Motherhood Beyond Bars

Creating new features for caregivers

Caregiver App

The caregiver-facing mobile app platform helps streamline Motherhood Beyond Bars’ onboarding process and improve communication between caregivers and the nonprofit. Caregivers can upload photos of the mother's babies, request additional items, and find necessary information about MBB.

Creating new features for caregivers

I had a great time working with my team and all our develops and in one semester, my team achieved an amazingly impressive amount, through changing requirements and different impedements.

Being able to experience design handoffs and transfers, I learned so much about good design etiquette and documentation. In my following projects, I've made sure to communicate my work clearly for future teams and I'm excited to keep designing collaboratively!

Reflection

Our demo day poster!

Updating brand colors and adding new section to current designs

Admin Portal

The admin portal is an administrator-facing website portal for Motherhood Beyond Bars to access all the information of the caregivers, the children, and item requests. Admins can also manage liability waivers, forms, and information, which will increase the long-term sustainability of this project.

Understanding our users was key - our application intended to be for two main groups: administrators and caretakers. With some previous research from the team before us, we were able to build out additional experiences in the product aligned to each group's needs.

User Research

Concurrent design and development moves fast - with 2 week sprints, designs for each iteration had to be done a full sprint in advance to give developers enough time to implement. Throughout the project, I ensured that my designs were comprehensive across web and mobile, and documented and commented for engineering and future reference, promising a smooth transition for any teams that continued after us.

After 12 weeks of work, our team handed our product to the client and maintenance team for beta-testing and initial use. The end result was a product that was mobile-friendly for caregivers, web-friendly for admins, and provided a consolidated source for sharing baby updates, managing resources, and communicating between each other.

Responsive Designs & Handoff

Admins

Caretakers

may not have stable computer access

may not have stable computer access

may not have stable computer access

create a mobile phone app for ease of access

create a mobile phone app for ease of access

create a mobile phone app for ease of access

start screens in new caretaker user flows to explain the nonprofit & the process

start screens in new caretaker user flows to explain the nonprofit & the process

start screens in new caretaker user flows to explain the nonprofit & the process

providing clear access to resources & contact information

providing clear access to resources & contact information

providing clear access to resources & contact information

Attributes

typically a relative or friend of the incarcerated mother, most commonly a sibling or parent

typically a relative or friend of the incarcerated mother, most commonly a sibling or parent

typically a relative or friend of the incarcerated mother, most commonly a sibling or parent

new caretakers may be unfamiliar with the process of raising a child

new caretakers may be unfamiliar with the process of raising a child

new caretakers may be unfamiliar with the process of raising a child

may not have much experience using technology

may not have much experience using technology

may not have much experience using technology

desires to maintain a personal connection with caretakers via phone calls, rather than having all processes automated

desires to maintain a personal connection with caretakers via phone calls, rather than having all processes automated

desires to maintain a personal connection with caretakers via phone calls, rather than having all processes automated

very familiar with the process for running MBB + caretaker process

very familiar with the process for running MBB + caretaker process

very familiar with the process for running MBB + caretaker process

has experience using technology

has experience using technology

has experience using technology

has stable computer access

has stable computer access

has stable computer access

Opportunities

create a web app: larger screen will allow for more information to be displayed + accessed during work

create a web app: larger screen will allow for more information to be displayed + accessed during work

create a web app: larger screen will allow for more information to be displayed + accessed during work

no need for extensive onboarding

no need for extensive onboarding

no need for extensive onboarding

keeping phone calls part of the process for onboarding & item requests to maintain a personal connection

keeping phone calls part of the process for onboarding & item requests to maintain a personal connection

keeping phone calls part of the process for onboarding & item requests to maintain a personal connection

keep the design simple and intuitive

keep the design simple and intuitive

keep the design simple and intuitive

mostly women w/ experience raising children

mostly women w/ experience raising children

mostly women w/ experience raising children

Coming into this project, our team was tasked with iterating upon 2 previous semesters of designs and development. With a history and backlog of work, I first had to take note of the current design system, in progress work, and developed designs, figuring out where to pick up from and where to continue.

Some new additions from the non-profit came in the form of revamping the color branding, creating mobile designs for caretakers, and continuing the the process of building out web designs for administrators.

Transferring Design Work

Our team worked on the development of a web application, with a desktop version for administrators and mobile interface for caregivers working to help over 220 babies in the Georgia area. With features like Baby Books, Item Requests, and MBB Support, the application provides assistance in a centralized location.

Solution

The nonprofit works with these caregivers to provide them with resources and supplies, but lacks a platform for the client to interact with. Currently, the vast majority of communication is done over the phone, which may become difficult as client numbers continue to grow.

Problem

Motherhood Beyond Bars (MBB) is a nonprofit organization providing support for infants born to incarcerated women and works to reunify families. When babies are born to women in the Georgia prison system, the mother is allotted a 48-hour stay in the hospital. After these 48 hours, the mother is returned to prison and a chosen caregiver will then come to the hospital to pick up the baby and bring it home.

My team at Bits of Good worked with the organization to create a mobile and web application for caregivers to manage support, resources, and communication with mothers throughout the childrens' young development.