The DiGiKiNDi story

In the coronavirus era, all of us - and especially we families - have begun to use digital media very differently than before. Some parents have to participate in hours-long video conferences, online social networks are often the only way to stay in touch with our loved ones, and for many students, digital learning has become a normal part of life. But even the youngest children are already learning to navigate this new world. However, most services are not designed for young children, whose communication is in many ways different from that of adults. DiGiKiNDi wants to contribute to solving this problem.

Short and sweet

I have two sons who turned two and five during the coronavirus era. We have little video conferences every now and then so that the children can see their cousins. I have noticed that although the kids are always very excited about this at first, they often lose interest after a few minutes and prefer to jump around on the couch while their parents are talking. That does not mean, however, that they do not care about interacting with other children. They just do not value long conversations. Sometimes it is sufficient and already takes enough courage for them to briefly tell what they did today, to wish someone a happy birthday, or to just say a quick hello. With DiGiKiNDi, this is possible in a child-friendly way.

All by themselves

For children of kindergarten age, it is very important to be able to do some things all by themselves. In online social networks for adults, not only their lack of literacy but also the information overload children cannot cope with stand in the way of this desire. Therefore, child-friendly interaction has always been one of the main ideas behind DiGiKiNDi. In the DiGiKiNDi app, an uncluttered user interface, easy-to-understand pictures, and explanatory texts in spoken language make it possible for children to explore the digital world in a playful way. But a digital kindergarten must fulfill an even more important task: encouraging children's creativity in the real world.

Together with mom and dad

Most parents agree that young children should not spend hours alone on their smartphones. Therefore, DiGiKiNDi aims to use only a little bit of screen time to provide a lot of inspiration for the real world. When children see what tasks their friends have already completed today or what great things their friends have made, they are encouraged to become active themselves. This meaningful integration of digital media into everyday life is a big challenge for parents which DiGiKiNDi can help to master. It has also been important to me to create a platform that parents and children can use together. On DiGiKiNDi, parents not only accompany their children in the digital world, but they also communicate with other parents using the parent board.

Necessity is the mother of invention

When the coronavirus pandemic hit the world, I had just finished my PhD in computer science at Bielefeld University. Since my wife had a full-time job, it quickly became clear that my main job would be to take care of the children again for the time being. During this time, I came up with the idea of a digital kindergarten and decided to combine my experience in software engineering and being a father. After many busy nights, I am happy that DiGiKiNDi can now be used by other parents and their children.