Parent Lab: Redesigning the app

Parent Lab is a highly-rated app that meets parents right where they are in their parenting journey with evidence-based solutions for everyday parenting challenges.

As a product designer, I contributed to a mobile app redesign that enriched parents' lives and supported their journey in raising their children. This redesign improved user learning and increased daily engagement with new features, ultimately resulting in a 2% increase in premium conversions.
Industry
Education
Categories
User Experience Design, User Interface Design, Brand Identity, Visual Design
Timeline
2021 - 2022
The Problem
Parent Lab had successfully satisfied their customers' needs, ensuring high levels of user validation and satisfaction. However, they aimed to attract more users to their premium subscription service.
Additionally, for existing subscribers, the goal was to enhance their experience and maximize their lifetime value (LTV) within the app.
Based on insights from user interviews, Parent Lab aimed to update their app and sought UX support to incorporate new features. Four (4) key initiatives were planned to go live for the app version 4 launch:
  1. Redesign the entire app with the new brand design: My team developed a comprehensive brand identity playbook to guide this transformation. You can visit the case study here.
  2. Release of the family dashboard and content: Introducing a centralized hub for family-related information and resources.
  3. Launch of a new service called coaching: Connecting users to vetted professionals in four key areas: picky eating, sleep, discipline, and screen time.
  4. Introduction of search functionality: Enabling users to easily find content and resources within the app.
Image Description: Virtual meeting discussing the current app experience audit and presenting findings to stakeholders.
Audit and Evaluation
I evaluated the Parent Lab app and found three (3) focus areas, based on how I see the future user experience improving:
Search
Users have varied preferences for content and formats. Currently, the search function directs users solely to the AI Chatbot.

To enhance the user experience, it would be beneficial to enable searching for different topics and tags within the app, expanding beyond just the chatbot.
Browsing
Browsing navigation should provide a clear overview of all available content, minimizing the need for users to scroll extensively to find relevant information.

When designing the browsing navigation experience, consider the various ways users search for information. Relevant categories might include topics (e.g., picky eating, sleeping issues), formats (e.g., audio, written, events), and age groups.
Personalisation
Parent Lab can seize the opportunity to utilize user data to continuously improve the app experience.

By collecting feedback throughout the user journey and analyzing user behavior, the app can be enhanced over time, providing personalized user experiences with tailored recommendations.
Open Card Sort: Testing Logical Grouping
Through partnering with a research team, we discovered that users want a clear way to see all available content, distinguishing between free and premium options. Allowing users to filter by free vs. premium content can minimize the frustration experienced when encountering content behind a paywall.
Participants showed the most interest in Activities and the Family Dashboard, while Live Events garnered the least interest. The limited number of categories suggests that participants do not perceive significant differences in content types.
Tree Testing: Determining the App Structure
We aimed to discover the most efficient app structure that enables users to complete tasks based on common use case scenarios. After conducting two rounds of tree testing, we finalized a refined app structure.
Image Description: Refining the UX copy significantly improved users' wayfinding experience during app testing.
Diving deeper into the UX
We spent several weeks in iterative sprints creating wireframe screens and user flows for various scenarios. While I'd love to show you everything, to keep this article concise, here are a few examples.
Case study #1: 4D assessment
Check-ins are brief surveys designed to enhance understanding of you and your family relationships.

The first test was designed as a multiple-choice questionnaire with one-tap interaction, while the second test featured collapsible and expandable accordions, enabling users to focus on the options that mattered most to them.

‍Objective: Stress-testing multiple choice screens.
During user testing, the winning design was a one-tap checkbox interaction, which users found to be faster, more efficient, especially in scenarios involving three or more children.
Case study #2: Personalizing solutions
By focusing on specific use cases, we aim to build trust and establish authority with our users. Our goal is to optimize sections for users seeking tailored solutions through various topics, ensuring quick access to information that enhances engagement.

Parents can conveniently bookmark or highlight ongoing topics of interest, assigning topics to specific children to prioritize relevant information based on their developmental phases.
Case study #3: Joining an expert chat
Improving the usability of the Live section to help users easily find events that meet their needs.
Design System
The Parent Lab design system library was built on Figma comprised of atoms (components), molecules (small modules), and organisms (bigger modules).
The Solution
In 2022, we unveiled the new face of Parent Lab. Our team successfully handed off all design files and documentation to the client, who were delighted with the results.
Home page
Personalized practice for everyday parenting.
My family
Set parenting goals and get tailored advice.
Solutions
Get in-depth solutions for any common challenge.
Live virtual events
On demand, live-support from coaches and expert-led workshops.
One-on-one coaching
Experience live coaching sessions led by professional parent coaches and experts.
Named iOS App Store's 'App of the Day'
Soon after Parent Lab unveiled the app's fresh new appearance, it was featured as the "App of the Day" on the iOS App Store, accompanied by a featured editor's pick article.
Impact
The success of this new app redesign and new features is being measured in three significant ways:
  1. Product engagement: By introducing a personalized content feed based on user preferences and behaviors, we saw a 30% increase in the time users spent browsing through the app.
  2. Customer Retention: 2% conversion to premium during the first 4 months of launching the new Parent Lab.
  3. User feedback on app use: Continuously collecting user feedback and iterating on the app's features helped us identify and remove friction points, resulting in a 27% increase in average session time.
Retrospective
Rebranding an entire product and adding new features to its core experience required teamwork and clear communication across the board.

This project was a valuable opportunity for me to grow as a product designer, ultimately helping parents navigate the early stages of parenthood.

Users come to the app for guidance, sign up for live events, and speak with coaches. It's a privilege to contribute to their journey.