Unfortunately, having a MySpace page doesn't make you an expert in the online habits of teens and tweens. Not even if you have 100 friends linked to your page. Despite the constant media stories, there's more to the online habits of teens and tweens than a few popular social networking sites. These young people make up the first generation to actually grow up with the web. As such, they're smart, tech savvy and generally averse to the hard sell. So how does a hardworking interactive designer create a site that merits a bookmark? Do your homework. Be creative. Leave the pandering at home.

Youth culture
As with any age group, one of the first keys to success with teens and tweens is getting to know the target audience. Clint! Runge, a creative director at Archrival in Lincoln, Neb., says it's important to recognize the generational differences in the way people use the web. In general, boomers go online for information while the Gen X crowd often looks for entertainment. Gen Y, however, takes a completely different approach. "They use the web for communication and membership," Runge says. "They want a sense of belonging."

This means a website that resembles a slick brochure likely won't pass muster. It's important for teens and tweens to really feel like they're part of a website-not just passive users. Anything you can do to increase interactivity will likely win points with this age group. "Let them be part of the brand," Runge says. This might mean allowing site visitors to vote on a product's new tagline or even creating a youth advisory board.

Michael Brandt, a creative director at the firm mediumbold in Boston, says his team worked to build interaction into the Keds Mischa Barton site. One section, for example, features testimonials submitted by site visitors on how they express themselves. There is also an interactive quiz called "Finding Your Own Style" that matches a user's answers with her perfect style decade and pair of Keds. The site strives to be cool without telling teens what's cool. Brandt describes this light-handed approach as "leading by example."

The Keds Mischa Barton site gets a facelift every spring and fall when the new shoes come out. Designed by mediumbold in Boston, the site's music is provided by independent record labels. This strategic partnership means some teens actually discover new music through the site.

While those of us over 25 might long for a fountain of youth, most teens and tweens wish they were several years older. The Keds site officially targets 19- to 25-year-olds, but this also gives it aspirational appeal for 13- to 18-year-olds. "A 12-year-old doesn't want to be 12," says Mark Lewman, a creative director at Nemo Design in Portland, Ore. "They want to be 16." The bottom line: When in doubt, skew a little older. Kids are more sophisticated than adults typically give them credit for.

Don't be a poser
Young people hate it when you try too hard-to be cool, young or just sell a product. To get them to your site, you have to do more than promote a product. "Create an experience that has some intrinsic value to an audience," says Mark Rattin, president and creative director at 15 Letters in Chicago. For example, his firm designed a micro-site called The Swarm for M&M Minis. It's an online comic book that plays like an interactive movie with limited animation. The story is engaging enough to warrant forwards among the target audience, roughly 10- to 14-year-olds. "This age group shares," Rattin says. "Word of mouth is important." Make sure your site encourages this kind of viral marketing with both appealing content and soft prompts to share the site with others. One section of The Swarm site, for example, allows users to create their own drawings, and a "Send to a Friend" button makes it easy to forward on these masterpieces.

This micro-site called The Swarm for M&M Minis opens by making visitors feel like they're walking through a lab right after an explosion.

"It's almost like a film," says Mark Rattin, the president and creative director at 15 Letters in Chicago. His firm translated a 32-page comic book from Marvel into a fully interactive experience. The site directly interacts with the product: Codes from special candy packages unlock extra content.

If you're not careful, your online efforts could get you mocked rather than revered among brutal teens and tweens. Lewman says this age group has a low tolerance for content that isn't engaging or authentic. "Be surprising," he says. "Don't copy everything else that's out there. They're really sharp. They don't want to absorb derivative content."

How do you guarantee your site gets positive attention? "You come from the culture and you understand what drives that kid," Lewman says. His firm works on Nike 6.0, the shoe company's action sports brand. One reason the site works so well is that it gets all the details and nuances just right. Lewman and others who work on the campaign grew up participating in action sports, so they know the culture firsthand.

Don't worry. You don't have to take up skateboarding to be in the loop. But it would help if you visited the skate shop, shopping mall, or wherever your target audience happens to hang out. If you went into both a skate and a surfing shop, Lewman says, you'd immediately get a feel for how those two cultures differ. Firsthand research can help ensure your site doesn't seem like an outsider created it.

Picture perfect
As you slide down the age spectrum, think visual instead of text-based storytelling. The limited text on a tween or teen site should have a purpose or simply offer something unexpected. Product copy on the Nike 6.0 site reads more like a fantasy novel chat room than a traditional catalog. A blurb for a T-shirt featuring an imaginary creature called a Pegacorn starts off like this, "You've heard the argument, usually made after a real hot and sweaty night of playing 'Magic.' There's NO way a unicorn would mate with a Pegasus. Besides, Unicorns aren't real."

The Keds Mischa Barton site relies heavily on videos and images rather than text to engage visitors. "We wanted to create an environment and tell a story," Brandt says. Overall, the idea is to let teens get to know the popular actress with behind-the-scenes videos from her Keds photo shoots. This approach promotes an insider feel and allows site visitors to relate to Barton as a real person. The site also benefits from strategic partnerships. Since independent record labels provide the background music, teens may actually discover hip new bands at the site. Plus, users can download screensavers featuring illustrations by a rockposter artist who designed a line of Keds.

But no matter how on-target your site, it can take a little push to get the traffic there in the first place. The Nike 6.0 site is part of a comprehensive campaign that encompasses both TV and print. To get into the lives of teens, Lewman says it's key to become part of their landscapes. Try placing banner ads on other sites they visit and figure out other key places to touch base with your audience.

Designed by Nemo Design in Portland, Ore., this site for Nike's action sports brand features illustration to match the other components of the campaign, and is part of a larger effort encompassing both TV and print.

Keep it fresh
Once you catch the eye of your target audience, it takes regular updating to keep them coming back. The Keds site gets updated every spring and fall when the new shoe line rolls out. To keep the project within a budget, imagery and messaging get changed out within a standardized site architecture. Even small updates help keep things fresh. Are there a few content areas that can easily be expanded or updated? One compelling addition can help drive traffic back to a site.

Then there's the more serious side of marketing to young people. "You need to understand what's appropriate and what's not for those under 18," Rattin says. And this goes beyond obvious judgment calls to keep things rated PG. There are special rules about privacy and data collection with respect to young people. A good starting point is a PDF provided by the Federal Trade Commission called, "How to Comply With The Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule." Beginning to feel like you're back in high school cramming for a test? That's just your inner teen coming out to help.

Think Young
Even if you could magically travel back in time to talk with your 14-year-old self, you'd still be struggling to figure out exactly what turns the heads of today's techsavvy teens and tweens. Try these free resources to raise your youth IQ ... sans braces:

• Ypulse
  Keep tabs on all the latest news relating to Gen Y with one bookmark. This blog offers a daily roundup- complete with commentary- designed for the media and advertising crowds.
• Pew Internet & American Life Project
  No time or money for focus groups? Just type teen into the search box and hit go to uncover an avalanche of free research on how this age group uses technology.
• Girl Scout Research Institute
  This official arm of everyone's favorite cookie sales force conducts original research on lives of teen and tween girls, including a study on girls and new media.
• Kaiser Family Foundation
  Simply choose the internet section under Entertainment and Media Studies to access relevant studies for nearly any age group. It's the perfect backup material to help bolster your cause at client meetings.

About the author
Michelle Taute is a freelance writer and editor in Cincinnati who specializes in design topics.

This article was originally published in the February/March 2007 issue of Dynamic Graphics magazine

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