Mumsnet design concepts

Millennial branding

Challenge

Research showed that people in their 20s and 30s now made up the majority of new parents, whereas the average Mumsnet user was in their mid-to-late 40s.

Newer competitors such as Peanut and Hoop had a much better experience on mobile, and we found these younger users were put off by Mumsnet's dated design and rigid forum structure. Due to technical limitations of the forum, the editorial and social aspects of the site were almost completely separate, with very little possibility to mix the two.

To remain relevant, Mumsnet needed to attract younger users for whom smartphones, messaging apps and social networks were second nature.

↑ Design concepts, showing key screens.

Solution

After researching competitor products, I created a mobile-first reimagining of both Mumsnet's social features and editorial content, combining them organically to create a unified experience. I deliberately stripped back the design, using a modern colour palette and fresh typography.

The organisation was undergoing a multi-year digital transformation project, paying down years of technical debt and rebuilding the site on a modern technology platform.

These designs became a north-star vision, showing the kind of features that would be enabled once the transformation was complete.

Social learning app

Challenge

Antenatal courses, such as those offered by the National Childbirth Trust, are an important source of knowledge for expectant parents, learning about everything from childbirth to nappy changing. They also play a vital social role, building the friendship networks new parents will need over the coming weeks and months.
However these courses aren't accessible to everyone, due to cost or location.

The brief was to consider whether it would be possible to create community-based learning app for parents that combined the best of Mumsnet's online community with the best of an offline group experience.

↑ App screens, showing featured courses, group listing and course details.

Solution

I started by conducting a deep-dive search through the forums, looking for peoples' direct experience of both antenatal groups and online learning platforms. This gave me a set of real-life user pain points and needs I could base the design around.

The app would contain expert-led video content, which could be watched by users individually or socially in a chat group. These groups would be formed around a topic, a particular location or informally between friends and would provide the social aspect.

The decision was made not to progress with the product at this time, but it prompted useful discussions within Mumsnet as to where they should go and what they should do in the future.