Tribe, Postpartum Wellness App
Human- Centered Design, Social Impact Design
Role: Student Project, Sole Designer
Focus Group Interviews, UI/UX Design , Usability Testing , Prototyping
the problem
Depression and anxiety impact 1 in 5 pregnant and postpartum women.
the goal
Design a solution that helps prevent mental health disorders in pregnant and postpartum women.
audience
The First-Time Mother
18-30 yr olds
living in the U.S.
mid-pregnancy up to a year postpartum
different cultural backgrounds
literature review
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH
1 Approximately 1 in 5 women will suffer from a maternal mental health disorder like postpartum depression. The percentages are EVEN HIGHER for women who are also dealing with poverty.
2 The risk of postpartum depression (PPD) is more than 20 TIMES HIGHER in women with a history of depression, compared to women with no prior depression diagnosis.
3 Women of EVERY culture, age, income level and race can develop perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
4 Symptoms can appear any time during pregnancy and the FIRST TWELVE MONTHS after childbirth.
5 Less than 15% of moms receive treatment.
6 Maternal mental health disorders IMPACT THE WHOLE FAMILY, not just the moms.
7 Maternal depression adversely affects breastfeeding, mother-child bonding, and parenting quality.
8 Treatment includes: HOTLINES, MEDICATION, and PSYCHOLOGISTS
market research
I found different approaches in the market that promoted maternal mental wellness while some of them dove into physical wellness space instead.
Postpartum Boxes
These boxes can be purchased by family/friends or the mother’s themselves. They usually include physical products from a variety of providers that help encourage the mother to take a break and pamper herself. They can also include pep talk cards and esteemboosting notes. It is a self-care approach to mental health.
Community and Educational Apps
At that time, all apps for mom communities allow the mothers to connect with an unlimited amount of mothers. They state to provide a safe place for mothers to discuss and ask questions but it hasn’t proven to be true. These apps also provide educational material.
Pregnancy/Postpartum Tracking Apps
Apps that help moms track their pumping, baby milestones, and symptoms can be very helpful in making the mom feel like she is under control of the situation. Unfortunately, these apps tend to be so cluttered with information that it can be very hard to keep users on it. Some do not have any aspect of community support.
screenings
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) encourages pediatricians to screen new moms at the one-, two-, four-, and six-month mark.
Unfortunately this isn’t being followed.
Women are usually be treated with medication or a combination of medication and therapy.
Interpersonal Psychotherapy is currently thought to be one of the most effective therapy models for treating PPD. IPT is a time-limited form of therapy (12-16 weeks) and the main goal is symptom relief. An IPT therapist tends to be fairly direct and active in the treatment, and he/she will help to make insights regarding the sources of a new mom’s distress.
However, not everyone has insurance or access to medication and therapy.
I decided to work on promoting maternal mental health as the strategy to prevent maternal mental health disorders.
Below is the screening form used during the quick postpartum visit.
maternal mental wellness
Lets define “wellness”
According the National Wellness Institute, these are the 6 Dimensions of Wellness.
I planned to focus on the emotional, social, and physical areas in order to promote maternal mental wellness.
postartum wellness survey
I conducted a survey to start to understand the women’s point of view and pain points. I realized that a consolidated resource was very much needed and that although all these women had access to a lot of information, the majority still felt unprepared for self-care and child-care postpartum.
The survey was completed by 52 women ranging from the ages of 18-40 and included first time mothers as well as second time mothers.
What I found helped me focus on what follow-up questions I wanted to ask these women in the future zoom interviews.
When asked, “How informed and prepared do you feel about caring for yourself in the months after the birth?”
of mothers expressed they were either “somewhat uninformed and unprepared” or “completely uninformed and unprepared”
37%
Top sources reported for gathering postpartum mother care info were:
Google & Family and Friends
When asked, “After having a baby, which of the these causes the most anxiety?”
rest and relaxation
personal time
maintaining a sense of self
50%
stated “rest and relaxation”
42%
stated “personal time”
stated “maintaining a sense of self”
38%
interviews
I interviewed a group (8) of recent and expecting mothers as well as experts (4) in the maternal wellness space. Their stories about their pregnancy and postpartum experiences helped me understand how unique every single situation can be and the many factors that could ultimately lead a mother into a mental health disorder. I also realized how alone they felt because one thing or another led them to be either physically isolated or emotionally isolated.
ALL women stated that no matter how they tried to prepare, they were unprepared for postpartum.
88%
overestimated their ability to handle everything
Q: “How did you cope with your emotional needs?”
“I went to my doctor because I knew I was at risk of depression” - Samantha, PPA
“I read a book that normalized my experiences.” - Mary, PPA
“I did more self care, left my problematic job, and moved closer to my mom.” -Susan, PPA
“It was a combination of taking medication, being able to talk with my support group, and my therapist” - Angie, PPD
PPA- Postpartum Anxiety
PPD- Postpartum Depression
58%
lacked sleep rather than healthy food
88%
wish they could have spoken to women for support
expert interviews
Marsha Stephanson, Cater to Mom Founder
Maria Berruezo, LactApp Co-Founder
Gabriela Gherhart, Motherhood Center Founder
Hannah, Doula
“What would you say is the most important thing to maintain maternal wellness?”
“Holistic care. Seeing where the client is and it ranges, and the reason she needs changes. Educating doesn’t work unless she has rest and food - then education.”
“Starting to pay attention to moms in pregnancy and creating strong relationships.”
“We have learned that there is a huge need for mental health care in the postpartum period. Women continue to feel alone and helpless to find the adequate and reliable support. They need to speak openly about their feelings of anxiety and depression without the fear from society.”
“Community is critical. Being able to go to motherhood website or call someone. Reminding the mom to take care of herself. Patting the mom on the back is necessary.”
ideation
concept feedback
66% want the option of speaking to doctors as well as friends and other moms
High interest in the points system
redeeming for treats/spoil themselves
redeeming for baby supplies
Most needed areas from the 6 sections in my concepts:
rest
managing stress
food
wireframe impression testing
Feedback
The questions section had too many question marks and was overwhelming
color scheme was a bit problematic
The chat and questions would be simpler in list form
partnering with FemTech companies for the redeemable items created delight in the user
usability testing
“The interface and screen are much easier to read and not overwhelming like other pregnancy apps are.”
“I like the sample of the mental health section and how it prompts you to make a plan.”
design solution
Tribe is an holistic preventative solution that focuses on building a mother’s support system for when she may need it in the future.
The app lets the mother have all her possible support needs in 1 place. The app allows the mother to track herself while maintaining an emphasis on positive feedback rather than making her feel bad for not reaching a goal.
Holistic Support System
User can reach family, their doctors, or other moms in just 1 click.
Positive Tracking
What matters is what the user achieved. Users receive positive feedback at end of day.
Key Support Areas
The latest credible information for care is in 1 place.
Paced Breathing
A instant short-term relief for when anxiety rises.
Wellness Points
A way for moms to get rewarded for taking care of themselves.
Connected Devices
The app can connect to all smart tracker and parenting devices to help make tracking easy.
It takes a village to raise a child.
This project was completed in the midst of the 2020 covid pandemic. I am extremely grateful for the research volunteers, stakeholders, and in-person testers that gave me their valuable time for this project.