Successfully lauching Happly

After launch, Happly was regularly promoted in iTunes’s "New & Noteworthy" and "Apps for Kids and Fun Learning", raised $1.5 million, and was chosen by Discovery Communications to power much of the Discovery Kids digital network. My team published new content daily using a custom CMS designed specifically for managing the app, scheduling content updates, and managing our robust library of HTML5 templates. The success of the app helped streamline partnerships with National Geographic photographers, The Humane Society of the United States, and Discovery Kids.

How do we create an interactive platform to help
kids safely explore the web?

We created a curated, interactive iPad application featuring content from world-renowned experts on children's books, dinosaurs, wildlife, space, oceans, and sports. The interface included over a dozen HTML5 templates for videos, games, and interactives, all optimized for young users' touch interactions.

An iPad experience to help curious kids safely discover the web

Since 2010, tablets and mobile devices have become common educational tools in homes and schools, thanks to their accessible content and touch-friendly interfaces. Happly created a safe learning platform where parents could set up PIN-protected profiles and customize their children's access to various topics, including Did You Know?, How to Do Stuff, Space & Beyond, Weird & Wacky, Dinos, and Funny Videos.

Personal Contribution as co-founder, I:

Led end-to-end product development from concept to launch
Designed and implemented the parent control system
Created the HTML5 template library for interactive content
Developed the custom CMS for content management
Directed the visual design and interaction patterns
Managed relationships with content partners
Conducted user testing with families

The Happly team conducted extensive research with tech-savvy families whose children preferred mobile devices over traditional video games. Our findings revealed that while kids spent several hours daily on mobile content, they often encountered inappropriate material through random games and uncensored YouTube videos. Parents expressed concerns about screen time and the need for safe, high-quality educational alternatives.

We developed short, engaging activities like puzzles, word games, and interactive stories based on this feedback. Through rapid prototyping and observation of children using Happly, we refined our UI and content strategy to match young users' preferences. To support this, we built a custom content management system for the first-generation iPad that enabled easy publishing of interactive templates, including jigsaw puzzles, word finds, concentration games, mad libs, hidden pictures, fun facts, and slideshows.

Understanding and engaging young digital learners

Insight and learnings

Balancing engagement with educational value requires constant iteration
Parent controls need to be both powerful and simple to use
Content variety is crucial for maintaining long-term engagement
Template-based publishing enables rapid content creation without sacrificing quality
User testing with actual kids provides invaluable insights that can't be obtained elsewhere