This project is part of my Google UX Design course.
Overview:
Daycares within the city's metropolitan area are bustling, and the same can be said for the busy parents who entrust their children to their care. Amidst a range of scheduling challenges, co-parenting arrangements, and time constraints, both daycare centers and parents find it challenging to effectively communicate and stay well-informed about their children's development and requirements.
Project duration: October 2021 to March 2022
The Challenge: Efficient communication between busy parents and teachers becomes challenging due to their packed schedules.
The Objective: Develop an application that empowers daycares to streamline parent communication and enables parents to conveniently access their children's reports.
My Role: As a UX designer, I am responsible for crafting a daycare app from its initial idea to its final implementation.
Duties: My tasks encompass conducting interviews, creating both paper and digital wireframes, developing prototypes at various fidelity levels, carrying out usability studies, ensuring accessibility considerations, and continuously refining and enhancing the designs.
User Research Findings Overview:
Through a process of interviews and the creation of empathy maps, I delved into comprehending the users I am designing for and their requirements. A central user category that emerged from this research comprises employed parents and caregivers who have children attending daycare.
The insights obtained from this user group validated our initial conjectures regarding their needs. However, the research also brought to light additional compelling features that would prove valuable, features which had not been initially considered for inclusion in the design.
Challenges Identified:
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Time Constraint: Working parents have limited time due to their busy schedules.
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Teacher Availability: The availability of teachers is limited, making it difficult to accommodate every parent's requests promptly.
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Check-In Process: High volumes of parents checking in and out their children lead to long and crowded lines.
Problem Statement: Linda, a working mother, requires an effective means to communicate with daycare staff in order to stay updated on her daughter's development and progress.
Persona
User Journey:
Starting the Design
Paper Wireframes
Investing effort into sketching out multiple versions of each app screen on paper guarantees that the elements eventually transitioned to digital wireframes will effectively target and alleviate user pain points.
Digital Wireframes
As the initial design phase progressed, I remained committed to shaping screen designs in alignment with feedback and insights gleaned from user research.
A crucial focal point in the design was catering to the user's requirement for academic progress and daily reports. This imperative need was thoughtfully integrated into the kid profile section, enabling parents to conveniently access this vital information.
Developing a Low-Fidelity Prototype
Leveraging the comprehensive array of finalized digital wireframes, I proceeded to craft a low-fidelity prototype. The central user journey I established focused on accessing the child's academic progress and messages from teachers. This purposeful arrangement facilitated the prototype's utility within a usability study.
Round 1 Discoveries
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Users prioritize having the most crucial information readily available on the home screen.
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Several users encountered difficulties locating and recognizing the menu icon.
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Users faced challenges in locating the messages section.
Round 2 Observations
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Users express a desire for urgent message notifications to be displayed on the home screen.
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Certain users find it necessary to have the ability to manually input a check-in code instead of relying solely on scanning.
Refining the design
Mockups
The initial design phase introduced a degree of customization; however, following the insights gained from usability studies, significant adjustments were made. Notably, a bottom navigation bar was incorporated to facilitate effortless access to vital features. Additionally, the kid's profile section was revamped to provide immediate access to concise daily information through a toggle card arrangement.
Refinement Based on Usability Study 2
The second round of usability testing highlighted user frustration with the check-in procedure. To address this, an enhancement was implemented to cater to users who lack access to their mobile cameras. A new option was introduced, allowing users to input a designated check-in code that they receive upon enrolling their children. This modification aims to streamline the check-in process and enhance user convenience.