Postpartum journaling app
Background: Completed the Transition into UX for Healthcare course and designed and published a web app intended to support birth parents before and after delivery by encouraging journaling and community-based social support.
Problem: Postpartum depression rates have nearly doubled in the past decade, affecting 1 in 5 new mothers — and the problem is accelerating.
Untreated postpartum depression can disrupt infant attachment, delay child development, strain partnerships, and drive significant healthcare costs. Early intervention is one of the highest-leverage opportunities in maternal and family health.
Approach: Despite the growing prevalence of postpartum depression, new birth parents often face stigma around seeking help and lack accessible, personalized support systems.
The app Matrescence leverages optional AI-powered sentiment analysis of journal entries to proactively connect mothers with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques, local support networks of their choosing, or medical care based on their detected risk level — meeting moms or dads where they are before a crisis develops.
Impact: Conducted in-person user research studies with mothers of young children and received generally positive feedback. This is a an app the majority would use to journal about postpartum experiences. Many shared honest suggestions on their reservations around AI and privacy which I addressed via design edits into the final design.
