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Design Concept Project: Mobile Pregnancy & Maternity App | B2C | Healthcare

Momly - coordinated care and support app to help solve maternity care crisis

Image credit: https://www.pregnancylancaster.com/en/2022/11/10/what-is-a-doula/

My role

For this solo design project, I assumed the following roles:

Digital Strategist

UX Researcher

UX/UI Designer

Web Designer

Deliverables

Project Concept

MVP Scope

User Research
Competitive Analysis
User Flows & Wireframes

Style Tile
Hi-fi mockup

Specifications

Duration:

5 months

Tools:

Figma, Photoshop, Procreate, LottieFiles, Jitter

One-Minute Case Digest

Problem

Momly is a mobile application developed in response to growing maternity care crisis in the United States.

Solutions

Content and information architecture planned based on a chosen subscription-based business model
Cross-functional team of medical (nurses, midwives) and non-medical (doulas, community health workers) professionals for holistic care approach.
Precision-focused design yielded 4 primary navigation pathways: Home-Care Team-Library-Profile
Functional sophistication: in-app messaging, telehealth consultation capabilities, AI-powered voice-activated & voice-controlled navigation.

Momly's main differentiators are

Care Coordinator that acts as a strategist, manager and facilitator of one's care team and care plan,
personalized coaching services available in the Library of resources,
AI-powered empathic voice-activated & voice-controlled navigation to allow for hands-free app use and deliver greater accessibility.

Care Team Accessibility

Personalized Library of Resources

Curated Content Delivery for Each User

AI-powered Voice-Activated & Voice-Controlled Assisted Navigation

Result

Momly — a human-centered mobile pregnancy & maternity app that offers care services and tools, such as a cross-functional team of medical (nurses, midwives) and non-medical (doulas, community health workers) professionals managed by a Care Coordinator, personalized library of resources and AI-powered empathic voice-activated & voice-controlled navigation to allow for hands-free app use and deliver greater accessibility.

The Brief

Momly is a concept-project of a maternity and pregnancy care mobile app that focuses on two main elements — coordinated support and care. Personalized and personal.

Momly is a personal project to explore advancement of women's healthcare and wellness through innovative digital solutions.

Overview: The Business of Birth

Project Summary

Momly is a mobile application developed in response to growing maternity care crisis in the United States.

At the serviceheart of Momly is a dedicated team of both medical (nurses, midwives) and non-medical (doulas, community health workers) professionals who deliver coordinated care and support for expectant and new mothers.

Momly's main differentiators are

Care Coordinator that acts as a strategist, manager and facilitator of one's care team and care plan,
personalized coaching services available in the Library of resources,
AI-powered empathic voice-activated & voice-controlled navigation to allow for hands-free app use and deliver greater accessibility.

Process

I conducted user research, identified key paint points and MVP, developed a brand image and style, iteratively tested solutions, and optimized the app for mobile devices.

Objectives

The main objective of this design concept-project was to create a human-centric and interactive mobile pregnancy & maternity application.

The secondary goal was for me to develop my design style and to learn throughout the process.

Output

Momly — a human-centered mobile pregnancy & maternity app that offers care services and tools, such as a team of medical (nurses, midwives) and non-medical (doulas, community health workers) professionals managed by a Care Coordinator, personalized library of resources and AI-powered empathic voice-activated & voice-controlled navigation to allow for hands-free app use and deliver greater accessibility.

Research & Ideation: It Takes a Team to Keep Mothers Alive and Healthy

Topic Research

Goals:

To understand maternity care problem
To outline current practices
To explore feasible solutions

A Look into the Problem Space

Overview: The Business of Birth

Project Summary

Momly is a mobile application developed in response to growing maternity care crisis in the United States.

Momly's main differentiators are

Care Coordinator that acts as a strategist, manager and facilitator of one's care team and care plan,
personalized coaching services available in the Library of resources,
AI-powered empathic voice-activated & voice-controlled navigation to allow for hands-free app use and deliver greater accessibility.

Process

I conducted user research, identified key paint points and MVP, developed a brand image and style, iteratively tested solutions, and optimized the app for mobile devices.

Objectives

The main objective of this design concept-project was to create a human-centric and interactive mobile pregnancy & maternity application.

The secondary goal was for me to develop my design style and to learn throughout the process.

Output

Research & Ideation: It Takes a Team to Keep Mothers Alive and Healthy

Topic Research

Goals:

To understand maternity care problem
To outline current practices
To explore feasible solutions

A Look into the Problem Space

Problem

Maternal morbidity (SMM - severe maternal morbidity) and mortality crisis in the US — the maternal mortality rate has more than doubled since 1990 and is the highest among the developed countries
The U.S. has a relative undersupply of maternity care providers, especially midwives, and lacks comprehensive postpartum support
10% of US births attended by midwives compared to 50–75% in other high-resource countries (see report here)

Related Healthcare & Technology Trends

Modern pregnancy managemen is a holistic and multidisciplinary model that leverages new technologies and focuses on point-of-care and digitalized solutions (femtech)
Rise of e-health
Rise of AI technology

Implications

High preventable maternal death rates

Economic stress: high maternal care costs

Racial disparities during care

Long-term health consequences for mothers and babies

Recommended Solutions

The International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) & American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend

Digital transformation of maternal care
Extending preconception care to the postpartum stage
Scaling up midwifery to improve maternal and newborn outcomes
Holistic and affordable maternal care

User Research

Goal:

Gain insights into maternal care needs and femtech use by a target user group.

Methods:

Online surveys
Secondary research

Survey research revealed key insights and shared paint points that I distilled into the following characteristics of users' mental models:

Mindset: Pregnancy period - widespread stress over pregnancy demands and prep for birth;

Postpartum period - exhaustion due to little to no care and support.

Pain point: Not feeling in control on the pregnancy process;

Not having reliable care and support network.

Motivation: Low guidance seeking behaviour.

Personalized Support. To receive tailored guidance and support throughout pregnancy and postpartum, filling the gap left by reduced healthcare and social support.
Information Seeking. To access reliable, evidence-based information about pregnancy health and fetal development, reducing anxiety and feeling more prepared.

Survey research revealed key insights and shared paint points that I distilled into the following characteristics of users' mental models:

Mindset: Pregnancy period - widespread stress over pregnancy demands and prep for birth;

Postpartum period - exhaustion due to little to no care and support.

Pain point: Not feeling in control on the pregnancy process;

Not having reliable care and support network.

Motivation: Low guidance seeking behaviour.

Personalized Support. To receive tailored guidance and support throughout pregnancy and postpartum, filling the gap left by reduced healthcare and social support.
Information Seeking. To access reliable, evidence-based information about pregnancy health and fetal development, reducing anxiety and feeling more prepared.

Survey research revealed key insights and shared paint points that I distilled into the following characteristics of users' mental models:

Mindset: Pregnancy period - widespread stress over pregnancy demands and prep for birth;

Postpartum period - exhaustion due to little to no care and support.

Pain point: Not feeling in control on the pregnancy process;

Not having reliable care and support network.

Motivation: Low guidance seeking behaviour.

Personalized Support. To receive tailored guidance and support throughout pregnancy and postpartum, filling the gap left by reduced healthcare and social support.
Information Seeking. To access reliable, evidence-based information about pregnancy health and fetal development, reducing anxiety and feeling more prepared.

Main pain points that where revealed from user research

Q: How to address maternal mortality crisis with a pregnancy & maternity app?

A: Offer services & features to cover the gap in peri- and postnatal services.

The top 3 high-level features that emerged were:

Personalized Educational Content
Offer evidence-based, personalized information about pregnancy health, fetal development, and potential complications. Include articles, videos, and interactive modules on recognizing urgent maternal warning signs and when to seek immediate medical attention
Telehealth Integration
Include a telehealth feature that connects users with healthcare professionals for virtual consultations, especially for those with limited access to in-person care. This can help address concerns between regular check-ups and provide timely advice.
Postpartum Care Module
Include a dedicated section for postpartum care, offering information on recovery, mental health support, and early signs of postpartum complications.

A: Offer services & features to cover the gap in peri- and postnatal services.

The top 3 high-level features that emerged were:

Personalized Educational Content
Offer evidence-based, personalized information about pregnancy health, fetal development, and potential complications. Include articles, videos, and interactive modules on recognizing urgent maternal warning signs and when to seek immediate medical attention
Telehealth Integration
Include a telehealth feature that connects users with healthcare professionals for virtual consultations, especially for those with limited access to in-person care. This can help address concerns between regular check-ups and provide timely advice.
Postpartum Care Module
Include a dedicated section for postpartum care, offering information on recovery, mental health support, and early signs of postpartum complications.

A: Offer services & features to cover the gap in peri- and postnatal services.

The top 3 high-level features that emerged were:

Personalized Educational Content
Offer evidence-based, personalized information about pregnancy health, fetal development, and potential complications. Include articles, videos, and interactive modules on recognizing urgent maternal warning signs and when to seek immediate medical attention
Telehealth Integration
Include a telehealth feature that connects users with healthcare professionals for virtual consultations, especially for those with limited access to in-person care. This can help address concerns between regular check-ups and provide timely advice.
Postpartum Care Module
Include a dedicated section for postpartum care, offering information on recovery, mental health support, and early signs of postpartum complications.

Learning from Competitors

To the right select key features for optimum impact without contributing to users' mental overload, I turned to competitor analysis.

I evaluated the competitor-apps that represented the most frequent business models in the market of maternity apps: freemium, subscription-based, partnerships with healthcare providers, and e-commerce integration models.

Learning from Competitors

To the right select key features for optimum impact without contributing to users' mental overload, I turned to competitor analysis.

Analyzed competitor applications

Poppy Seeds Health

Maven Clinic

Millie Maternity

Espectful

Feature Prioritization & MVP

Next, I aligned the selected subscription-based business model with the design goals to formulate the app's primary differentiators and value proposition.

Primary differentiating features of the app

Managed Care Integration: Seamless connection with healthcare providers for personalized medical advice and appointment scheduling (24/7 texting to care team members);
Cross-functional care team that includes doulas and community health workers;
AI-Powered Empathic Voice-Controlled Navigation: An advanced voice-activated assistant that provides emotional support and answers questions with empathy;
Personalized Content Delivery: Tailored information and recommendations based on the user's specific pregnancy stage, health history, and preferences;
Postpartum Care Continuation: Extend support and personalized content beyond pregnancy into the postpartum period.

Managed Care Integration: Seamless connection with healthcare providers for personalized medical advice and appointment scheduling (24/7 texting to care team members);
Cross-functional care team that includes doulas and community health workers;
AI-Powered Empathic Voice-Controlled Navigation: An advanced voice-activated assistant that provides emotional support and answers questions with empathy;
Personalized Content Delivery: Tailored information and recommendations based on the user's specific pregnancy stage, health history, and preferences;
Postpartum Care Continuation: Extend support and personalized content beyond pregnancy into the postpartum period.

Potential high-value features, such as Comprehensive Health Tracking & Partner/Family Integration were implicitly included as features and tools under the supervision of app's Care Team Coordinator and user's external primary ob-gyn specialist.

Positioning

A user-focused subscription-based mobile pregnancy & maternity app that offers managed care, personalized content and AI assistance through empathic voice interface.

Positioning

A user-focused subscription-based mobile pregnancy & maternity app that offers managed care, personalized content and AI assistance through empathic voice interface.

Positioning

A user-focused subscription-based mobile pregnancy & maternity app that offers managed care, personalized content and AI assistance through empathic voice interface.

Value Proposition 1

A dedicated team of medical (nurses, midwives) and non-medical (doulas, community health workers) professionals provides personalized maternal care; the team is managed by a Care Coordinator.

Value Proposition 1

A dedicated team of medical (nurses, midwives) and non-medical (doulas, community health workers) professionals provides personalized maternal care; the team is managed by a Care Coordinator.

Value Proposition 1

A dedicated team of medical (nurses, midwives) and non-medical (doulas, community health workers) professionals provides personalized maternal care; the team is managed by a Care Coordinator.

Value Proposition 2

Library of resources delivers personalized educational and coaching resources.

Value Proposition 2

Library of resources delivers personalized educational and coaching resources.

Value Proposition 2

Library of resources delivers personalized educational and coaching resources.

Value Proposition 3

AI-Powered Empathic Voice-Activated & Voice-Controlled Navigation to allow for hands-free app use and deliver greater accessibility.

Value Proposition 3

AI-Powered Empathic Voice-Activated & Voice-Controlled Navigation to allow for hands-free app use and deliver greater accessibility.

Value Proposition 3

AI-Powered Empathic Voice-Activated & Voice-Controlled Navigation to allow for hands-free app use and deliver greater accessibility.

Structure

I created user flows and app map to define and visualize the structure, content, feature organization, and app navigation.

App map

I was able to narrow down the scope of the app design effort and convey it in this preliminary app map.

App map

Design Studies: Softness and Simplicity

Visual Design

Name & Logo

The app's name — Momly — refers to the app's primary users and is easy to remember.

Pink peony flower is incorporated into the logo due to its beauty and the following symbolism:

emotional symbolism: Embodiment of beauty, compassion, and tenderness;
historical symbolism: In Greek mythology, it is associated with healing and medical practices.

Design Studies: Softness and Simplicity

Visual Design

Name & Logo

The app's name — Momly — refers to the app's primary users and is easy to remember.

Pink peony flower is incorporated into the logo due to its beauty and the following symbolism:

emotional symbolism: Embodiment of beauty, compassion, and tenderness;
historical symbolism: In Greek mythology, it is associated with healing and medical practices.

Style Tile

For the visual layer of Momly's design, I consulted the psychology of color and chose soft, welcoming, and warm colors in their neo-retro treatment (saturation/hue).

Accessibility Considerations (aka Universal Design)

Some of the WCAG SC Standards and practices I implemented: contrast b/w background and foreground, content spacing and heading, labeled, scalable elements, and AI-Powered Empathic Voice-Activated & Voice-Controlled Navigation.

Development: Iterations & Microinteractions

Design Iterations

In designing Momly, my primary objective was to create a pregnancy and maternity app that seamlessly blends intuitiveness, informativeness, and thoughtful organization. I strives for clean and engaging interface and content.

The app's design philosophy centers on the following strategic approaches:

user-centric simplification (e.g., design with minimal cognitive load)
precision-focused design (e.g., eliminate redundant functionalities)
intentional feature selection (e.g., focusing only high-impact features, such as contacting Care Team)
functional sophistication (e.g., presenting essential pregnancy-related content in a visually appealing and easily digestible format, avoiding overwhelming users with excessive medical jargon or lengthy articles).

Development: Iterations & Microinteractions

Design Iterations

The app's design philosophy centers on the following strategic approaches:

user-centric simplification (e.g., design with minimal cognitive load)
precision-focused design (e.g., eliminate redundant functionalities)
intentional feature selection (e.g., focusing only high-impact features, such as contacting Care Team)
functional sophistication (e.g., presenting essential pregnancy-related content in a visually appealing and easily digestible format, avoiding overwhelming users with excessive medical jargon or lengthy articles).

Development: Iterations & Microinteractions

Design Iterations

The app's design philosophy centers on the following strategic approaches:

user-centric simplification (e.g., design with minimal cognitive load)
precision-focused design (e.g., eliminate redundant functionalities)
intentional feature selection (e.g., focusing only high-impact features, such as contacting Care Team)
functional sophistication (e.g., presenting essential pregnancy-related content in a visually appealing and easily digestible format, avoiding overwhelming users with excessive medical jargon or lengthy articles).

Add Labels for Clarification and Accessibility

I added "Team Member" label to member's profile page for clear role identification, and removed extraneous logo and utility icons to reduce visual complexity and minimize cognitive load of users.

Lower a Number of Steps

I merged two screens into one to streamline the membership function process, reducing the number of steps required.

Add Strategic Color Differentiation to Improve Visual Clarity & Reduce Cognitive Load

Users expressed a need for clear visual distinction between user's input and Momly's peony avatar responses. I modified text color for user input and introduced a green background for user messages.

Match Users' Mental Models & Enhance Visual Design

Users felt that the search feature should be more "obvious". I transformed search icon into a more visible search window and repositioned search element to improve prominence and accessibility.

I also redesigned resource card visuals to create cleaner, more streamlined interface and minimized color cognitive load.

Peony Avatar for Momly's AI-Assisted Empathic Voice-Controlled Navigation

Pink peony flower is an ideal symbol for Momly's AI assistant as it represents healing and beauty and app's UI attributes. Peony is also incorporated into Momly's logo.

In selecting the avatar, I intentionally chose to avoid overly anthropomorphic designs to prevent the introduction of any racial or ethnic biases. The chosen Peony design strikes a perfect balance between anthropomorphic and non-anthropomorphic.

The various considered avatars for Momly's AI-assisted empathic voice-controlled app navigation

WWW, Or What Went [Wrong] Differently

Design Iterations & Preferences Tests

Some points of tension that I encountered while working on Momly:

Removal of social share/community features. I decided to remove the community feature in order to prioritize other vital features and reduce potential distractions for users, despite risking lower user engagement. The focus is on a support from Care Team and not one's peers.
Team vs Services. I debated what option - Care Team or Services - should be displayed in the navigation. In the end, I went with Care Team in order to emphasize human connection, facilitates direct access and enhances personalization of care for specific needs of each mom.
Lacking Illustrations and interactive elements. To reflect Momly's identity and style to my satisfaction, I had to negotiate between free/paid/diy illustrations and other visual elements. Sadly, the quality of a few gifs created in Lottie Files and Jitter is not superb (yet) when transfered to Figma.

Results: Momly. Care for Moms. From Pregnancy to Baby

Momly App Demo

My own impacts aka Learnings

Personalization trumps generalization. By implementing AI-driven content tailoring based on a progression of pregnancy, health conditions, and personal preferences, I'd expect high daily activity of users, long session duration and high overall users' satisfaction.
AI-driven voice control revolutionizes accessibility. Implementing voice-activated features in Momly app is expected to increase user adaptation and engagement among expectant mothers, especially mothers with mobility challenges or visual impairments. This hands-free interaction not only improved app usability but also empowered users to access critical information and track their pregnancy progress more independently.

Potential further development steps for the Momly app

should focus on cutting-edge technological enhancements and user-centric features, such as

Hybrid functionality. Implementing a mix of in-app features and third-party integrations (e.g., fitness trackers and nutrition apps). This strategy can also reduced feature development time, allowing Momly to focus on core pregnancy-specific functionalities.
Privacy settings that evolve with pregnancy stages. As users progressed through their pregnancy, their privacy needs changed dramatically. Early-stage users are more secretive, while later-stage users are more open to sharing. Implementing adaptive privacy settings that evolve with the user's journey could result in a decrease in account deletions.
Holistic health integration platform. Future development of Momly app could focus on creating seamless connections with wearable technologies, electronic health records, and telehealth services.

Conclusion: Reflections & Personal Takeaways

My own impacts aka Learnings

Personalization trumps generalization. By implementing AI-driven content tailoring based on a progression of pregnancy, health conditions, and personal preferences, I'd expect high daily activity of users, long session duration and high overall users' satisfaction.
AI-driven voice control revolutionizes accessibility. Implementing voice-activated features in Momly app is expected to increase user adaptation and engagement among expectant mothers, especially mothers with mobility challenges or visual impairments. This hands-free interaction not only improved app usability but also empowered users to access critical information and track their pregnancy progress more independently.

Potential further development steps for the Momly app

should focus on cutting-edge technological enhancements and user-centric features, such as

Hybrid functionality. Implementing a mix of in-app features and third-party integrations (e.g., fitness trackers and nutrition apps). This strategy can also reduced feature development time, allowing Momly to focus on core pregnancy-specific functionalities.
Privacy settings that evolve with pregnancy stages. As users progressed through their pregnancy, their privacy needs changed dramatically. Early-stage users are more secretive, while later-stage users are more open to sharing. Implementing adaptive privacy settings that evolve with the user's journey could result in a decrease in account deletions.
Holistic health integration platform. Future development of Momly app could focus on creating seamless connections with wearable technologies, electronic health records, and telehealth services.

Conclusion: Reflections & Personal Takeaways

My own impacts aka Learnings

Personalization trumps generalization. By implementing AI-driven content tailoring based on a progression of pregnancy, health conditions, and personal preferences, I'd expect high daily activity of users, long session duration and high overall users' satisfaction.
AI-driven voice control revolutionizes accessibility. Implementing voice-activated features in Momly app is expected to increase user adaptation and engagement among expectant mothers, especially mothers with mobility challenges or visual impairments. This hands-free interaction not only improved app usability but also empowered users to access critical information and track their pregnancy progress more independently.

Potential further development steps for the Momly app

should focus on cutting-edge technological enhancements and user-centric features, such as

Hybrid functionality. Implementing a mix of in-app features and third-party integrations (e.g., fitness trackers and nutrition apps). This strategy can also reduced feature development time, allowing Momly to focus on core pregnancy-specific functionalities.
Privacy settings that evolve with pregnancy stages. As users progressed through their pregnancy, their privacy needs changed dramatically. Early-stage users are more secretive, while later-stage users are more open to sharing. Implementing adaptive privacy settings that evolve with the user's journey could result in a decrease in account deletions.
Holistic health integration platform. Future development of Momly app could focus on creating seamless connections with wearable technologies, electronic health records, and telehealth services.

Conclusion: Reflections & Personal Takeaways

This project reaffirmed my passion for the intersection of technology and health care. The power of femtech can transform not only maternal care, but also the entire spectrum of women's health across their lifespans.

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