Kids Care
Academic project from my Digital Product Design Course.
Role: Concept Creator, UX/UI Designer
Duration: 4 weeks
Year: 2023
After completing the initial phase of my Digital Product UX/UI design course, I embarked on a final project that addressed a problem I had encountered through experience. However, I needed to assess the scale of this problem: How significant was it, and was it worth creating a platform to address it? In the Kids Care Case Study below, I delve into these considerations and provide insights into the project, showcasing how I conceptualized, created, and ideated the entire concept.
What was the challenge?
The accumulation of the kids objects.
As children grow up, the belongings that were once essential become superfluous at home.
Many parents accumulate these items at home, not knowing what to do with them.
Charity institutions, which often rely on donations, may not have full access to these resources; they could receive much more than they currently do.
Therefore, it affects the ability to provide assistance to children in vulnerable situations.
How to approach the excess of clothes, toys, and objects that accumulate as children grow and no longer serve their original purpose?
My starting point were these two questions:
How to help charity institutions that need essential items to support children in vulnerable situations?
Desk Research
I began by investigating companies and institutions active in the donations field, which allowed me to gain a comprehensive view of the current scenario.
Online Research - Analysis of their work model and donation approaches and their relationship with the public.
Evaluation of Campaigns and Initiatives - Understanding strategies and areas of opportunity.
Comparison of Approaches - To inspire the creation of functionalities on the platform.
Inquiries: Closed Questions
For quantitative data collection, I conducted surveys with closed questions aiming to understand:
The frequency of acquiring certain items.
When was the last time the items was donated or sold.
Knowledge of existing solutions.
Need for a digital platform.
Sustainability and environmental concerns.
1:1 Interviews
I conducted interviews to mothers and a father with the goal of comprehending:
What they currently do with clothes, toys, and objects that are no longer in use.
The major challenges when dealing with these items.
If they have donated or sold these items and where.
Their concerns regarding sharing these items.
Whether sustainability was an important factor.
Insights
Families
There's some difficulty in selecting clothes and understanding what institutions need.
They already tend to donate, usually in proximity: through school, family, or friends, with 75% having done so in the last month.
They show interest in an effective bridge between donors and charity institutions. They prefer to make personal deliveries.
They are not familiar with any donation platform.
Some items are sold on Vinted and OLX.
Instituitions
There is a need to gather goods for people who need them.
Each institution or company tries to raise them through their platforms.
The approach usually involves an email inquiry.
They have very similar needs for goods.
Monetary donations are also very important.
When they have only one child, families tend to keep the belongings.
Benchmark
Personas
In crafting the user experience for the Kids Care project, I envisioned a platform designed to make a meaningful impact on the lives of children. To achieve this, I've identified two primary user personas, each representing a distinct journey within the digital platform.
Ana Dias
34 years
Married
Mother of 2 Children
Behavioral Information
She faces the challenge of managing the surplus of clothes and toys that accumulate at home.
She has a desire to contribute to the community.
Pains and Needs
She has a small house and, therefore, tries to find solutions for her children's items that she no longer needs.
She has thought about donating however, but she doesn't know the appropriate places.
She doesn't know what is most needed in these institutions.
Potential Solutions
Finding an easy and effective way to share clothes and baby toys that they no longer use.
Help the community.
Association 'Luz da Infância’ Institution Persona
Name: Carla Silva
Position: Donations Coordinator
Luz da Infância is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting families in vulnerable situations.
Behavioral Information
Carla leads the coordination of donations at Luz da Infância. She is committed to ensuring that every family in need receives the support they need. Is proactive and open to collaboration with other organizations and platforms that can facilitate the donation process.
Pains and needs
Ensure there are baby clothes and items to meet demand.
Simplify and optimize the donation process, making it more efficient.
Check the condition and integrity of donated goods.
Maintain the integrity of the organization, ensuring that donations go to families who really need them.
After conducting my research, I reframed my problem and arrived at this HMW:
“How can we create a platform that allows mothers and fathers to share surplus clothes and toys, making it easier for those in need to access them?”
Wireframes & Wireflow
The valuable insights gathered from research, interviews, and inquiries played a crucial role in shaping my designs. Given that users were already familiar with platforms like Vinted and OLX, even though I was developing a mobile website, I aimed to leverage their familiarity. I was confident that aligning the new platform's navigation and design with those popular apps would enhance user comfort and acceptance.
User Journey
This platform serves two main user types at the moment: the Donor and the Receiver. To provide a comprehensive view of their experiences, I have developed distinct user journeys for each.
The Donor
Expectations:
Putting things to good use that you no longer need.
Facilitate the donation process.
The Receiver
Expectations:
Receive items they really need.
Receive people at the most convenient time.
Style Guide
In developing the style guide, my aim was to imbue the platform with a distinct identity that resonates with its core values. With Kids Care, my aspiration is to embody ideals of renewal, sustainability, optimism, and community. Below, I share a glimpse into my approach.
Mock up
Usability Test
To conduct the usability test, given the time constraints, I selected a small group of individuals and provided them with access to the prototype. I observed their interactions, listened to their feedback, and took notes throughout the process.
“Os meus rascunhos” (My Drafts) was not understood by the user. I changed to “Itens Guardados” (Saved Items)
The user has difficulty finding the way back with only the icon presented. I placed the icon at the bottom and added the word 'Continue'.
Future Development
There is always room for improvement in a project if given more time. During the development process, I had to make decisions and prioritize certain features, inevitably deferring others for future opportunities. As for future developments, I concluded that the following additions would greatly enhance the project:
Third Person: The platform could help the needy family.
Quantity Selection: Users will be able to select the quantity of items when they are from the same category.
Deliveries: The platform could suggest alternatives to in-person delivery.
Campaigns: Implement special campaigns for occasions like Christmas and Easter
During the second phase of the digital product design course, I had the opportunity to upgrade the Kids Care site. I selected one of these future developments: the inclusion of a third persona, the needy family, resulting in the creation of the Kids Care 2.0 project.
Value Proposition & Conclusions
Mothers and fathers tidy up the house from items that are surplus.
They give a noble purpose to belongings that hold sentimental value.
A feeling that contributes to the community.
The institution receives the items it truly needs.
With scheduled donations, donors don't show up unexpectedly.
They already know what they will receive and can deliver and help those in need more quickly.
Aggregator of all institutions in need of goods
Facilitator of goods delivery between donor and institution
