Kids First, Co-parenting web app
A user-centered platform that helps separated or divorced parents manage co-parenting responsibilities through improved communication, shared calendars, and child-focused tools.
Client
WIIT
Tools
Figma, Mural, Zoom, Maze, Slack
Timeline
2024
Role
Product Designer
Deliverables
As a UX designer, I was responsible for
Identifying UX friction in the sign-up process
Redesigning the flow for better usability and data handling
Leading usability testing and gathering user feedback
Tools Used:
Figma (UI Design & Prototypes)
Mural, Zoom (Co-creation workshops)
Maze & Usertesting (Usability testing)
Slack (Agile collaboration)
SurveyMonkey (Research)
The Problem
Separated or divorced parents often face difficulties in effectively managing and coordinating their co-parenting responsibilities. Despite their best intentions, conflicts frequently arise, particularly during custody scheduling, leading to stress and tension for both parents and children. This can result in a negative impact on the overall well-being of the family unit.
Process
We followed a user-centered, agile design process—from research to launch. It began with user interviews and surveys to understand the needs of separated parents, followed by co-creation workshops with stakeholders like family law experts and therapists.
We moved into wireframing and prototyping in Figma, regularly testing with users to refine features like the calendar and messaging. The product was built in collaboration with developers, using sprints and feedback loops to iterate quickly. As the team grew, we introduced a design system to keep the experience consistent and scalable.
Target User
Kids First was designed to support families navigating the complexities of co-parenting after separation or divorce. The platform is designed to reduce friction, promote healthy collaboration, and prioritize the child’s experience above all.
Goal andt Motivation
The primary goal of "KIDS FIRST" is to facilitate effective co-parenting and child custody management by providing a user-friendly platform that promotes collaboration, communication, and coordination between separated or divorced parents. By streamlining co-parenting tasks and reducing conflicts, the ultimate aim is to improve the overall well-being of both parents and children involved in the co-parenting process.
Fostering a harmonious upbringing for children
with divorced parents.
Facilitating peaceful communication and
coordination between parents.
Providing parents and children with more
quality time by reducing conflicts.
Filling a Strategic Gap: Competitor Analysis
As we approached the final stages of development, I realized that a thorough competitor analysis had not yet been done—a crucial gap for positioning and refining our product. I proactively suggested we pause to evaluate the landscape and took full responsibility for conducting a comprehensive competitive audit.
By analyzing similar co-parenting platforms, I identified feature gaps, pricing models, and unique value propositions we could learn from. This insight allowed us to strengthen our user experience, clarify our differentiation, and shape a more informed launch strategy.
Before vs. After Competitive Analysis
Final Outcome & Key Features
Redesigned Sign-up Flow
The original sign-up flow for Kids First was confusing, time-consuming, and frustrating. I saw an opportunity to simplify this critical first step. Working closely with developers and users, I redesigned the flow to reduce friction: fewer steps, clearer guidance, smarter error handling, and streamlined account merging for co-parents.
The result?
30% reduction in sign-up abandonment
25% increase in completion rate
40% higher user satisfaction with onboarding
20% database cost reduction via improved account merging logic
50% error rate: 9 out of 18 tasks had at least one error.
Tasks were perceived as easy, but error rates were high, suggesting users blamed themselves for issues.
Participants took longer and more steps than benchmark users to complete tasks.
Despite this, app ratings were decent, indicating a disconnect between perceived and actual usability.
Responsive
One of my core responsibilities was to redesign the dashboard, which was originally only usable on desktop. This limited access for parents who rely on mobile in their day-to-day routines.
I worked on making the dashboard fully responsive, ensuring a smooth, intuitive experience across devices. By refining the layout, optimizing visual hierarchy, and paying attention to small interaction details, we created a consistent, mobile-friendly interface that feels natural—no matter the screen size.
Messaging with AI tone meter
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Co-parent communication is often where conflict starts. To support more mindful interactions, I helped design an AI-powered tone meter that detects harmful language and blocks inappropriate messages before they’re sent.
This feature promotes respectful, child-focused dialogue by encouraging parents to pause, reflect, and rephrase—turning technology into a quiet mediator for healthier co-parenting.
Calendar
UI & Feature Expectations
The shared calendar was already part of the product, but I worked on improving its practicality for real-life co-parenting needs. I introduced color-coded events by child to help parents quickly distinguish between schedules—especially in families with multiple children.
These updates made the calendar more organized, intuitive, and effective for maintaining clarity and reducing miscommunication.
Design System
As the product expanded and the team grew, it became clear we needed a shared visual language. I took part in building a style guide and design system to ensure consistency, speed up collaboration, and reduce repetitive decision-making across screens. It included components, colors, type, spacing rules, and usage guidelines—helping us scale the design efficiently.
Reflections
Future Research Opportunities:
This project taught me how to:
Details are time consuming. The details will often take a long time, think about the 80/20 rule. It is best to design for the whole story first and worry about the details later.
This project taught me how small UX decisions, like button copy or layout clarity, can shape first impressions and build trust in emotionally complex contexts.
I realized that the overly detailed calendar design slowed down the team and made collaboration harder. This experience showed me the value of having a clear design system to streamline work and maintain consistency.
While working on the AI tone meter, I became curious about natural language processing, a field I knew little about. It sparked my interest in how AI can enhance UX and led me to start learning more.