Kids Care 2.0
Academic project from my Digital Product Design Course.
Role: Concept Creator, Product Designer
Duration: 2,5 weeks
Year: 2024
As I wrapped up my Kids Care 1.0 UX/UI project, I hinted at some exciting future developments for the site, and one of those was introducing a third user: the needy family. The platform has two aims: to assist those in need of essentials for their children and to connect families with items they no longer require to those seeking them.
In the initial phases of shaping this platform, I chose to assist these families through institutions. Why? Well, these users are already familiar with the concept of donations and helping other families, making it an easier entry point into the market.
Once the platform was implemented and well-received (I assume so, given it was an original personal idea for an academic course), the next challenge was presented to me: to upgrade the project with a Product Designer's perspective.
This upgrade provided the perfect opportunity to introduce the third user.
My earlier research indicated that this was a viable idea, and with this enhancement, we're adding value to the Kids Care platform. By making it more inclusive, we're not only attracting more users but also meeting a broader range of needs and fostering greater engagement. Now, families can directly donate goods to one another, enhancing the overall impact of Kids Care.
Kids Care 1.0
Platform for families to share used baby and children's goods they no longer need with charitable institutions.
What Kids Care 1.0 is:
Kids Care 2.0
Platform for families to share used baby and children's goods they no longer need with charitable institutions and/or with needy families.
What I propose to validate:
Design Process
My design process unfolds across three sprints over a span of 2.5 weeks, which I've segmented into:
Product Discovery
Research → Insights → New Persona → Opportunities → Features → New User Journey → Story Map → User Stories → Use Cases/Task Flow
Design
Style Guide Update → Design New Screens → Handoff
Test
User Testing → User Test Conclusions
Insights
Building on insights from my earlier research, I had a foundational understanding of the third user I'm introducing: the families in need. This user is a derivation of the second user (the institution), though with subtle differences in their needs. To articulate these insights, I documented them under three categories: Needs, Pain Points, and Objectives.
Needs
Inability to acquire essential items.
They need specific items and specific sizes.
Communicating the goods they need.
Receive the items easily and quickly.
Pain Points
Dependency on donations from institutions or family.
Difficulty in receiving items they truly need.
Difficulty in having a platform to communicate what they truly need.
Difficulty in receiving items at the most convenient time/date/location.
Objectives
Receiving essential donations through a larger community.
Delivering donations that meet the specific needs of each family.
Smartly matching the family's needs with what the donor has to offer.
Scheduling delivery at convenient times and locations.
Problem Statement
To provide direction and guidance for my work, I formulate the problem statement, incorporating key performance indicators (KPIs) with growth objectives.
Kids Care aims to enhance its platform to provide a more inclusive experience. Currently focused on donations to institutions, the platform has identified an opportunity to connect donors directly to families in need, thereby opening doors for significant expansion. The goal is to more comprehensively address the community's needs by promoting a direct and lasting impact. With the introduction of direct donations, we anticipate a significant increase of 68% in donations and a growth of 55% in the user base. This evolution will position Kids Care as a comprehensive platform where the sharing of goods genuinely becomes synonymous with care and support for those who need it most.
KPIs
Following the implementation of the Upgrade and aiming to determine its success, I proposed 2 KPIs.
Increase the number of users by 55% within 3 months.
Increase the number of donations by 68% within 5 months.
Persona
While I recognized some similarities between this new user and User 2 (the institutions), I realized the importance of gaining deeper insights to accurately and effectively address their needs. Thus, I created a new persona named 'Catarina,' representing a single mother of three, to better understand and empathize with her unique challenges.
Catarina Silva
38 years
Divorced
Mother of 3 Children
Behavioral Information
Catarina faces the significant challenge of supporting her family as a single mother, balancing family and professional responsibilities. She is determined to provide a better life for her children despite the difficulties.
Pains and Needs
Ensure that her children have proper clothing and essential items for their well-being.
Connect with a community that genuinely cares about the challenges faced by families in need.
Improve the overall quality of life for her family through collaborative support.
Potential Solutions
Catarina is looking for a platform that provides a simple and affordable way to receive essential items for her children.
She is in search of a supportive community that understands and responds to the specific needs of families in difficult economic situations.
A solution that allows direct connection with donors and ensures the relevance and quality of received donations.
Now that I’ve gathered this information, what opportunities did it present for building this new upgrade? And what features will address these opportunities?
Opportunities
Create an account for families in need.
To facilitate the communication of items that families in need require.
Delivery of goods that the family truly needs.
Facilitate the collection/delivery of goods.
Features
Introduction of a new user to the platform: The Needy Family.
Filling out, by families in need, of the goods they require.
Matching donations through an intelligent matching mechanism.
Introduction of the option for the family to collect goods from donors.
Impact Matrix
I employed an impact matrix to strategically prioritize features based on their potential value and the effort required for implementation. This matrix enables the identification of high-value elements that can be achieved with minimal effort, as well as areas where investment may yield lower returns.
User Journey
With the introduction of a new user with unique needs and expectations, it prompted the creation of a new user journey to define their specific path.
The Direct Receiver
Expectations:
Receiving essential goods suitable for your family's needs.
Story Map
In developing the story map for Kids Care 2.0, which focuses on facilitating direct donations from donors to needy families, I visually mapped out the specific journey users take within this updated feature. This map helped me understand the flow of interactions within this particular aspect of the platform, pinpointing key touchpoints and areas for enhancement. By outlining the user's experience in this focused manner, I gained valuable insights to inform the design process and ensure an optimized journey for users involved in direct donations.
User Stories
I crafted user stories to detail the specific interactions and experiences of users engaging with the platform's direct donation feature. These stories provide concise narratives outlining the needs, actions, and goals of both donors and needy families, guiding the design process with a clear focus on meeting user needs and enhancing their journey.
1.1 As a needy family, I want to create a personalized account on the platform to access the goods I need.
1.2 As a needy family, I want to fill in essential information in my profile, including details about the items I need.
1.3 As a needy family, I want to receive donation proposals.
1.4 As a needy family, I want to have the option to select the collection of items.
1.5 As a needy family, I want to be able to easily schedule the collection.
Handoff
Handoff is a critical stage in transitioning design to development, ensuring clear communication to prevent misunderstandings. Below, I've provided two screens with detailed notes to facilitate the handoff process.
Prototype
Usability Test
I conducted user testing to evaluate the effectiveness and usability of the website in real-world scenarios. For this purpose, I opted to use the Maze platform and asked participants a series of closed questions after they interacted with the prototype. Despite time constraints, Maze proved to be a valuable tool, providing useful insights and conclusions. However, given more time, I would have preferred to conduct interviews with open-ended questions in addition to using Maze. This would have allowed for a more comprehensive understanding of user perspectives and behaviors.
Context:
A Kids Care, a platform for sharing baby and children's goods, aims to expand sharing directly to families. Currently, in the first version, delivery is only made to charitable institutions. To test this new feature, we invite you to try our prototype and evaluate its performance and significance.
Task:
Users were invited, as beneficiary families, to create an account and schedule the collection of goods they need.
Objectives:
The goal of this usability evaluation was to understand how easily users can create an account, acquire the goods they need, and identify any difficulties encountered, as well as gather valuable feedback.
Results
Taking inspiration from a great teacher I had, Luís Gaspar, who designed a table to showcase user test results (because when things are great, let's be inspired by them), I created a similar table format to present my own test results. This table enables me to quickly discern areas of success and areas in need of improvement, providing a clear overview of the findings.
And to be even more explicit to the team, I created some notes near the screens to highlight areas that need improvement.
Need to improve understanding between 'Registration of Needed Goods' and 'Selection of Goods I Need', as well as better illustrate how these goods are proposed.
Assistance in the following journey steps.
Possibility to edit the Schedule.
(Some) Conclusions
Next Steps
Implement the User Test conclusions
Enhance usability with easy logins via Google and Apple.
Assess the feasibility of upgrading to an app.