Laney

After identifying the initial concept, I moved on to validating the user needs through interviews. My approach involved engaging with both children and parents to understand their emotional needs and daily habits.

I conducted six user interviews, speaking directly with parents and students to gather insights into their challenges and goals. These interviews helped me shape the app's core features, ensuring they aligned with real-world needs.

Through interviews with three boys and three girls and their parents in China.

One More Thing - Meet Lian

During my research, I met Lian, my mother and a teacher at a training institution, who played a crucial role in facilitating my conversations with families. Through three events and an in-depth follow-up interview, I gained valuable insights into children's mental health through her perspective.

Lian demonstrates a remarkable ability to listen and support children when they need it most, helping them view challenges from different angles. She also serves as a bridge between children and parents, providing essential feedback that enables better understanding and communication within families.

Her role illuminated a key opportunity for my app: the potential to bring every family a supportive figure like Lian, fostering stronger connections between children and their parents.

Card Sorting

I conducted a card sorting exercise with two participants (a 12-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl). The goal was to understand how users categorize features and identify patterns in their mental models.

There were differing views on "Create Story" and "Privacy":

• Boy's Perspective: He saw "Create Story" as a tool integrated with "AI Chat" to manage and enhance story creation, with privacy settings tied to AI-assisted content.
• Girl's Perspective: She preferred a traditional approach, treating "Create Story" as independent from "AI Chat," viewing the latter as a standalone feature.

Information Architecture

Lo-fi Wireframes

Building upon research insights and information architecture, I created low-fidelity wireframes to rapidly explore various design possibilities. This quick sketching process allowed me to visualize different layouts and interaction patterns, transforming abstract ideas into tangible solutions.

Conversation Design

The heart of Laney lies in its ability to foster meaningful dialogue with children. I carefully crafted conversation flows that balance empathy with purpose, ensuring interactions are both supportive and developmentally appropriate.

My swimming coach was harsh on me again today... He kept criticizing my form loudly.

Oh no, that must have been really hard for you! I'm sorry you had to go through that. Would you like to share more about what happened? I'm here to listen ✨

Yeah... I'm trying my best, but he's never satisfied. I don't think he should treat me this way.

You're absolutely right! Everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and respect. I can see how dedicated you are to swimming! Sometimes people can be too intense when they want to help us improve, but that doesn't make it okay to hurt your feelings.

Maybe... but I still feel discouraged. What should I do?

Hey, I have an idea that might help! What if we try to help your coach understand how you feel? You could say something like: “Coach, I really want to improve my swimming! But when the feedback is too intense, I get nervous and find it harder to focus. Could we try a more gentle approach?” I believe in you, and I'll always be here to support you!

Mascot: The Golden Retriever Line Art Dog

The centerpiece of Laney's branding is the line-art Golden Retriever, inspired by a character from a popular sticker series. In the stickers, this dog is known for comforting and accompanying a small Maltese dog, bringing joy and companionship. However, the Golden Retriever character never had an official name. To embody the same warmth and supportive spirit in the app, I named him Laney, ensuring he carries forward the essence of being a loyal and comforting figure for children, just as he was for the Maltese.

Brand Colors

Typography: Itim Font

Font Choice: I selected the Itim typeface, a hand-drawn, line-art-inspired font, to enhance the app's playful and approachable aesthetic.

Emotional Impact: Itim resembles a child's handwriting or even the dog's diary entries, making the app feel alive, relatable, and endearing for its young users.

Key UI Patterns

To ensure usability and engagement, I incorporated the following UI patterns:

TBD

Conversation Design

The conversation flow is designed to create natural, empathetic interactions that help children express their emotions while maintaining their privacy and trust.