Lego and UNICEF unveil game design toolbox to help promote children's wellbeing in digital play

Lego and UNICEF have released a set of design guidelines targeting game developers to better promote children's wellbeing during digital play.

The Responsible Innovation in Technology for Children (RITEC) toolbox is targeting game designers, with the end goal being to provide "practical tools to create digital experiences that actively promote experiences considerate of wellbeing."

RITEC is a research project co-founded by the Lego Group and UNICEF that involved over 780 children in 18 countries, which demonstrated that digital play can have a positive impact on a child's wellbeing. Research was conducted in partnership with the Western Sydney University, the University of Sheffield, New York University, City University New York, and the Queensland University of Technology.

"If designed well, games can help children to regulate their emotions, feel connected to others, and find joy"

The RITEC toolbox includes, among others, guidelines to design games focusing on the eight "wellbeing outcomes" that children can get out of digital play: autonomy, competence, emotional regulation, relationships, creativity, identities, diversity, equity & inclusion, and safety & security.

Known as the RITEC-8 framework, it was designed in partnership with over 35 gaming companies from 15 countries.

"Designing for wellbeing is about allowing children to experience a sense of control, have freedom of choice and experience mastery and feelings of achievement," the announcement highlighted. "If designed well, games can also help children to regulate their emotions, feel connected to others, and find joy in creating and exploring as well as acting on new ideas. These types of experiences are vital for children's wellbeing and can even support their development."

The RITEC design toolbox also includes "a summary for executives highlighting the business case of designing for wellbeing," and "a shared vocabulary for game designers to discuss both children's needs and desires for wellbeing, as well as online gaming features to promote it," among others.

These resources are free and can be found on UNICEF's website.