Waddle: A Seamless Platform for Booking Children’s Activities
My Role
As the Lead Designer, I collaborated with a multidisciplinary team comprising three designers, mobile and full-stack developers, business analysts, a product manager, and software testers to craft an intuitive, visually appealing, and highly functional product.
Tools
Figma, Jira, Miro and Google Docs
Overview
Waddle is a family-friendly platform designed to help parents easily discover, plan, and book activities for their children. The app provides location-based event discovery, personalized recommendations, and a seamless booking experience, while allowing event organizers to efficiently manage their events via both a mobile app and a web platform.
Project Objective
The goal was to develop Waddle's MVP and launch it in Colchester and surrounding areas, making it available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The platform needed to offer:
Understanding the Challenge
DESIGN PROCESS & STRATEGY
Research & Discovery
Conducted survey with parents and event organizers
Analyzed competitor platforms and identified market gaps
Created user personas and journey maps to understand pain points
Wireframing & Prototyping
Developed user flows for key journeys like event discovery and booking
Created low-fidelity wireframes and interactive prototypes for usability testing
Iterated based on feedback before finalizing UI design
UI Design & Usability Testing
Established a family-friendly, approachable visual language
Designed responsive layouts for mobile and web interfaces
Conducted multiple rounds of user testing to refine interactions and flows
KEY FEATURES & INTERFACES
Parent App
Onboarding Flow:
Simple account creation with profile setup
Explore Screen:
Location-based activity discovery with filtering options
Event Details:
Comprehensive information with reviews and booking options
Booking Management:
View of upcoming and past activities
Wishlist:
Save and categorize favorite events
User Profile:
Account management and preference settings
Crowdsourced Events:
Parents can suggest events for admin approval
Event Organizer Platform
Mobile App
Dashboard with map and list views of events
Event creation and management tools
Analytics insights with key performance metrics
Booking management and attendee check-in
Web Application:
Comprehensive event management dashboard
Detailed analytics and financial reporting
Customer management and communication tools
Profile and business information management
Admin System
User Management
Tools for managing parents, organizers and admin users
Event Management
Workflows for approving events
Admins edit and enhance event listings
Payment Management
Management of payment options and settings
System Settings
Platform-wide configuration and controls
Outcomes
Successfully launched MVP in Colchester with positive user adoption
Created a unified platform connecting parents with quality children's activities
Provided event organizers with powerful tools to grow their business
Implemented a robust admin system ensuring platform quality and trust
Lesson Learnt
Balancing the needs of multiple user types requires careful prioritization
Early usability testing is crucial for identifying pain points before development
Creating consistent experiences across platforms demands rigorous component design
Admin tools are as critical as user-facing features for platform success
Conclusion
Waddle successfully bridges the gap between parents and event organizers, providing an all-in-one solution for discovering and booking children's activities. By focusing on user experience, accessibility, and a robust event management system, Waddle has set a strong foundation for growth. Moving forward, continuous refinement and expansion will further solidify its position as a go-to platform for family-friendly activities.
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