A Simple, Intuitive Mobile App for Parents to Track All Their Baby’s Activities

Customer Insights

Uncovering Parent Tracking Needs Through User Research

We started the project with a qualitative research project to learn how parents track their baby’s activities and what motivates them to track. Then, after interviewing new parents, we distilled our insights into themes that guided the design.

1. Parents are focused on today.

   Tracking needs are changing over time, but they are focused on today. What a parent tracks early on (feedings & diapers) might take a backseat to other activities later in their tracking journey (sleep).

2. Data offers reassurance.

   Tracking their baby’s data can be a grounding activity. The act of being engaged gives them peace of mind.

3. Data is an ongoing reference.

   They are going back to the data consistently to find patterns and make informed decisions for their baby.

A simple user experience

Designing an Effortless UI for Complex Data Input and Retrieval

With the new parent as our target audience, designing a simple and easy-to-use app was essential. We used a ‘layered card’ concept, which allows the parent to quickly and easily enter and retrieve multiple types of data without leaving the activity tab.

The app’s activity tab focuses on “today” and what the parent or caregiver needs to know at the moment. The most recent data entry is always visible, allowing parents to quickly see how long it’s been since their baby slept or when they last had a diaper change.

Knowing that tracking priorities change as the baby grows, the categories of data can be turned on or off and rearranged to allow parents the flexibility to adjust the app to their needs. In addition, as childcare can be a shared activity, we designed the app for multiple users so all caregivers can stay connected, whether they use an Apple or Android device.

Creating a simple design system

Incorporating and Extending the Brand

We created a mobile-friendly UI pattern library that embodied the brand’s spirit – playful and distinctive. The app features a vibrant color palette, lively illustrations, and clean typography; all focused on creating an experience that is easy to scan. The UI uses a card metaphor with easy-to-tap buttons and large inputs that quickly expand. In addition, the flexible design system makes it easy to add new features.

Outcomes

An Evolving App for The Modern Parent

Since its release in early 2019, the Nara Baby Tracker app has experienced a high retention rate and an impressive average daily engagement of 20 minutes. In addition, it has a 5-star rating on both the Apple App and Google Play stores. We continue to work closely with the Nara team to design new features based on ongoing customer feedback and research.