playground
find the camps and care you need
Playground easily finds summer camps, after-school programs, and care for your child. It can seamlessly apply and pay for your program as well.
Role
UX Design, UI Design, Research, Interview Conduction, Prototype Development
Project length
12 weeks
Tools used
Figma, Figjam, Miro, Photoshop, Hand Sketch, Procreate
Deliverables: MVP, Site map, Information Architecture, Hi- Fidelity Wireframes, Prototype
I was in disbelief the first summer I had to find summer camps for my Kindergartner. The search and application process was complex, frustrating, and messy. I met with friends who shared with me all of the tips and tricks they had developed to make sense of it all, excel sheets, calendars, alarms, etc. Thus came the first kernel of Playground.
In the summer months, the average parent needs 9 weeks of coverage, with each summer program averaging only 1 week in length. That means searching and filtering through tons of programs, finding the ones that work for you, cataloging their details, filling out 9+ applications, juggling multiple payment methods, and navigating multiple sites, and apps.
The search for summer camps exasperates problems that plague parenting - lack of organization, lack of spare time, and lack of confidence.
Enter Playground, an all-in-one tool to find, apply, pay for, and manage your child's programs and care.
A powerful search engine, one saved master application, a payment provider, and a task manager to keep you organized while your child is engaged and learning.
Secondary Research / Surveys / In-person Interviews / Follow-up Interviews
Users expressed overlapping frustration and concerns. This was to be expected, but what wasn't, was exactly how much time and frustration users were putting into the search and application process. Users reported multiple hours a day, for a few weeks each summer, relying heavily on word-of-mouth recommendations.
I spent a ton of time online just taking notes. I eventually made an Excel spreadsheet when I realized all of the moving parts with -camp name, weeks available, price, application link, application deadline, etc.
It was a whole process. Hard to find the right camps for the right time. And just a lot to juggle.
Well, it’s not something I enjoy. I don't usually get too stressed out, but I have a small panic attack every year when I realize we don't have the summer figured out. I am lucky enough to work from home, so It isn't a big deal for me, but I can't imagine how other parents manage that NEED coverage and care.
Information Architecture / Site Map / User Flow / Wire Framing
Playground (and all good UX/UI) hinges on simple, succinct, and consistent interactions with as few touch points as possible. I kept that, and my personas in mind when building out each process - User tree - Task flows - Lo-fidelity wireframes - High fidelity wireframes - Iterations - Prototype - Iterations - Final product
My research signalled a gap in the market where users were forced to organize and make sense of how to find child care as they needed it. Very little, if any, competition existed. The features that would compose Playground were - a smart search functionality, the ability to save liked programs, a universal application, and a cross-platform payment center-
I designed Playground's interface and iconography, to be quiet, undemanding, and playful. The color pallet and logo pull from a summer's day and are themed for both caregiver and child alike.
Prototyping and testing led to many discoveries and the need to re-work not only some basic processes, but also re-configure the basic layout and site map of how the app would function.
Confirmation pages were added to processes points to give users clarity and confidence. Other sections were made less wordy, more concise and conversational in nature.
Most of the user feedback included nuanced tweaks and suggestions for additional features, but larger concerns unearthed the need to reconsider the apps' overall site mapping.
2 of 5 users found confusion in the intended functionality of the navigation bar. This led to an overhaul of its content, layout, and naming.
The navigation bar's language, naming, organization, and functionality changed to add clarity and shorten user steps. Overall all reducing 4 screens and clicks.
I wish this app existed. To me, and to others, it has real-life value, and the ability to expand and grow beyond its current limited MVP functionality. Expanding its search, book, and pay ability beyond summer camp, to after-school care, athletics, and general child care is a no-brainer
Playground came from the frustrations that friends shared with me regarding finding summer care for their kids. I then walked in their shoes and was in disbelief at how difficult the task could be.
The solution and result is a tool and app that I wish existed, and would proudly use in finding care for my kids.
