My Role
UX Research | UX Design | UI Design

Tools
Figma

Project
End-to-End Mobile App

Project Duration
10 weeks

Background:

"My 4th Tri" is a postpartum app designed to support women during the critical period following childbirth. It offers resources, guidance, and a community to empower new and expectant mothers as they navigate the challenges of postpartum life.

Problem Statement:

New mothers face significant challenges during the postpartum period, including physical discomfort, emotional upheavals, and practical hurdles. Existing resources are fragmented and insufficient, leaving many feeling isolated, overwhelmed, and underprepared.

"My 4th Tri" aims to solve this by providing a holistic, user-friendly platform with expert advice, personalized care plans, and community support, ensuring a confident and supported postpartum journey.

Solution Overview:

"My 4th Tri" is designed to:

  • Offer personalized content on postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, mental health, and baby care.

  • Provide access to expert advice and professional support services like doulas and lactation consultants.

  • Facilitate community connections among new mothers for shared experiences and support.

  • Organize and streamline postpartum information to make it easily accessible and less overwhelming.

Research:

Research Methods:

To define the problem and audience, I conducted in-depth user interviews, surveys and competitive analysis.

The research methods included:

  • Interviews: Conducted with 15 postpartum women, both in person and remotely.

  • Surveys: Distributed to a wider audience, with a 70% response rate.

  • Competitive analysis: To understand the strengths and weaknesses of existing postpartum support apps.

Interview Questions:

  • Can you tell me about your postpartum experience? How has it been different from what you expected?

  • What does ideal postpartum care/support look like to you?

  • What postpartum challenges have you faced, both physically and emotionally?

Key Insights:

  • Information Overload: Users were overwhelmed by the disorganized, text-heavy postpartum information.

  • Breastfeeding Support: Hands-on breastfeeding support was critical but often lacking.

  • Mental and Physical Health: Access to physical therapy and mental health counseling was vital but required self-advocacy.

  • Support Systems: The invaluable role of family and friends in providing practical support.

Data Points:

  • 80% of interviewees highlighted the need for better-organized information.

  • 70% reported difficulties with breastfeeding and sought more practical support.

  • 60% utilized professional support services like doulas and lactation consultants.

Anecdotes:

One user shared, "I felt lost with the amount of information thrown at me. A more organized way to access and understand this information would have made a huge difference."

  • Personas: Developed two main personas, Emily Johnson (New Mom) and Sharon Le (Expectant Mom).

  • Sitemap: Created a clear and intuitive sitemap for easy navigation.

  • User Flows: Designed user flows to ensure a seamless experience from onboarding to accessing resources.

Competitive Analysis

In developing "My 4th Tri," a thorough competitive analysis was conducted to understand the strengths and weaknesses of existing postpartum support apps. The three main competitors analyzed were Leia, My Fourth, and Myri Health. This analysis helped identify gaps in the market and informed the development of unique features and improvements for "My 4th Tri."

Leia

Strengths:

  • Comprehensive Information: Leia offers a wide range of articles and resources on postpartum topics, including breastfeeding, physical recovery, and mental health.

  • Community Support: The app has a strong community feature where users can connect with other new mothers, share experiences, and offer support.

  • User-Friendly Design: Leia has an intuitive interface that is easy to navigate, making it accessible for users with varying levels of tech proficiency.

Weaknesses:

  • Information Overload: Users reported feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information available, making it difficult to find specific answers quickly.

  • Lack of Personalization: The app does not offer much in the way of personalized content or recommendations based on individual user needs.

  • Limited Professional Support: While community support is strong, there is a lack of access to professional resources like lactation consultants and physical therapists within the app.

My Fourth

Strengths:

  • Focused Content: My Fourth provides targeted information on key postpartum issues, particularly breastfeeding and mental health.

  • Visual Aids: The app uses videos and images to convey information, which users found helpful for understanding complex topics like breastfeeding techniques.

  • Preparation Resources: Offers preparation guides for the postpartum phase, helping users to feel more confident and informed.

Weaknesses:

  • Navigation Challenges: Users reported difficulty navigating the app, with some features being hard to find or buried under multiple layers of menus.

  • Limited Interactivity: The app primarily offers static content with few interactive features or tools to engage users.

  • Support System Integration: While it provides valuable information, the app lacks features that help users integrate family and friends into their postpartum support system effectively.

Myri Health

Strengths:

  • Holistic Approach: Myri Health takes a holistic approach to postpartum care, covering physical, mental, and emotional health comprehensively.

  • Professional Support: The app includes access to professional services such as mental health counselors and physical therapists, which users found highly beneficial.

  • Customization: Offers personalized plans based on user input, providing tailored recommendations and resources.

Weaknesses:

  • Complex User Interface: Users reported that the app’s interface is somewhat complex and not very intuitive, leading to a steeper learning curve.

  • Cost: Myri Health requires a subscription fee for access to its full range of services, which can be a barrier for some users.

  • Content Overlap: There is some redundancy in the content provided, which can lead to confusion and make it harder for users to find unique, actionable advice.

Key Takeaways for "My 4th Tri"

Based on the competitive analysis, "My 4th Tri" aims to combine the best features of these existing apps while addressing their weaknesses:

  • Simplified Information Delivery: By organizing information into clear, easily digestible categories with visual aids and concise text, "My 4th Tri" avoids the information overload issue seen in Leia.

  • Personalization: Implementing personalized content and recommendations, similar to Myri Health, ensures that users receive relevant and actionable information tailored to their specific needs.

  • User-Friendly Interface: Prioritizing a clean, intuitive design helps users navigate the app effortlessly, addressing the navigation challenges observed in My Fourth and Myri Health.

  • Comprehensive Support: Offering both community support and access to professional services ensures users have a robust support system, combining the strengths of Leia’s community features and Myri Health’s professional resources.

  • Cost-Effective Solutions: Providing a mix of free and premium content can help make the app more accessible, similar to My Fourth’s approach, while still offering valuable, professional-grade resources.

By addressing these key areas, "My 4th Tri" aims to create a well-rounded, supportive, and easy-to-use app that effectively meets the needs of postpartum women.

Design:

EMPATHIZE DEFINE IDEATE PROTOTYPE TEST

Design Process:

Utilized Design Thinking Methodology to empathize with the user, define the problem and solution and ideate based on insights gained from these findings.

Design Versions:

Created multiple versions of sketches and wireframes, refining them based on user feedback.

Branding Process:

  • Color Palette: Selected calming and reassuring colors to create a supportive atmosphere.

  • Branding Elements: Developed a logo, typography, and visual style that resonated with the target audience.

Final Deliverables:

  • High-fidelity wireframes.

  • Comprehensive UI design with a consistent branding theme.

Favorite Part:

My favorite part of the design process was wireframing the structure, as it allowed me to visualize and refine the user journey, ensuring it was intuitive and user-friendly.

Prototype:

Test:

Testing Methods:

  • Created a prototype for comprehensive user testing.

  • Conducted user testing on the prototype to get real time feedback on usability, intuitiveness and overall functionality.

Prototype:

Developed a fully functional prototype used for iterative testing and feedback collection.

Insights:

After testing the prototype the overall response from users was positive. There were some key insights to iterate on moving forward:

  • Too much redundancy with buttons/sections- this could lead to confusion of the user. Will pair down some of the redundancies moving forward.

  • The goal of the app was to give digestible information and resources to new mom’s so that they could understand and implement things quickly. Based on user testing, this initial goal was achieved.

Conclusion:

Project Summary:

"My 4th Tri" successfully addressed the need for organized, accessible postpartum resources. The app provided comprehensive support through clear information delivery, professional services, and a supportive community.

Challenges:

  • Ensuring up-to-date content.

  • Balancing comprehensive information with simplicity.

Learnings:

  • The importance of continuous user feedback.

  • The value of clear and concise information delivery.

Future Work:

  • Adding new features like meal planning and personalized mental health support.

  • Enhancing the app based on ongoing user feedback.

Pride Points:

I am most proud of creating an app that genuinely supports and empowers postpartum women, making a meaningful difference in their lives.