Human Centred User Research with new Mums

New app designed for new mothers navigating the challenges of postnatal life

Summary

We partnered with a new app designed to provide culturally tailored support to new mothers navigating the challenges of postnatal life. With the aim to address health inequities at the heart of the app, we took a Human-Centred Design (HCD), approach exploring how the app could better meet the emotional, practical, and cultural needs of parents managing their wellbeing after birth.

What was asked

Our client wanted to understand how new mothers experience postnatal wellbeing and assess how their app supports recovery and emotional health. The goal was to identify what worked, where barriers remained, and how to evolve the platform to make it more intuitive, inclusive, and responsive to real user experiences.

What we did

We applied a Human-Centred Design approach to ensure every stage of research was led by empathy, context, and direct engagement. While the app will eventually be tested on women experiencing postnatal depression (PND), we made the decision to limit participation to women with babies under 6 months, who while not having PND, are experiencing all the highs and lows of early parenthood. We wanted participants to feel safe and in control of their participation. As we encouraged our new mums to be able to contribute in the way they were able, over the three weeks the mixed methods of data collection combined voice notes, interviews, short diary-style surveys, and focus groups. This flexible, collaborative process allowed us to explore users’ lived experiences of postnatal wellbeing and gather first-hand insights on app usability, tone, and emotional resonance.

What we found

Emotional support matters: Participants valued the app’s calming design, mindfulness videos, and nutritional guidance for helping them feel grounded.
Community is key: Women wanted spaces to connect with peers and access professional support directly through the app.
Inclusivity builds trust: Cultural sensitivity and diverse representation were essential for users to feel seen and supported.
High engagement: All our users said they’d recommend the app, and 83% agreed it helped them manage their wellbeing.

These findings shaped a set of recommendations — including functionality upgrades (like voice dictation and dark mode), real-time mental health support, and co-created community features — to enhance both accessibility and emotional connection.

“I just wanted thank you all for having me as be part of this research. I look forward to getting updates on the app once it’s fully done! As a single Mum I really appreciated the support it gave me.”

Feedback from one of our Mums