labs@atheron:~/industries/childcare/design$ design --research --prototype

Design for busy parents

Forms a parent can finish on a phone.

Parents fill in enrolment forms on a phone, at night, with a child nearby. We design waitlists, enrolment and parent apps around that, test them with families from your centres, and build what works.

Start a project See the example projects

// what matters here

What is different in this industry.

Tested with your families

We watch parents from your centres use early designs, and change what trips them up.

Finished on a phone

Long forms are split into short steps that save as you go.

Plain words, every language

Questions written in plain language, then translated for the families you serve.

Accessible from the start

Readable type, clear contrast and screen reader support, checked before launch.

// example projects

Priced examples for this service.

Each one is hypothetical, labelled as such, and priced live from our rate card. Open any of them in the estimator and make it yours.

Example projectWeb app

Waitlist and enrolment portal

Hypothetical. Not a client, not a result.

// The problem

A nonprofit with four centres keeps its waitlist in a spreadsheet, families call every month to ask where they stand, and enrolment paperwork is filled in on paper.

// What we would build

A portal designed for busy parents: join the waitlist for one or more centres, see where you stand, accept a space when it opens, and complete enrolment forms online, with a priority list the director manages.

// What is in it

One waitlist form for every centre
Families see their place and update their dates
Spaces offered by the director, accepted online
Enrolment forms and documents completed online
Pages designed for parents on a phone

// Stack

Next.js
PostgreSQL
DigitalOcean

// estimate

Build: ≈ US$59,800 to US$91,500, delivered within 17 weeksCAD 85,200 to 130,300
Hosting: ≈ US$176 a monthCAD 250 a month
Support: ≈ US$1,000 a monthCAD 1,425 a month

Prices in your currency are estimates from today's Bank of Canada rate. All invoicing is in CAD or USD.

Timeline by milestone

Discovery: 2.9 to 3.4 weeks
Design approved: 4.4 to 7.4 weeks
Core features: 1.9 to 2.9 weeks
Full build: 1.4 to 1.9 weeks
Testing and fixes: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks
Launch: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks

How it is paid

Deposit 20%: CAD 17,040 to 26,060
Discovery 7.7%: CAD 6,560.40 to 10,033.10
Design approved 7.7%: CAD 6,560.40 to 10,033.10
Core features 23.3%: CAD 19,851.60 to 30,359.90
Full build 15.5%: CAD 13,206.00 to 20,196.50
Testing and fixes 7.7%: CAD 6,560.40 to 10,033.10
Launch 8.1%: CAD 6,901.20 to 10,554.30
Holdback, 30 days after launch (10%): CAD 8,520 to 13,030

Start from this example

Example projectWeb appMobile app

Parent app with daily updates

Hypothetical. Not a client, not a result.

// The problem

A group of childcare centres sends updates by paper notes and email, parents call to ask about naps and meals, and fees are paid by cheque and e-transfer with no record in one place.

// What we would build

An iOS and Android app for parents and a matching app for educators: daily updates and photos with parents' consent, secure messages with the room, sign-in and sign-out, and fees and statements in one place.

// What is in it

Daily updates on meals, naps and activities
Photos shared only with each child's own family, with consent
Secure messages between parents and educators
Sign-in and sign-out with the authorised pick-up list
Fees, statements and tax receipts in the app
Every screen in the languages your families speak

// Stack

Next.js
React Native
PostgreSQL
Stripe
AWS

// estimate

Build: ≈ US$127,000 to US$194,000, delivered within 26 weeksCAD 180,900 to 276,600
Hosting: ≈ US$492 a monthCAD 700 a month
Support: ≈ US$2,500 a monthCAD 3,565 a month

Prices in your currency are estimates from today's Bank of Canada rate. All invoicing is in CAD or USD.

Timeline by milestone

Discovery: 2.9 to 3.4 weeks
Design approved: 6.4 to 10.4 weeks
Core features: 1.9 to 2.9 weeks
Full build: 1.4 to 1.9 weeks
First build on devices: 3.4 to 5.9 weeks
Testing and fixes: 0.4 to 0.9 weeks
Store submission: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks
Launch: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks

Outside our hands, and added to the calendar

App store review: 1 week

How it is paid

Deposit 20%: CAD 36,180 to 55,320
Discovery 9.2%: CAD 16,642.80 to 25,447.20
Design approved 9.2%: CAD 16,642.80 to 25,447.20
Core features 7.6%: CAD 13,748.40 to 21,021.60
Full build 5%: CAD 9,045 to 13,830
First build on devices 20.1%: CAD 36,360.90 to 55,596.60
Testing and fixes 2.5%: CAD 4,522.50 to 6,915.00
Store submission 6.7%: CAD 12,120.30 to 18,532.20
Launch 9.7%: CAD 17,547.30 to 26,830.20
Holdback, 30 days after launch (10%): CAD 18,090 to 27,660

Start from this example

// questions

Questions we get about this.

Do you test childcare designs with real parents?

Yes, with a few families from your centres, with their agreement, before anything is built.

Can you redesign our current enrolment forms?

Yes. We start from your forms and policies and make them easier to finish.

Is the design work priced separately from the app?

It is part of the estimate. A custom or brand design adds design time, shown in the range.

Back to the industry: Childcare and early learning About the service: Product design and UX

// next

Not quite your project?

Tell us what you have in mind. We will come back to you with a range and the questions that would narrow it. Or book a call and talk it through.

Start a project Book a call