Project Overview:
Local daycares in the metropolitan area of the city are buys and so are the parents with kids in daycares. With a variety of scheduling conflicts, co-parents and lack of time, daycares and parents struggle communicating and staying on top of kids’ progress and needs.
Project duration:
October 2021 to March 2022
The problem:
Busy parents and teachers have a hard time communicating efficiently due to busy schedules.
The goal:
Design an app that allows daycares to manage parent communication and parents to conveniently access their kids’ reports.
My role:
UX designer designing a daycare app from conception to delivery.
Responsibilities:
Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, and iterating on designs.
User Research: Summary
I conducted interviews and created empathy maps to understand the users I’m designing for and their needs. A primary user group identified through research was working parents/caregivers with kids in daycare.
This user group confirmed our initial assumptions about their needs, but researched also revealed other interesting features they will find useful that we initially didn’t think of including.
Pain points:
Time: working parents are busy and their time is limited
Availability: busy teachers lack availability for each parent’s request due to their busy schedule
Check-In: With a lot of parents check-in and out their kids, lines get long and busy
Availability: busy teachers lack availability for each parent’s request due to their busy schedule
Check-In: With a lot of parents check-in and out their kids, lines get long and busy
Problem statement:
Linda is a working mom who needs a way to communicate with the daycare staff to be informed about her daughter’s progress.
User Persona
User Journey
Starting the Design
Paper Wireframes
Taking the time to draft iterations of each screen of the app on paper ensured that the elements that made it to digital wireframes would be well-suited to address user pain points.
Digital wireframes
As the initial design phase continued, I made sure to base screen designs on feedback and findings from the user research.
Academic progress and daily reports was a key user need to address in the designs. Within the kid profile parents will be able to access this information.
Low-fidelity prototype
Using the completed set of digital wireframes, I created a low-fidelity prototype. The primary user flow I connected was checking the kid’s academic progress and teachers’ messages, so the prototype could be used in a usability study.
Usability Study: Findings
I conducted two rounds of unmoderated usability studies. Findings from the first study helped guide the designs from wireframes to mockups. The second study used a high-fidelity prototype and revealed what aspects of the mockups needed refining.
Round 1 Findings
- Users want most important info accessible from the home screen
- Most users had trouble finding and identifying the menu icon
- Users had trouble finding the messages
Round 2 Findings
- Users want to see urgent messages notifications in the home screen
- Some users need the option to type in a check-in code instead of scanning
Refining the design
Mockups
Early designs allowed for some customization, but after the usability studies, I added a navigation bar at the bottom for easy access to most important features. I also modified the kid’s profile section to access at-a glance daily information with a toggle card.
The second usability study revealed frustration with the check-in process. To make it easier for users without access their mobile camera I added the option to enter a check-in code that they are assigned to when they enroll their kids.
High-fidelity Prototype
The final high-fidelity prototype presented cleaner user flows for checking the kid’s profile. It also met user needs for an accessible menu and messaging.
The Takeaways
Impact:
The app made it easier for daycares to manage parent communication and for parents to be able to access their kids reports at any time.
Quote from feedback:
“I find very convenient to be able to have an app for the daycare my kids attend. Being a busy mom I like the ability to access my kids’ information quickly and send messages to teachers from my phone”.
What I learned:
While designing this daycare app, I learned that the first ideas for the app are only the beginning of the process. Usability studies and peer feedback influenced each iteration of the app’s designs.
Thank You!
