Empowering expectant mothers with community and care at every step
Oct 2023
Solo.
48-hour Design Challenge.
UX Researcher
UI Designer
Pregnant women often seek understanding, support, and a repository of wisdom that can guide them through this transformative period. However, finding reliable information, forging connections with others in similar situations, and obtaining advice that resonates with their personal experiences can be daunting tasks amidst the vast sea of resources. My goal is to create a mobile app that bridges the gap by providing a nurturing and informative platform that not only offers validated information but also fosters a sense of community.
I did user research on existing solutions, conducted 8 informal interviews, brainstormed features, and made high-fidelity Figma prototypes in 48 hours.
Intended for the vibrant community of expecting mothers, this engaging tool invites users to immerse in prompted daily discussions and expressive mood polls, fostering a supportive network during your pregnancy.
The feature is designed for moms-to-be who are seeking camaraderie and support during this transformative phase of life. With a simple tap of the "wave" button, you can effortlessly extend a friendly hello and begin nurturing meaningful connections with other pregnant moms.
This feature offers a heartwarming space for expectant mothers to gather and grow together, both virtually and face-to-face. Users can browse for a local meetup to build a support network, or an online chat room to share their experience of motherhood.
Navigating through pregnancy is an experience best enjoyed with others who share your anticipation and dreams. This feature is designed to connect users with fellow moms-to-be who just 'get it'. Users can search for groups by interests, due dates, motherhood topics, locations, and etc.
According to the National Institute of Health, loneliness among pregnant women and mothers in general ranged from 32% to 42%.
In a recent survey study of over 400 women, 86% reported that they felt 'overwhelmed' by the amount of pregnancy information available.
Before I started working on the market research, I set 3 categories of existing solutions to look for: direct competitor, partial competitor, and analogous competitor. Here are 3 key insights I gained from the market research:
Primary Persona: Emily represents users who are seeking reliable information and support as they navigate new experiences and challenges of impending motherhood. She embodies the frustrations many first-time pregnant women feel. Besides, Emily's behavior indicates a proactive approach to seeking advice and learning, yet she struggles with efficiently navigating online spaces.
Secondary Persona: Jessica represents users who are not only navigating the complexities of pregnancy at a more advanced maternal age but also juggling a demanding career and a busy family life. Jessica's main frustrations include concerns about her pregnancy related to her age, finding peers with similar experiences, and balancing work stress with maintaining a healthy lifestyle during her pregnancy.
How can we design a mobile application for pregnant women to get more social support, feel less isolated, and access concise and useful information related to pregnancy?
As for the color palette, I aimed to find colors that would resonate with my audience and enhance their app experience. The primary color I chose is a soft coral hue, a shade that reflects warmth, nurturing, and the blush of health, which are all qualities associated with pregnancy. For the secondary colors, I opted for a palette of gentle pinks and purples, which are traditionally associated with femininity and tranquility. These shades complement the primary color and provide a sense of diversity and inclusivity. The gradient from pink to lavender is intended to be soothing and reassuring, offering a serene backdrop to the vibrant community space I am cultivating.
In designing a social media mobile app specifically for pregnant women, I've found the choice of typeface to be critical in creating an inviting, clear, and supportive digital environment. I chose Roboto as the main typeface because it embodies a perfect blend of geometric precision and a warm, approachable ambiance. Its outstanding readability on digital screens, enhanced by the open forms of its letters, makes it the ideal choice for my audience, who are in search of information and community support during a transformative phase of their lives.
Reflecting on the intense design challenge to create a social media mobile app for pregnant women, I was initially struck by the depth of engagement and learning that occurred in such a compressed timeframe. This experience was a profound exercise in empathy-driven design, requiring me to immerse myself in the world of expectant mothers and understand their unique needs and concerns. Balancing aesthetics with functionality, I strove to craft an interface that was not only visually soothing but also intuitive and accessible, considering the cognitive load that pregnancy can impose. It pushed me to my creative limits and demanded rapid innovation while remaining user-centered. Integrating the insights from the statistics on maternal loneliness and isolation, I prioritized features that fostered connection and community. Overall, this sprint was not just about creating an app; it was about envisioning a supportive digital ecosystem for a demographic often overshadowed in the tech space. It was a reminder that design has the power to touch lives and provide solace, especially in life's most transformative stages.