Penguine

Building a mobile first community for parents with disabilites

Camilo Lizarralde x Shreyans Baid

Building a mobile first community for parents with disabilites

Camilo Lizarralde;
Shreyans Baid

Overview

The project highlights the extensive research, user interviews, and cultural studies conducted to understand the unique challenges and needs of Parents with disabilities. The Case Study details the iterative design process, concept validation, and testing methodologies to develop an accessible, community-driven platform.

Impact

Conducted 15+ user interviews with parents with ambulatory disabilities, uncovering pain points in community access.
Mapped ecosystem interactions to identify key pain points and design a community-driven platform for accessible resource discovery.

Role

Product Designer and UX Strategist

Duration

7 Months (Capstone Research & strategy)

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Why it matters?

Over 4 million parents with disabilities in the U.S. face unique caregiving challenges.
Increased awareness about the lack of information regarding parenting with disabilities.

Over 4 million parents with disabilities in the U.S. face unique caregiving challenges.
Increased awareness about the lack of information regarding parenting with disabilities.

Studies indicate people with disabilities are 2-3 times more likely to experience cyber harassment compared to non-disabled users.

Participants in virtual disability support groups experience a 25-30% improvement in perceived social inclusion and access to information.

70-80% of medical

schools still primarily teach disability through a medical model lens.

Project Background

Problem Statement:

Parents with disabilities often face unique challenges in accessing support and resources tailored to their needs.

Research Question:

What is the relationship between adaptive parenting techniques for parents with disabilities and their parenting style?

Stakeholders

Parents with disabilities
Caregivers
Family Members
Secondary: Advocacy groups, Researchers

Parents with disabilities
Caregivers
Family Members
Secondary: Advocacy groups,
Researchers

Parents with disabilities
Caregivers
Family Members
Secondary: Advocacy groups, Researchers

Research Method:

Appretiative Inquiry, Thematic & Process coding
Mixed Research- narrative and qualitative

Research Question:

15+ User interviews (60 minute interviews)
01 Auto Ethnography
Foundational research (Interviews, Surveys, Competitive audit, Diary studies) and design research (A/B testing, Card sorting)

Our Interviews

Marjorie Aunos

Researcher & SME

“No Imposition - having an array of options to choose what works best for each user”

Andres Villagran

Head of Marketing @ WTW

Talking to your community directly builds trust. Showcasing what is working for other customers has been the most effective strategy to build close relationships with their community“

Matt Bowen

Parent with Disability

“Ive figured out a lot of things that could help a lot of people, so thats what I would like to share”

Whitney Weldon

NYC DOT engagement expert

“Having a professional facilitating a support group has been much better for me. It’s is not just venting away problems but instead building on your challenges”

Participant

@migdvv

Bridging the information gap for parents with disabilities through an accessible platform can lead to stronger communities, better caregiving outcomes, and a heightened sense of belonging. It’s a step forward in designing for equity."

Andres Villagran

Head of Marketing @ WTW

Talking to your community directly builds trust. Showcasing what is working for other customers has been the most effective strategy to build close relationships with their community“

Matt Bowen

Parent with Disability

“Ive figured out a lot of things that could help a lot of people, so thats what I would like to share”

Whitney Weldon

NYC DOT engagement expert

“Having a professional facilitating a support group has been much better for me. It’s is not just venting away problems but instead building on your challenges”

Participant

@migdvv

Our Focus

78%of our participant pool felt the need for a community in their consideration phase (from interviews)
93% participants trusted people with similar lived experience more than doctors for parenting strategies (from interviews)

78%of our participant pool felt the need for a community in their consideration phase (from interviews)
93% participants trusted people with similar lived experience more than doctors for parenting strategies (from interviews)

Themes & Narratives/ Emerging Truths

Click on the Image to view themes

Categories of Themes

Personal

Community

Products & Services

Sustainable Parenting

Key Considerations

Community-driven design:

Incorporate features like private chat groups, events for parents to exchange advice securely.

Personalization:

Allow users to customize their experience based on specific needs, such as type of disability or parenting style.

Simplicity:

Prioritize ease of use, ensuring the platform is intuitive and doesn’t require extensive setup or tech-savviness.

Accessible Resources:

Provide well-curated, easily digestible guides on adaptive parenting tools and strategies.

Target Audience

We utilized mindsets to deeply understand and cater to the diverse needs of parents with disabilities. By identifying distinct mindsets, we were able to focus on their unique motivations and challenges enabling us to effectively define our target audience