CodingZones: Turning Screen Time into Thinking Time

CodingZones is a mobile-first learning web app for children in Indonesia. Its 20 short games train logic, patterns, early coding and AI thinking. Five games are free, and the rest unlock with an affordable monthly code.

The challenge Parents want screen time that is actually useful. Children want something fun they can play without help. Both share one cheap phone.

Key decisions • No sign-up: open the app and play in seconds • Play before pay: a free tier and premium trials build trust before any purchase • Voice-first UI: big touch targets and spoken prompts for children who can't read • One system, twenty games: a shared engine, level picker and feedback patterns • Parental brake: a per-session time limit, with a lock screen and a math gate only adults can pass • Built for low-end phones: no frameworks, 6–25 KB per game, about 7 MB for the whole app, offline support as a PWA

Brand and motion A cheerful voxel world with Zozo the robot guide, child characters, and animated animals and fruit. Every voice line was scripted, recorded and levelled. Short promo videos for parents complete the launch.

My role Product designer, end to end: UX flows, UI and design system, brand world, voice direction and promo videos. I directed an AI coding assistant as my engineering partner and owned QA.

Outcome 20 games shipped and 230+ versions released, each tested on phone and desktop widths.

Play: codingzones.com Full case study: aaegraphic.com/codingzones.html