Nan Case Study
Jared K. Bateman
2022
Project Overview
Being a Nanny is a lot like being an independent contractor in the sense that this is an industry that has never been formally organized. Whether someone is looking for a career or simply just working as a nanny temporarily as they are getting by, it is common to see people in this profession being undervalued and lacking the basic support / resources as well as not fully knowing their rights and what exactly is expected of them. To be treated respectfully as they would be in any other field.
The Problem
Nannying is a unique profession which requires a plethora of resources in order to maintain a healthy and enriching job environment. How might we help nannies overcome inconsistency within the industry such as job-searchability, pay, scheduling, benefits, and tax assistance?
The Solution
To create an app that will empower nannies through knowledge and connection.
Our team decided to approach this project with a simple and broad solution; we really wanted to focus on the feedback and information received from our interviews, as these insights would help our team to dial in on the problems nannies are actually facing day-to-day.
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My Role
Our team worked diligently to conduct user interviews, competitive analysis, user journey/scenario, wireframes, etc. for our UX/UI Bootcamp affiliated with the University of Utah. I played a key role in the creative process from start to finish. From the generation of our concept, to selection of the look and layout, and through the development of the project and in our prototyping process I worked to refine our app’s interactions and navigation.
Design Process
Our team followed five steps of Design Thinking which includes: Empathy, Define, Ideate, Testing, and Prototyping.
Design Toolkit
Figma, Google, Miro, Slack, Trello
Empathy
Our team conducted 5 total interviews in order to gain deeper insight on what people may want to see from our app. We interviewed 3 individuals who have previous experience working as a nanny as well as 2 individuals with children. Our intention was to focus on the nanny flow initially and from there move on to the parent/client interface. We asked our nannies the following key questions:
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How do you currently find jobs?
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What are major pain points in working as a nanny?
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How do you determine your rate?
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What kinds of tools do you wish you had access to?
An Affinity Diagram categorizes the findings from our interviews.
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Our Competitive Analysis informed us of valuable features and error prevention strategies to push Nan to the next level. We drew inspiration from our direct competitors based on their content, layouts and flow. Our indirect competitors provide care-giver pain points that we hoped to not only avoid but solve for our users so both parents and nannies can feel heard, and their opinions utilized.
Define & Ideate
Our research generated a great deal of information that our team was able to consolidate into a User Persona named Andrea Hansen. Andrea is working as a nanny to help pay for school and recently moved to Portland, Oregon. She would typically find clients through word-of-mouth but does not have a network in her new city. She has struggled with the inconsistencies of the industry and since turning 27, is also in need of benefits, and a reasonable pay rate. Andrea’s User Journey is a reflection of what we believe to be a common experience amongst nannies.
Our team worked to identify key features via a Feature Prioritization Matrix after categorizing our data using the I like, I wish, What if method shown above.
Having analyzed the desired features and contents of Nan, a Task Flow was mapped out to begin the navigation and functionality aspects of the project.
Our User Flow aimed to follow the steps necessary to successfully apply for a job using the app; beginning with account creation/onboarding.
Digital Wireframes
We began to flesh out our Digital Wireframes for testing purposes.
Testing
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User is able to create an account using their email address
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User successfully selects a package they’d like to purchase
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User is able to select filter options while searching for a job
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User is able to apply for a job
In this stage, we conducted user tests to determine functionality, design, and usability of our app. We then took the feedback of our users to create our final iteration. Our User Testing Plan was broken down into 4 separate tasks:
Our User Testing Analysis was categorized based on the following: Positives, Navigation, Design and Functionality.
Prototyping
Thanks to the feedback from our testers, Nan was brought to life in our Final Prototype. We implemented color, photos, content and a logo to add depth and aesthetic to the app.
Final Prototype Iteration
Key changes made from our initial iterations include:
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View password field
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Screen indication
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Filter/sort options
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iOS compatible
What's next?
Our vision for ‘Nan’ is to help advocate for nannies and create a safe space for them to collaborate, find work, share their experiences, etc. In doing so, we must also dive a little deeper into the experiences of parents, and those hiring nannies for their services.
We were able to conduct a few interviews with parents to gain deeper insight on why or if they would utilize an app like this. In time, we wish to develop all steps necessary to create a flow representing the experience a guardian may have while searching for a nanny service.
I had a wonderful experience creating Nan with my team. We all contributed a great deal of time and effort into designing this app that we all feel passionate about. I was able to better understand the different steps for Design Thinking and feel confident we will be able to one day offer nannies and parent’s the opportunity to explore what Nan is capable of.