ARCHIVE · 2022 · SOLO PROJECT
Helping parents build bedtime routines that work for their family
My work in an NYU lab introduced me to the challenges parents face when building bedtime routines. Over four weeks, I led the research, interaction design, and visual identity for Sheepy, an iOS app concept that helps parents find guidance, plan a routine, and reflect on what works for their family. Working independently with mentor feedback, I carried the idea from research through a prototype tested with five parents.
Designed a bedtime routine concept informed by a survey of 24 parents, follow-up interviews, and a review of three apps. Feedback led me to separate detailed guidance from the routine itself. Five parents evaluated the final visual prototype, with an average SUS score of 85.
Understanding what makes a routine hard to keep
I started with a literature review, reviewed three apps, and surveyed 24 parents of children ages 4 to 8. Follow-up interviews helped me understand the challenges behind their answers. The research pointed to three connected needs: knowing what to try, involving children, and finding a routine the family could sustain.
Parents wanted reliable guidance and practical ways to use it at home.
Parents wanted to learn from other families and help their children take part in the routine.
A routine needed to fit family life well enough to keep using it over time.
I tried each app as a new and returning user and reviewed positive and negative App Store feedback.
I surveyed 24 parents about their bedtime routines and invited them to share more in follow up interviews.
“As they get older, I want them to do the routine on their own without me guiding them”
“I want our routine to follow the same time and same order”
“I want us to all enjoy our time together before we go to bed”
Parents also wanted their children to become more independent while keeping bedtime enjoyable for the family.
The responses pointed to opportunities for guidance and reflection. Interviews added another priority: helping children participate while keeping bedtime enjoyable.
Valerie balances her education with raising her daughter. She wants a bedtime routine that gives them more meaningful time together and fits into their day.
- AGE
- Mid 20s to mid 30s
- FAMILY
- A daughter, age 4
- Spend more meaningful time with her daughter
- Build a routine they can keep
- Use something simple that fits around school and parenting
- Not knowing where to find reliable parenting guidance
- Relying on screens to keep her daughter entertained
- Struggling to change bedtime habits
I synthesized the survey and interviews into Valerie to keep the design focused on a parent balancing guidance, time, and her child’s participation.
Giving guidance, action, and reflection their own place
The journey showed that parents needed different support at different moments. I organized Sheepy around preparing for bedtime, following a routine, and reviewing how it went. Learn and Community support preparation, Routine holds the evening’s activities, and Analysis brings past reflections together. Profile keeps family information in one place.
Parents can use their reflections to notice patterns and adjust their routines.
Reflection is part of Routine. Analysis brings those reflections together over time.
Turning the journey into a navigable structure
I mapped registration and onboarding through to the five main tabs. This made the research actionable: guidance needed a clear home, setting up a routine needed a path, and reflection needed to connect back to the next evening. The structure gave me a basis for deciding what each screen should do.
Making the concept concrete enough to critique
I moved from paper sketches to digital wireframes so interviewees and my mentor could review the flow remotely. Referencing familiar iOS navigation patterns let me focus the design on the bedtime tasks and use feedback to refine how the experience fit together.
Keeping the next activity in focus
Early feedback showed that educational content was getting in the way of following the routine. I moved detailed guidance into Learn and simplified Routine around the next activity. This changed where information appeared so it could support preparation without interrupting bedtime.
- Keep detailed guidance in Learn
- Show the time for each activity
- Use color to distinguish completed activities
- Move Add Activity below the routine so it does not interrupt the list
Using visual design to reinforce the routine
With the flow clearer, I developed a friendly visual identity around Wooliam, muted colors, rounded surfaces, and Qanelas Soft. I also refined navigation, completion states, and selected states so the visual treatment could help parents understand where they were and what they had done.
REFINING THE VISUAL DETAILS I simplified the bottom navigation and made color use more consistent. A soft glow distinguished completed tasks and selected states, while clearer scrolling cues helped reveal more choices in the goal list. These details connected the visual identity to the interactions.
Checking how parents used the final prototype
After refining the flow and visual design, I ran moderated sessions with five parents. They completed key tasks while thinking aloud, then answered the System Usability Scale questionnaire. Their average score of 85 provided an encouraging signal about perceived usability; the sessions did not test the app during bedtime.
WHAT I WOULD TEST NEXT The five participants were comfortable with technology, and moderation may have influenced their experience. Next, I would observe families using Sheepy during bedtime, including how young children participate. I would also review color contrast and explore support for multiple children before expanding the concept.
Designing for the moment a family needs support
Sheepy showed me how much the usefulness of information depends on when it appears. The prototype study gave me feedback on the interface, while leaving the larger product question open: could families make it part of their everyday routine? That distinction shapes what I would carry forward and test next.
Sheepy began with a question from my lab work. I translated parent research into a product structure, designed the interactions and visual identity, and used feedback to simplify the bedtime flow. The project reflects how I approach design: connect what people need to the moment they need it, make that thinking tangible in a prototype, and use testing to decide what to refine or investigate next.