UI suggestions for setting up prize distribution per location and child locations

Question

I am creating a UI that has to deal with the distribution of prizes. The prizes can be distributed as follows:

A total number of prizes per location
I have 10 prizes that can be claimed in total. So if a location has 10 children, I have 10 prizes total that can be won. So 10 total prizes.

A set number of prizes per location/children I have 10 prizes that can be claimed per location. So if a location has 10 children, I have 10 prizes per child node. So 100 total prizes.

Am looking for some insight on a good UI to select this paradigm.

I am stuck on the issue of being able to select 1 location (that includes children) and allocating a total number of prizes, and being able to select a location and allocating a total number of prizes per child.

Current Ideas:
I was thinking something along the lines of creating a sentence with the options. However, I don't think these are very intuitive or use language everyone could understand.

Distribute [a combined total] of ((10)) prizes per [location name]

Distribute [an individual total] of ((10)) prizes per [location name]

Legend:
[xxxx] means a selector (dropdown, modal whatever)
((xx)) input field or user input area

Answer 1

If I understand your question correctly, you are dealing with a taxonomy of locations. Beyond the examples you provided in your comments, I can imagine a hierarchy like this:

Earth
- North America
-- United States
--- New York
---- New York City MSA
----- Yonkers
----- Brooklyn
----- Queens

This is a taxonomy of locations or "regions" to which you will be applying a distribution. What you are trying to achieve is a UI associated with a "distribution level." Whereas the State of New York is a "distribution level" and the New York City MSA is also a "distribution level." You could enumerate these levels so that the state had a value of 3 (for example) and the MSA had a level of 4. Your distribution of prizes is "prizes per distribution level" so that 10 prizes distributed to level 4 would result in 10 prizes split between all levels below it. A distribution level of 5 would distribute 10 prizes to a region like Yonkers.

Now, the key here is that you have different business rules for "Level 4" and "Level 5" distributions. For Level 4, only one region will be awarded prizes. For Level 5, all regions belonging to the same Level 4 region will receive prizes.

All of that Information Architecture talk to finally get to the UI. For the basic structure, using a slider or other selection tool, allow the user to select the various distribution levels. Include text that dynamically calculates to indicate how the prizes are distributed. Use some kind of visual clue to group the level 5 regions together and make sure that the selector "snaps" to the whole group.

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For the second scenario, the distribution level will "snap" to the whole block and update the label accordingly.

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This could be expanded to include areas "higher" and "lower" in your distribution levels.

Of course, all of this depends on my understanding of your question. If I misunderstood, clear it up for me. (As an aside, I originally interpreted your use of "children" to refer to human children because of its proximity to "prizes." That may be throwing off other readers, too.)

Answer 2

Depending on your context and how the user models the problem, you might be able to do something as simple as this:

^{download bmml source – Wireframes created with Balsamiq Mockups}