Bloom: Case Study

Mobile product to support new moms
Project Overview
First-time moms feel overwhlemed and isolated, and they encounter unexpected challenges after having a baby. I created a high-fidelity mobile product designed to support new moms as they navigate decisions and search for resources regarding pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum life.
bloom prototype
My Role
UX Designer, Writer & Researcher: I selected the problem space and conducted secondary and primary research to identify key user pain points, goals, and desires. After synthesizing my findings and crafting user personas to guide design, I created multiple iterations of my prototype—from hand sketches to high-fidelity mockups—which I then tested, refined, and tested again.

Phase 1: Research

Secondary & Primary Research
My secondary research consisted of reading news and scholarly articles related to my problem space and conducting a heuristic analysis of existing products designed for new/expecting moms (mobile apps, websites, etc.).

For my primary research, I conducted 5 interviews with currently expecting or recent first-time moms and 1 postpartum doula.
Analysis & Synthesis
Using data collected from these interviews, I created affinity maps composed of 100+ unique data points.

I then identified 3 user types and created empathy maps for each: 
• Scientifc / Medical Mom
• Natural / Holistic Mom
• Pregnancy / Postpartum Care Provider
Affinity Maps
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Sample Empathy Map
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User Personas
Building off of my data analysis from my affinity and empathy mapping, I created 3 user personas to represent the primary user types I had identified.
Key Insights from Research
My research gleaned the following key insights to guide product design:
• There is not enough preparation for and support during postpartum challenges.
• New parents feel overwhelmed and intimidated.
• Confidence is key to empowerment and self-advocacy.
• Parents value a combination of peer input and expert guidance.

How might we:
• Involve healthcare professionals in creating resources for moms?
• Provide tailored content to support individual needs?
• Educate new moms on the resources available to them?
• Help new moms establish support systems?
• Provide a "concierge" approach?

Phase 2: Early Iterations & Brainstorming

User Stories & Sketches
I identified the following features critical for my MVP (minimum viable product):
• Filtering content based on source, author, credentials, and keywords
• Filtering content based on user preferences
• Consolidating information in one place

Guided by my research and user stories, I created sketches and conducted geurilla usability testing with three participants.
Wireframes
Feedback from geurilla testing led me to incorporate the following changes into my wireframes:
• Refine language to be more inclusive and reassuring to users
• Add info text and popups to guide users through content
• Improve information architecture and consistency of how content is organized (e.g., the top-down content order on the user home screen should match the left-right organization of the bottom navigation)

Phase 3: Brand Identity &
High-Fidelity Mockups

Creating a Brand Identity
I created a brand identity—including a mood board, color palette, style guide, mission and brand personality statements, and imagery—to guide my design evolution as I developed high-fidelity mockups.

Next, I used those mockups to create an interactive prototype using Invision and conducted another round of remote tests with 5 users.
Final Revisions
Based on feedback I received from the first round of user tests with the high-fidelity mockup, I made high-priority revisions for my final design iteration, including:
• Revised layout of UI of the dashboard to more clearly indicate category differences and how content is organized
• Adjusted language to remove the unintentional doula bias for a more inclusive experience
What I Learned
Key takeaways from this project and final user testing include:
• While my primary user type is new moms, several testers said that this product would be useful to non-parents or family members / support persons, because they likely know even less about mothers' challenges and how to help.
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• Similarly, this product could be marketed to all parents, not just first-time moms, because every pregnancy is different and every parenting experience is different. Even for parents who have been through it before, they may require different support and resources for subsequent pregnancies / experiences.
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