Product Experience

Problem Space 

Problem Statement  

Parents need an efficient method of tracking food as they are introduced to their infants/children because it helps them monitor how their children respond and interact with the food.

Problem Background  

Parenting has no rules; as a parent, you’re mostly experimenting to see what works for you and your baby. Nutrition and feeding are areas where parents research, experiment, and ask questions to ensure they are doing what’s best for their child.

Research Insights

User Pain Points

About 62% of parents surveyed indicated it was vital to keep track of what their infant eats. 

Supporting Data

The data collected show that about 64% of parents don’t keep track while some of the parents who did keep track, did so either mentally or with a pen and paper. 

Feedback

Our user research validates this problem with the need to for parents to track signs of allergies, eating habits and food like and dislikes of children. 

Landing on the Solution 

Based on our target users’ pain points, we knew we wanted to work on the following features

  • Account creation for multiple children
  • Meal documenting by free text
  • Food type or category tracking using predetermined and customizable tags
  • Sharing abilities between different users
  • Allergy documentation with the ability to note the severity 

Explanation of Solution

The solution is one that users can use daily for young children and has an easy flow to make the process seamless and enjoyable. The solution, based on user research will provide parents and caregivers the chance to improve their infants' health through careful observation and documentation of their eating habits which will ultimately inform future meal times.

User Flows/Mockups

FirstPlates Mockup 

Future Steps

From speaking with customers, a possible additional problem to address is providing meal recommendations based on the childs age and eating habits (likes and dislikes); recommending creative ways to introduce or re-introduce meals. 

Images

Learnings

Product Manager Learnings:

Bomo Eke-Spiff

Co.Lab was an interesting experience for me especially the mentorship sessions and feedbacks. My mentor is very knowledgeable as a PM and provided feedback that made me evaluate and re-evaluate my problem space, research ro ensure the solution was viable. 

Designer Learnings:

Designer Learnings:

Jo Sturdivant

  1. Adapting to an Established Team: Joining the team in week 6 of 8 was challenging, as I had to quickly adapt to existing workflows, dynamics, and goals. This mirrors real-world situations where you often integrate into teams mid-project, and flexibility is essential.
  2. Work-Blocking for Efficiency: With only two weeks to complete the project, I learned the importance of a structured work-blocking system. This approach allowed me to manage my time effectively and meet deadlines under pressure.
  3. Making Data-Driven Design Decisions: Unlike my past projects, I had to rely on research conducted by others. This was a valuable experience in using pre-existing data to guide design decisions, helping me focus on the core insights without starting from scratch.

Developer Learnings:

Developer Learnings:

Vanady Beard

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As the back-end developer, I learned how important it is to create efficient and reliable systems that support the entire application. This experience also taught me the importance of optimising the database and ensuring the backend is scalable and easy to maintain.

Developer Learnings:

Stephen Asiedu

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As a back-end developer, I've come to understand the importance of being familiar with various database systems and modules. This knowledge enables me to build diverse applications and maintain versatility in my work. I've also learned that the responsibility for making the right choices rests on my shoulders, guided by my best judgement.

Developer Learnings:

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Developer Learnings:

Maurquise Williams

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  1. Process of Creating an MVP: Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) taught me how to focus on delivering core functionalities balancing between essential features and avoiding scope creep.
  2. Collaboration in a Real-World Tech Setting: This experience taught me how to collaborate efficiently in a fast-paced tech environment, keeping the team aligned and productive, even while working remotely across time zones.
  3. Sharpening Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: This experience honed my ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently. By tackling challenges and finding quick solutions, I sharpened my decision-making and troubleshooting skills in a dynamic, real-world setting.

Developer Learnings:

Jeremiah Williams

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All in all this experience was very awesome I learned that in coding with others being transparent is key

Developers Learnings:

Justin Farley

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I learned how important communication is when working with a team. Communication provides understanding, advice, ideas, and much more. While working with the product team, I’ve found that communication keeps everything flowing smoothly. Working with a team also showed me that every member brings something different to the table and we all have to work together in order to align and meet our end goal.

Full Team Learning