Koray Tekin - 2023
Solo Graduation Project
Reducing parental stress through community-driven support
EmpowerParenthood is a comprehensive parenting support platform designed to reduce parental stress through community-driven connections and smart resource discovery.
The app follows a hub-and-spoke architecture with five interconnected core modules, with the Playground Discovery System emerging as the flagship feature.
Context & My Role
Project: Empower Parenthood Platform
Timeline: 6 months (2023)
My Role: UX Researcher, Product Designer and Developer
Team: Solo graduation project at CODE University, partnering with Apryl (acquired by Progyny)
The Challenge
73% of new parents report feeling overwhelmed by information overload, time management challenges, and isolation during their first year of parenthood.
Existing solutions are fragmented across multiple platforms, creating additional stress rather than relief.
The Core Problem
"How might we create a unified platform that reduces parental stress while building meaningful community connections?"
Research & Discovery
Methodology
I conducted 8 semi-structured interviews with working parents, focusing on their daily challenges, coping strategies, and unmet needs during early parenthood.
Interview Insights
Insight #1
The Unexpected Disrupts Everything
100% of participants struggled with unexpected situations
Daily routines frequently derailed by childcare emergencies
Lack of backup plans increased stress exponentially
- Participant 1
Insight #2
Support Systems Make or Break Success
Supportive partners, employers, and peer networks were critical
Flexible work arrangements directly correlated with reduced stress
Community connections provided emotional and practical support
- Participant 2
Insight #3
Societal Pressure Creates Mental Barriers
Traditional expectations force false choices between career and parenting
Working mothers face professional credibility challenges
Mental blocks prevent parents from seeking help
- Participant 7
Journey Mapping
I mapped the complete parent journey from family planning to managing work-life balance, based on the interviews, identifying 12 critical touchpoints where intervention could reduce stress and improve outcomes.
Journey Map
User Personas & Scenarios
Created 2 primary personas based on research patterns:
Key Findings
Analyzing the responses revealed that participants consistently highlighted the social dimension of the working parent experience, emphasizing its importance for both parents and children.
Clustered data collected through targeted questions
Participants voiced concerns about the safety of workplace play areas
Insight #2
Child Activities
There is a strong desire among parents for engaging and educational activities for their children within the workplace, viewed as valuable for keeping children occupied while also supporting their development.
This insight highlights the need for a centralized platform to streamline scheduling and simplify the process of booking childcare slots.
Problem Definition
Primary Problem
New parents need a centralized platform that provides:
Curated, trustworthy information (not overwhelming content)
Community connections with similar parents
Practical tools for daily management
Emergency support systems for unexpected situations
Success Metrics:
Reduce reported stress levels by 30%
Increase community engagement by 50%
Improve information accessibility by 60%
Design Process & Information Architecture
Information Architecture
Designed a 5-pillar structure:
Playgrounds: Playground discovery and check-in
Learn: Curated resources and expert content
Connect: Community forums and local parent groups
Organize: Calendar, reminders, and planning tools
Support: Emergency contacts and crisis resources
Design Principles
Simplicity First: Reduce cognitive load during stressful moments
Community-Driven: Peer support over expert advice
Contextual Help: Right information at the right time
Inclusive Design: Accessible to all family structures
Testing & Validation
Usability Testing
I built a fully functional React prototype with:
Real-time data simulation
Interactive booking flow
Social presence features
Mobile-responsive design
User Testing Methodology
Participants: 12 parents with children aged 6 months - 8 years
Method: Moderated remote sessions + in-person playground visits
Duration: 3 weeks of iterative testing
Key Testing Scenarios
Discovery Task - "Find a suitable playground for your 4-year-old this Saturday"
Booking Task - "Check-in for a playground and choose activities for your child"
Social Task - "Connect with another parents in community groups"
Management Task - "Update your child's activity status"
Feature-Specific Results
Venue Discovery:
92% found the real-time availability "extremely helpful"
87% preferred distance + availability sorting over price-based
Activity Zones:
78% of parents used zone-specific booking
85% found activity status sharing "fun and useful"
67% made connections through shared activities
Social Features:
89% checked "Who's Here" before visiting
73% initiated conversations with other parents
56% scheduled follow-up playdates
Feedbacks and Design Iterations
Initial approach: Show all venue details upfront
Problem: Users felt overwhelmed by too much information
Solution: Progressive disclosure with key info hierarchy
Initial approach: Open forums for all discussions
Problem: Parents hesitant to share personal struggles
Solution: Tiered privacy levels and organizational communities
Initial approach: Optional social features buried in settings
Problem: Low engagement with community aspects
Solution: Prominent "Who's Here" display with activity sharing
Strategic Pivot: Playground Feature Focus
Why Playgrounds Became the Core Feature?
After initial research and platform conceptualization, user testing revealed that parents' most immediate and frequent need was finding safe, age-appropriate play spaces for their children.
This insight led me to pivot and focus the majority of development and testing efforts on the Playground Discovery & Booking System.
Key Discovery:
78% of parents struggled to find suitable playgrounds near their workplace
Parents spent 2+ hours researching options across multiple platforms
No existing solution provided real-time availability and social context
This feature had the highest engagement potential for building community
Solutions & Key Features
Multi-type venue support
(indoor/outdoor playgrounds)Distance-based sorting
with travel time estimatesSafety ratings integration
(4.4★, 4.8★ community scores)
Live availability updates
via WebSocket connectionsReal-time capacity tracking
(8/8 slots available)Automatic confirmation system
with calendar integration
Custom Activity Management
Custom activities for indoor playgroundsActivity status sharing
Custom messages ("Emma is building castles!")
"Who's Here" live display
Real-time parent/child presenceParent networking opportunities
Connect with other parentsPlaydate coordination
Schedule future meetups
Solution
Enabling Child-Inclusive Work Environments
To address these challenges, my solution introduces a secure, on-site playground integration where children are welcome. This space enables parents to work with their children nearby, fostering both networking among parent colleagues and socialization for the kids.
It’s designed for those days when bringing a child to work is essential, creating a supportive, low-stress environment that promotes productivity and a healthy work-life balance.
Reflection
This project taught me the power of letting research guide product direction rather than forcing predetermined solutions. The pivot from a broad parenting platform to a playground-focused community tool demonstrated how deep user understanding can reveal unexpected opportunities.
The most successful features solve real, immediate problems while creating opportunities for human connection. The Playground feature succeeded because it addressed both the practical need (finding play spaces) and the emotional need (building community) in a single, elegant solution.
The technical complexity of real-time systems combined with the social dynamics of parent networking created a uniquely challenging and rewarding design problem that showcased both my technical and user experience capabilities.