UX Case study : Reimagining Postnatal Care, Ommi — The all-In-one app for new mothers.
This case study shares my process of designing an app for mothers or mothers to be, living in UAE to find a comprehensive suite of services, resources and support to help them manage their postnatal care needs.
This project was designed within IDS company, a remote design agency based out of Atlanta georgia.
About client : Our client was a healthcare provider that specializes in postnatal care. She came to us with an idea of mobile app that aims to provide access to postnatal care services on-demand. An app that offers a range of services, including consultations with doctors, lactation consultants, and nutritionists, as well as postnatal massage, salon and helping staff.
Team : Intern, Project manager, Stakeholder
Timeline: 2 months
Introduction
The postnatal period is a crucial time for new mothers, and navigating the myriad of physical, emotional, and practical challenges that come with it can be daunting.
Ommi is designed to consult for various post-natal needs such as, fitness, nutrition, postpartum makeover, massage therapy, postpartum health and care, moms guide, and dispel common postpartum myths through 1:1 chat.
This app also allows new mothers to find specialists for their specific postnatal needs and schedule appointments with ease. One of the standout is that it provides a hassle-free way for new mothers to share their past medical history remotely, which can save time and help specialists provide more personalised care.
Here, we will explore the challenges we faced and the solutions we developed to help new mothers in a way that is convenient, informative, and supportive.
Research key findings
When working on Ommi , we needed to learn more about what’s a mother journey like in UAE during her pre and post pregnancy. Hence we conducted user interviews with help of our stakeholder. Here is what we go to know about the problem.
- Lack of awareness : Many women in the UAE are not aware of the importance of pre and postnatal care and the risks associated with not seeking it. This can result in a lack of proper care during pregnancy, leading to complications and health issues for both the mother and baby.
- Cultural Barriers : In some cases, cultural and societal norms in the UAE may limit a woman’s ability to seek healthcare during pregnancy or may require her to seek permission from a male family member before doing so.
- Language Barriers : Many expatriates in the UAE may not be fluent in the local language, which can make it difficult for them to communicate effectively with healthcare providers.
- Limited maternity leave : The maternity leave entitlement in Dubai is 45 days for private sector employees, which is considered low compared to other countries. This short leave period can be stressful for new mothers who are still adjusting to their new role as a parent.
- Limited support network : Women who move to Dubai for work may not have a support network of family or friends to help them during their pre and post-pregnancy period. This can be challenging, especially if they have to juggle work and childcare responsibilities.
Target User
We found about out target users through our stakeholder. As she is a doctor, she helped us to shed some light on who would be our ideal users and rest we derive from our research.
- Women living in UAE
- Age 20–34
- Pre/post pregnancy
- Smartphone Owners
- Financially stable
Understanding user journey
We mapped out the steps that a user takes when interacting with the app. It involved identifying the touch points that the user has with the app and offering provided, as well as the motivations that drive their actions at each stage of the journey.
Constraints
This app was build on an MVP model hence we had to design in limited time we were looking out for functional, scalable and cost effective options.
Building chat feature on top of Intercom : We decided to use Intercom for the chat experience over in app chat experience.
Simple design patterns: We used design patterns of any service based global apps such as gojek etc.
Sourcing illustration pack: Due to time constraints we had to use stock illustrations and modify it as per the context and use.
Creating information information architecture
After brainstorming and ideation from what we got by understanding user journey, user interviews, online sources and competitive analysis, we made a comprehensive information architecture of the app.
Onboarding
Why we asked user to go through longer onboarding
In this app, their could be multiple reasons behind why a user downloaded it. As the target users : i.e mother can be in any phase of their postnatal or pregnancy and might require different kind of services.
Hence, it was a need to have a longer onboarding where we get to know the user and also educate them about the offerings of the app. Also its helps in :
- Personalised experience: By collecting personal information, the app can provide a personalised experience to the user. For example, the app can use the user’s age and medical history to provide tailored advice and resources that are specific to their needs.
- Health and safety: Postnatal care is a critical time for new mothers and their babies. Collecting personal information, such as medical history can help the app to ensure the safety of its users.
- Data analysis: The personal information collected during onboarding can be used for data analysis, which can help the app improve its services and offerings. For example, the app can use the data to identify trends and patterns, which can be used to improve the app’s features and content.
- Legal requirements: UAE may require apps to collect certain information in order to comply with privacy laws or healthcare regulations.
Why we gave an option to skip the onboarding ?
- Improves user’s onboarding experience :For some users, being asked to provide personal information during onboarding may be perceived as invasive or time-consuming. Allowing them to skip this step and use the app without providing personal information can improve their overall experience with the app.
- Gradual trust-building: Allowing users to skip the onboarding process and complete it later can be a way to gradually build trust with the user. The user can first get a sense of the app’s value and functionality before being asked to provide personal information, which can increase their willingness to provide that information later.
To tackle the drawbacks to making the onboarding process skippable, we gave an option on the home screen to complete the process from there.
Home screen
For user’s convenience we placed all the top level services and offerings above the fold of the home screen so that it can help users quickly locate and access what they need.
The items listed on the home page we prioritised with respect to app’s most important and USP offerings to least important offerings.
Clear categorisation of services: We grouped the services into categories that made it easier for users to find the service they needed.
Postnatal care package
Specialist
This page will allow users to easily find and connect with specialists such a nutritionist and fitness experts.
This page also provide the necessary information about each specialist, including their credentials, availability, and reviews, to help mothers make informed decisions when selecting a specialist.
Information design in specialist detail cards: The specialist information should be presented in a clear and concise manner that is easy for users to scan.
I checked out other competitors to see how their specialist detail card looked like. It was evident that the specialist name, year of experience, rating , language they speak, Price of consultation and availability is the most important thing in a user’s decision making.
- Reviews and ratings: Users should be able to view reviews and ratings of each specialist to help them make informed decisions.
- Availability: Users should be able to see the availability of each specialist and book appointments directly from the Specialist detail page.
- Credentials: Users should be able to view the credentials and experience of each specialist to ensure they are qualified enough.
Helping staff
From here user can hire helping staff. There are three categories to choose from , Helping staff for mother, child and general domestic help.
Search experience
When designing the search experience for this app that consists of various categories, there were important steps we took to ensure that the search experience is effective and user-friendly:
User just decided to search something, where do they start?
Hence we made sure that the search icon is upfront on the home page and to get user to their destination as fast as possible.
After landing in Search
User has passed the point of entry, but have not typed anything. What should the the user see?
Hence we had place the different top level categories to help users quickly find the content they need. Also placed the recent searches they might have made.
When keyboard is up and they start typing
Here, the most relevant search results will be showed up first, based on the user’s query and their previous interactions with the app. This will help users quickly find the content they need.
Rather than just showing text results we included visual cues such as service cards with thumbnails and important data points such as name of the service, price, type and price to help users make the decision from here itself without leaving the search.
When no results are found
This occurs when there is nothing to show. This can happen if someone performs a search and the query is empty or there isn’t data available to show. Here , we have included imagery and next steps user can take.
Booking flow
When the users needs to book any on demand service they should be easily able to navigate, get clear information on availability and pricing.
We streamlined the booking process to reduce drop-offs and increase conversions.
Here are the steps of the booking flow :
Step 1: Choose the service The first step in the booking flow is for the user to choose the service they need.
Step 2: Check date and time availability After selecting the service, the user should be able to check the time availability of service.
Step 4: Enter address After selecting the service and time, the user should be asked to enter their address
Step 5: Payment Once the user has entered their personal information, they should be taken to the payment page. This page clearly displays the cost of the service, any additional charges or fees.
Step 6: Confirmation After the payment is complete, the user receive a confirmation of their booking, which includes the date and time of the service. The scheduled appointments are shown on the home screen with options to reschedule or cancel the booking, if needed and for easy accessibility to appointment details.
General booking form
User can easily book the services they need without the hassle of contacting the provider directly. It makes more convenient for users to book the services they require.
By collecting personal information, and additional needs, the support executive can reach out to communicate Ommi’s services to meet the unique needs of each user.
Account
Profile and Medical records
Past Services
Towards the conclusion…
This project has given me immense knowledge on how to work on a health care app that required to understand users and their user journey.
I started this project by getting super overwhelmed that how can I carry out end to end design process and design a user centred experience by conducting user research and ensure it meets their needs and expectations.
I learnt design thinking techniques, such as empathy mapping and prototyping, in the process of design this app.
This case study is currently on proof read, and I will make changes and iterations to it.
UX Case study : Reimagining Postnatal Care-Ommi ,The All-In-One app for new mothers was originally published in Muzli – Design Inspiration on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.