LunaYou Pregnancy Journal
An interactive, educational journal for pregnant people
I created this project as part of my senior thesis at Wentworth Institute of Technology. The project was completed in partnership with a maternal health organization, LunaYou. My design intent was to improve health literacy levels among pregnant people and new moms, while also giving them a space to document and reflect on their pregnancy journey.
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Health Literacy and Pregnancy
93 Million Americans have low health literacy.
Low health literacy among pregnant people is associated with greater risk of perennial lacerations and unplanned cesarean sections.
Why Does
Supporting Maternal Health Matter?
In the United States, women face significantly higher risks
in pregnancy and childbirth, compared to other
high income nations.
Race and Maternal Health
Black women in the United States are 2.5 to 3
times more likely to die in childbirth than their
white counterparts.
This is largely due to systemic racism in healthcare and housing policies, and implicit bias among healthcare professionals.
Understanding the User
Persona Boards
Using real data collected from LunaYou users, I made several diagrams summarizing their experiences in pregnancy and postpartum.
The image shown on the right is an example of one of the persona boards I crafted, with the name and photo changed to protect user privacy.
Mind Map
To better understand the scope of the problem, I created a map of words and associations related to motherhood and maternal health.
I started with the phrase "maternal health" and branched out, covering topics such as breastfeeding, parenting, and reproductive health.
Ideation and
Additional Research
Initial Concepts
Here are some ideas I explored early on in my design process.
I explored interactive books and journals, app expansions, and physical products.
I was drawn to the idea of a book or journal from the beginning. Here I'm exploring different binding techniques and layout styles.
Hitting the Books
If I was going to create a pregnancy journal, I needed to learn as much about the pregnancy experience as possible.
I looked at popular pregnancy books on the market, as well as books about anatomy and psychology, to fully understand the scope of pregnancy and postpartum.
Designing Within Brand Constraints
I crafted a book documenting LunaYou's existing branding guidelines, so I could have a framework to work within while I designed the visual structure of my journal.
This book was helpful not only in the construction of my journal, but as the organization grows and takes on new employees, they can ensure all assets have the same visual language.
In this book, I defined typography systems, use of color and accessibility constraints, and more!
Journal Structure
LunaYou's Seven Elements of Wellbeing
LunaYou's research has shown that wellbeing consists of seven elements in combination.
I structured each chapter of my journal according to the seven elements of wellbeing, as well as a chapter in the beginning documenting pregnancy milestones.
QR Codes and Video Components
At the beginning of each chapter, there is a QR code that links to a video explaining more about each element of wellbeing.
As LunaYou is primarily offered as a digital program, this encourages the user to engage with our online presence, as well as learn more about wellbeing.
Interactive Activities
Each chapter contains a mix of educational content and interactive activities.
My goal was to both teach the reader about pregnancy, and encourage them to document and reflect on their pregnancy journey.
