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Shatter those stereotypes with success
Young, Early but Badass
Young, Early but Badass
Being a teenage parent (16-21) can be scary and hard. But it shouldn't be shameful, oppressive and discriminatory.
16 design students were tasked with empowering young teen parents. Find out how they did!
SPONSORED COLLEGE PROJECT
SPONSORED COLLEGE PROJECT
SPONSORED COLLEGE PROJECT
Context
Sponsored Studio class at ArtCenter, 14 weeks
Sponsor: Sentient Research
Sponsored Studio class at ArtCenter, 14 weeks
Sponsor: Sentient Research
Team Size
Initial research as 16 member studio.
Presented concept: Self
Initial research as 16 member studio.
Presented concept: Self
Role
Project Management, UX Research, Visual Interface Design Usability Tester
Project Management, UX Research, Visual Interface Design Usability Tester
in 11 seconds, 'Young United parents (YUP)' ...
... empowers and enables young parents to shatter social stereotypes by surpassing goals they set for themselves and their babies!
Designed a product to empower and enable young parents to set, discover and surpass goals they set for themselves, their partners and their babies!
Designed a product to empower and enable young parents to set, discover and surpass goals they set for themselves, their partners and their babies!
in a little more than 11 seconds ...
Field Research
Who is a young parent?
Any parent aged 16-21, regardless of marital status
Research Methodology
Moderated, gender-split, 24 participant focus group at El Nido - a Young Parent Support center in Los Angeles. Followed up with 12 one-on-one interviews on the same day and 6 individual follows ups later
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What is it like being a young parent?
What is it like being a young parent?
What is it like being a young parent?
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"Imagine your own mother not believing in you .."
"Imagine your own mother not believing in you .."
"I can raise my child better than these 'normal-aged parents' them and they can't tell me sh**"
"I can raise my child better than these 'normal-aged parents' them and they can't tell me sh**"
-Anonymized focus group participants
INSIGHT #1
Young Parents are very goal oriented. But could use a little push to help them achieve them. Especially with financial goals
Young Parents are very goal oriented. But could use a little push to help them achieve them. Especially with financial goals
CREATE GOAL > CONTRIBUTE > TRACK > ACHIEVE
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Some young parents are not together anymore
but decide to raise their baby together
Some young parents are not together anymore but decide to raise their baby together
Some young parents are not together anymore but decide to raise their baby together
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Enable parents to set and follow goals for their
baby - primarily financial goals
Enable parents to set and follow goals for their baby - primarily financial goals
Enable parents to set and follow goals for their baby - primarily financial goals
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Young parents don't have very rigorous savings habits
Young parents don't have very rigorous savings habits
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Incentivize savings through interest on saved money with rates variable by goal category. Example:
1% : Entertainment, Travel
2%: Supplies and Nutrition
3%: Schooling, Essentials and Hygiene
Incentivize savings by offering interest on any money saved for a goal. Interest rates vary by goal category. Example:
1% : Entertainment, Travel
2%: Supplies and Nutrition
3%: Schooling, Essentials and Hygiene
Incentivize savings by offering interest on any money saved for a goal. Interest rates vary by goal category. Example:
1% : Entertainment, Travel
2%: Supplies and Nutrition
3%: Schooling, Essentials and Hygiene
Parents feel alone on this journey
Young parents don't have very rigorous savings habits
Let friends, families and organizations contribute to parents' goals they believe in a safe way
Incentivize savings by offering interest on any money saved for a goal. Interest rates vary by goal category. Example:
1% : Entertainment, Travel
2%: Supplies and Nutrition
3%: Schooling, Essentials and Hygiene
Incentivize savings by offering interest on any money saved for a goal. Interest rates vary by goal category. Example:
1% : Entertainment, Travel
2%: Supplies and Nutrition
3%: Schooling, Essentials and Hygiene
Parents find it hard to do the math to split savings between goals with different deadlines, importance, amounts etc
Young parents don't have very rigorous savings habits
The system optimizes each contribution for each goal to help parents reach that goal as fast as they can!
Incentivize savings by offering interest on any money saved for a goal. Interest rates vary by goal category. Example:
1% : Entertainment, Travel
2%: Supplies and Nutrition
3%: Schooling, Essentials and Hygiene
Incentivize savings by offering interest on any money saved for a goal. Interest rates vary by goal category. Example:
1% : Entertainment, Travel
2%: Supplies and Nutrition
3%: Schooling, Essentials and Hygiene
INSIGHT #2
In a world trying to demean Young Parents by telling them they don't deserve much , we need to celebrate their resilience, pride and capabilities
In a world trying to demean Young Parents by telling them they don't deserve much , we need to celebrate their resilience, pride and capabilities
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Celebrate, but dont patronize
We spent a lot of time striking the balance and understanding the thin line between patronizing someone and celebrating their success and progress
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What young parents hear
"Bad Parents"
"Weirdos"
"Irresponsible"
"Should have used a rubber huh"
"Juvenile delinquents"
"Just go back to prison"
"Stupid"
* get ignored by society at large *
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What they really are and feel like
Resilient
Fast learners
Capable
Confident
Goal Oriented
Selfless
Conscientious
Capable parents
INSIGHT #3
INSIGHT #1
Young parents have questions. But nobody's responding because 'regular parents' dont care because they can't relate
Young parents have questions. But nobody's responding because 'regular parents' dont care because they can't relate
LISTEN TO ALL TEXT ARTICLES
FIND OTHER YOUNG PARENTS > CONNNECT
FOLLOW CHILD EXPERTS / ASK QUESTIONS / ANSWER QUESTIONS
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Young parents feel ignored and unwelcome amongst 'regular' parents
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Create a way for young parents to connect with each other - through the spirit of helping each other
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Young parents have to and want to learn a lot about parenting and pregnancy but they're too busy making ends meet
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Let's read out the information/articles to them while they go about their lives
Young parents want answers to their questions - but being able to relate to them is most important
Not just answers - but how they can relate to the person as well!
INSIGHT #4
There are resources beyond federal and state support programs which are currently going untapped
There are resources beyond federal and state support programs which are currently going untapped
FIND OPPORTUNITIES > APPLY > REDEEM > ACHIEVE GOALS
REGISTER BENEFITS > TRACK USAGE > DISCOVER MORE BENEFITS
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Young parents are tired of looking for opportunity and finding charity and also having to constantly go find these opportunities
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Lets make opportunities come to the young parents!
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Young parents are Googling "Young parent programs". institutes are offering programs for "minorities"/"low income individuals"/ The two will never find each other.
Example: Lyft offers free rides to interviews - something that wont come up with their current search habits
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Create an enterprise facing platform to help institutions target their benefit programs to the optimum audiences - in this case, young parents
Young parents have been conditioned to think that they can only advance by relyin gon programs - they dont realise they're eligible and capable to secure other jobs, internships, offers and opportnities!
There are a lot of offers from companies which are applicable for young parents but not necessarily marketed as such. Example: Lyft offers free rides to interviews - something that wont come up on google if they search for "young parents transport programs"
Aggegate and surface all opportunities that young parents are eligible for - internships, jobs, offers on baby essentials, contests, giveaways - everything
There are many such programs, offers, promotions like these which young parents can benefit from - lets surface them similar to instagram stories - a language they are familiar with
The messaging around these programs and opportunities has become so inherently demeaning that even when found, parents dont want to respond becuase its a painful reminder of everything thats not going their way
There are a lot of offers from companies which are applicable for young parents but not necessarily marketed as such. Example: Lyft offers free rides to interviews - something that wont come up on google if they search for "young parents transport programs"
Young parents are engaged and excited by Instagram stories / Snapchat stories - lets present all the opportunities in that format!
There are many such programs, offers, promotions like these which young parents can benefit from - lets surface them similar to instagram stories - a language they are familiar with
Logo, marketing material and swag courtesy the branding team
© Akshay Agrawal