ABOUT
Streamlining Childcare Reporting for Fairer Parenting
Our goal was simple yet ambitious: to create a one-stop solution for VAB that slashes the time spent reporting sick days for kids to less than 2 minutes a day. In tackling this challenge, we aimed to free up precious time for Swedish parents, ensuring that the process of managing reporting was as swift and efficient as possible, so they could focus on what truly matters—family time (and, of course, enjoying a well-earned cuppa).
In this case study, we walk through through the research, design, and prototyping phases.
Location
Stockholm, Sweden
Industry
Public Sector
Role
1 of 3 Product Designers
Methology
User-centred design – employing surveys, persona development, ideation, sketching, wireframing, and prototyping
↓43%
Reduction in clicks to reach goal
↓30%
Reduction in time to reach goal
IDEATE
IDEATION & SKETCHES
Our first step was getting ideas on paper—literally. We sketched low-fidelity wireframes to flesh out core concepts quickly and see how they might fit together:
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Calendar-Centric Layout: We wanted the calendar front and centre, with the option to drag and drop dates for fast, intuitive selection.
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One-Stop VAB ‘Cart’: Like an online shopping cart, selected dates would appear in a summary, ready for easy review before submission.
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Parent/Child Split: We introduced separate sections for each parent and child to prevent double-bookings, ensuring clarity over who’s responsible for which day.
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Familiar UI Patterns: Inspired by booking sites, we adopted straightforward filters, simple forms, and clear CTAs to keep the experience as smooth as possible.
04. FINAL DESIGN & PROTOTYPE
Bringing together all the insights from our research, sketches, and prototypes, we arrived at a streamlined interface where parents can easily pick VAB dates, see which child is affected, and confirm everything in just a few clicks. Features like pre-populated answers, auto-collapsing accordions, and a prominent calendar ensure the process is intuitive and visually uncluttered.
Note: This final design has not yet been tested with real users, so the next step is to gather feedback, refine any rough edges, and validate that the solution genuinely meets parents’ needs.
ESTABLISHING THE PERSONA
Hypotheses & Rationale
From our user research, we identified three key hypotheses to address the main challenges parents face when reporting VAB:
Promoting Fairness
By clearly showing how many VAB days each parent or guardian has taken, we aim to foster more balanced childcare responsibilities.
Preventing Double-Booking
Allowing users to plan VAB for multiple parents/guardians and children in a single session reduces errors like scheduling overlaps and memory slips.
Improving Visibility
Merging a calendar with the VAB application process makes it easier to see which days are already applied for and approved, cutting down on confusion and guesswork.
03. BENCHMARKING & IDEATION
When exploring how best to handle date selection and scheduling, we looked to familiar UI patterns that users already trust and use daily. Booking platforms (like Booking.com) inspired our approach for selecting multiple dates at once—think dragging your mouse (or thumb) across a mini-calendar to block off the days you need. Meanwhile, Google Calendar’s layout served as a great reference for switching between calendar and list views.
By benchmarking these everyday tools, we borrowed design elements such as colour-coded selections, clear navigation menus, and straightforward icons. Our aim was to avoid reinventing the wheel; instead, we leveraged well-established patterns so parents could instinctively understand how to add or remove VAB days. These references guided our initial sketches and informed key decisions in our prototype, ensuring the final solution felt instantly familiar, user-friendly, and efficient.
BEFORE VS. AFTER
02. DEFINE & PRIORITISE
We started by rounding up a group of 10 parents who had recently gone through the VAB application process—some were seasoned pros, others were first-timers. Over 3 Ddays, we asked them to log every step of their experience, from the moment they realised they needed to apply for VAB (“Oh no, the kid’s got a fever!”) to finally clicking “Submit.”
To get a real sense of their frustrations, we conducted quick interviews after each step:
Need: “What made you realise you needed VAB?”
Search: “How did you look for the right form or info?”
Fill Details (twice): “Which parts felt repetitive or confusing?”
Apply: “Were you relieved or still worried you’d missed something?”
HOW WE GOT THERE: THE DESIGN PROCESS
01. EMPATHISE & DISCOVER - SURVEY & FINDINGS
We conducted a short survey and had 16 answers in a span of 24 hours: Office workers, usually work daytime and weekdays and here are thje findings:
1.
People tend to report retrospectively
2.
People have trouble to remember when they VABed and when their partner VABed
3.
Make it easier to find and access the functionality and information related to VAB in one place
Thank you for reading!
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