🎓 Capstone Case Study
Mindful Parenting Guru (MPG): Designing a Mindfulness Tool for Busy Parents
👩👧👦 The Problem
Parenting young children is joyful but stressful—especially for working parents juggling multiple roles. Many are curious about mindfulness but unsure how to apply it in real-time parenting moments. Existing solutions are either too theoretical, too long, or too prescriptive.
🧠 My Role
Learning Designer | UX Designer
Led end-to-end research, design, and evaluation to create a user-centered, evidence-based learning tool for parents.
Introduction: The Spark of Inspiration
Embarking on my thesis journey was both a challenging and fulfilling experience, one that allowed me to explore my passion for mindful parenting and my interest in creating tools that bridge the gap between research and practical, real-world application. It all began with a simple idea—how can I help parents cultivate mindfulness in their daily lives, specifically in their parenting practices? As a parent myself, I was keenly aware of the challenges many parents face when managing stress and fostering positive, healthy relationships with their children. This personal experience, combined with my professional background, led me to the concept of creating a tool that would empower parents to be more mindful in their parenting approaches.
Research Approach
Mixed Methods + Human-Centered Design
Design Process
Theory-Driven, User-Informed
Iterative Testing
Concept Testing (2 Rounds)
-
Phase 1: Storyboard testing with experts, faculty & a parent
-
Phase 2: Animated animatic testing with designers & new parents
Usability Testing
-
7 participants across roles (parents, educators, designers)
-
Improved onboarding, UX copy, emotional resonance, content clarity
Outcome
A fully functional mid-fi prototype of Mindful Parenting Guru, a mindfulness learning tool that:
-
Reduces cognitive overload for busy parents
-
Builds emotional self-awareness through storytelling
-
Encourages reflective, non-prescriptive parenting habits
-
Is grounded in evidence and real-world context
Theories, Research & Design Methods
I wanna quickly summarize the relevant theories, research, and design methods which I conducted during the project.
How I Tied Theory to Design
I'm happy to walk you through how I translated these theories into actionable design decisions—for example, how social learning theory directly shaped the use of narrative modeling in story arcs, or how adult learning theory influenced the optional onboarding and bite-sized content format.
Reflections
This project began with personal experience but evolved into a purpose-driven solution. I learned how to balance theory with empathy, and how storytelling can transform abstract ideas into everyday action. My biggest takeaway? Mindfulness isn’t about fixing the child—it’s about understanding ourselves first.