UX DESIGN
OASIS
Oasis is a mobile app designed for new moms dealing with postpartum depression. It helps them connect with nearby moms who are ready to offer support. The app lets new moms check the history of other moms to find someone with similar experiences. This way, they can share advice and encouragement. Oasis makes it easier for moms to navigate through the tough times after having a baby by building a community of understanding and helpful friends.
problem space
Misconceptions to Inspiration
The journey of human life starts with moms. To raise a child well, it's super important that a mom is happy and healthy. I care a lot about this because, back in my village in Kenya, I saw new moms being misunderstood and isolated because of postpartum depression, which people mistakenly think is 'madness.' I wanted to help these moms, so I created a way for them to connect with other moms who get it. I made a special place where they can talk to understanding friends who've been through the same stuff and can lend a helping hand
SECONDARY RESEARCH
What difficulties do moms experience when dealing with postpartum depression?
In the fast-paced world of today, technology plays a significant role in shaping and transforming lives. However, amid the countless benefits it brings, there are saddening challenges faced by mothers dealing with postpartum depression. Here are some of the challenges:
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Social Isolation in a Connected World
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Information Overload and Overwhelm
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Stigma and Misunderstanding
In Canada
Postpartum Depression Prevalence
23%
of new mothers experienced postpartum depression
Age Disparity
25+
Years
had a higher prevalence(30%)
Postpartum Depression Statistics in Canada (2019):
I chose to focus on postpartum depression because many new moms face tough times. Younger moms, especially, need support. Some already dealt with postpartum depression before. I want to help them by understanding and offering a helping hand during this important phase of their lives.
Interview insights
Understanding my User's Frustrations and Goals
To comprehend the goals, motivations, and frustrations of my users, I conducted interviews with four moms who had direct and indirect experience with postpartum depression. Here, their insights are organized into the following distinct themes:
Mental Health
Postpartum depression significantly affects daily life for mothers, hindering self and child care. Exhaustion, bonding challenges, and self-care struggles contribute to feelings of helplessness, emphasizing the need for early mental health support and strategies.
Support
New mothers facing postpartum depression feel isolated and lack support, particularly challenging for new immigrants without local connections. The research emphasizes the need for tailored support, recognizing their struggles and fostering mental health empowerment.
PERSONA
Ensuring a constant focus on my users throughout the entire design process.
Drawing from the interview insights, I gained a deeper understanding of the needs and experiences of moms facing postpartum depression. Utilizing this research, I created a persona and experience map to guide my designs for the target users and identify key opportunities for my solution
Upon reviewing the experience map and persona, it is clear that new mothers require support during the postpartum period. This realization prompted my focus on establishing a network of mothers supporting each other.
With this in mind, I have refined my project question:
How might we effectively support new mothers experiencing postpartum depression to improve maternal and child health outcomes?
Task selection
Providing a supportive network for moms with Postpartum Depression as MVP
I created a set of 30 user stories with the project questions and the needs of my persona Maria in Mind.In order to define the core functionalities and design an MVP of my solution, I categorized the user stories into epics.
Core Epic
Connect with mothers who have experience
Core Value Proposition
To facilitate the support of mothers with postpartum depression through experience and willingness.
User Stories
I outlined the specific tasks for each story to determine the primary task flow that I would focus on in my design.The Highlighted tasks are the ones I selected.
After identifying these tasks, I crafted a task flow concentrating on how a user would engage with the application to successfully accomplish these identified tasks.
SKETCHING & WIREFRAMING
Envisioned the layout and structure, mapping out the key features using Pen and Paper
With my task flow established, I sketched potential solutions, drawing inspiration from existing UI components and functionalities in other social apps.
I created multiple sketches and refined them through iterations. It allowed me to continually incorporate valuable user feedback, ensuring that the final design not only aligns with but effectively meets user needs and expectations
These are iterations for the profile screen
There is a different layout in each of the screens
Multiple sketches for a screen also helped me in design problem identification before wire-framing
These are iterations for the profile screen
USABILITY TESTS
Crafting, Testing, and Enhancing: A Usability Journey in Wireframe Iteration.
Following the brainstorming for each screen, I crafted the initial mid-fidelity wireflow. This prototype underwent two rounds of usability testing, involving 5 participants in each session. Testers were assigned 5 tasks to accomplish. Based on insights from the initial testing, I improved the design for the next version of the wireframe.
Key Changes
"I struggled to find the message button."
Three out of five testers faced challenges locating the message button. To address this, I placed a floating action button, making it more convenient for users to send messages
"The information on the profile was not enough."
Three out of five testers felt the information on the profile was insufficient. In response, I enhanced it by including details such as the number of kids and mothers supported, aiding users in knowing who to connect with.
"The messages were not legible."
Four out of five testers found the messages unclear and hard to read. To improve this, I increased the font size and added a subtle drop shadow, ensuring users wouldn't struggle with reading messages.
I adjusted the prototype based on feedback from the first round of testing.I then used the wireframe on the second round of testing and continued to make changes. This is the final wireflow after the two rounds of testing
COLOR & TYPOGRAPHY
Elevating User Experience Through Brand Design
Having prepared the wireflow, I then assessed the brand's outlook for the high-fidelity prototype by exploring a list of adjectives to define the desired brand image and experience. Some of the adjectives are listed below.
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Resilient
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Safe
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Inclusive
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Positive
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Supportive
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Empowering
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Nurturing
With the same feel in mind, I looked for inspirations for the color and typography. I finally settled on the font and color palette below
word mark design
Mirroring the app in words and Icons
Before settling on Oasis, I explored other names such as momify among others. I went with Oasis as it evokes a sense of calmness , serenity. A mom deserves a relief from the stresses and demands of everyday life.
I tweaked the Oasis name in order to clearly represent the app in a word mark. Replacing the dot on letter-i with a heart Icon and inscribing a chat bubble inside the letter-o did the trick.
RESPONSIVE DESIGN
Putting the app out there
Beyond designing the Oasis app, I took charge of crafting both the desktop and mobile versions of the Oasis marketing site. The purpose of this website goes beyond aesthetics; it serves as a dynamic digital platform where we communicate the app's unique value proposition. With a mobile-first approach , I aimed to showcase not only the features and functionalities but also the benefits that make Oasis stand out.
The website serves as a strategic tool for engaging potential users with either mobile or desktop devices, providing a narrative that goes beyond mere promotion.
Interact with the prototypes below:
NEXT STEPS
There's more to come with Oasis
Moving forward, Oasis aims to further refine its user experience by addressing additional functionalities that would enhance usability and connectivity for our users
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In response to the growing demand for communal support, I plan to implement a group chat feature. This will allow users to create and participate in support groups tailored to their specific needs and interests.
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While the current focus has been on connecting local mothers, its important to recognize the value of extending our reach globally. Through the implementation of a global network feature, Oasis users will have the opportunity to connect and support one another across geographical boundaries.
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To further enhance user engagement and trust, I am exploring the integration of peer-to-peer video and call functionality within the Oasis platform. This feature will enable users to communicate with each other in real-time, allowing them to put voices and faces to the names they encounter online.
KEY LEARNINGs
User centered Design is more that just tools
In the 8 weeks devoted to app development, I acquired crucial insights:
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Prioritizing users in design decisions became a cornerstone, emphasizing their needs as paramount. Collaboration with colleagues proved invaluable, offering inspiration and moral support.
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Patience became a virtue during user feedback collection, fostering a deeper understanding of preferences and opportunities for a solution.
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Moreover, I got better at asking the right questions in interviews and usability testing.
This experience showed me how important it is to focus on users, work together, be adaptable, and communicate well in design.