Phoebe & Jay: Barbershop Digital Game

🧩 Problem Statement

The development team aimed to understand how users interact with the PBS Kids online game Phoebe & Jay: Barbershop, with a focus on identifying friction points, assessing the clarity of in-game instructions, and determining any necessary design adjustment to improve the overall user experience- particularly for younger users and those with sensory sensitivities.

🔍 Research Approach

In my role as a UX researcher, I conducted:

• Moderated usability testing sessions to observe real-time interaction and behavior patterns.

• User interviews to gather qualitative feedback about user experience, accessibility concerns, and overall satisfaction.

These methods helped reveal specific usability barriers and accessibility issues during gameplay.

🧠 Key Findings

• Sensory Sensitivity to Audio: Users with sensory sensitivities expressed frustration with the loud buzzing sound of the clippers. The overall game audio was also too loud and lacked volume control, making it overwhelming for some users.

• Onboarding Confusion: Several users were confused about how to move Jay from the waiting area to the barber's chair. The game did not clearly indicate that this action was required to begin play.

• Instruction Clarity: As with previous titles, some users skipped or misunderstood the instructions, leading to confusion during early gameplay.

🛠️ Recommendations

To address these issues, I recommended:

• Add Audio Settings: Introduce volume controls or a mute option, and include a sensory-friendly mode that reduces or removes sharp sounds like clipper buzzing.

• Improve Onboarding Cues: Add a clear visual prompt or animated gesture to guide users in moving Jay to the barber's chair at the start.

• Enhance Instruction Flow: Provide clearer, step-by-step guidance with audio and visual support to accommodate various learning and attention styles.

✅ Impact

The research findings led the team to implement changes that made Phoebe & Jay: Barbershop more accessible and user-friendly. Adjustments to sound controls and clearer onboarding cues helped reduce user frustration and improved overall satisfaction, particularly for users with sensory sensitivities.