.

Through hands-on redesign scenarios and collaborative discussions, participants explored how these principles can be translated into real-world production and design processes. Discussions addressed the challenges of navigating market trends and production workflows, while also considering how engaging digital features can be balanced with children’s wellbeing, development, and safety.

The workshop brought together representatives from Kidz Academy, Blink Studios, Squirrel Education, Abu Dhabi Media Network, Alef Education, Toaster Artistic Productions, Pixitoon, Mohammed Bin Salman Nonprofit Foundation (Misk), and IREX.

The TLD Lab also welcomed Jan Plass, who hosted the workshop and shared his expertise in learning, technology, and children’s media.

The workshop forms part of a larger research project funded by the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA), which explores how young children in Abu Dhabi interact with digital media and how digital experiences can better support their development and wellbeing.

Bringing together researchers, creators, and product designers provided an opportunity to examine a shared challenge: how can digital experiences for young children be designed to be engaging while also supporting their development, wellbeing, and safety?