Inner Bloom
A supportive pregnancy platform designed to reduce overwhelm and provide clarity through personalized guidance
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year
2025
timeline
3 months
project
end-to-end UX/UI (mobile-first)
role
client
Problem
Solution
The issue is that there's too much info out there, and it’s tedious and frustrating to sort through what applies to you.
Melody, mom of two
Hearing from other women who have gone through the same experiences helps.
survey participant
I just want to know what matters for me, without spending hours Googling.
Lydia, mom of two
I would take the medical information I found and search other sites to compare it to what other moms were saying.
Anna, mom of one
I downloaded and used four apps throughout the project: BabyCenter, What to Expect, Clue, and Flo. Studying them as an actual pregnant user gave me a perspective most competitive analyses don't have.
BabyCenter and What to Expect were too vast - overwhelming volumes of content loosely connected to where a user actually was. Clue and Flow were more digestible but felt secondary as pregnancy tools. Flo connected symptoms to medical information but offered only a handful of symptom options at a time. Clue had an extensive symptom list but generated no personalized guidance from it. None of the four connected community experiences directly to medical advice - which research had identified as the most important unmet need.
Reddit and Facebook groups filled that gap organically. Women sharing experiences with others in similar situations created a sense of validation no app was replicating. 'I'm not alone, this is normal' - that feeling all in one place was what I wanted to design toward.
Upon loggin in, users are prompted with “How are you feeling today?” appearing first on the dashboard. This is intentional so that symptom responses remain uninfluenced by weekly medical updates.
Based on what users log, the system surfaces bite-sized info cards with brief symptom explanations. Users can read the full summary or tap "learn more" for a full article, with then flows directly into Advice Meets Experience.
The symptom list went through several iterations. Two tabs became three - adding "your regulars" for frequently logged symptoms. The trimester tab was relabeled to include "common" to prevent users from worrying that anything not listed was abnormal. Symptom buttons were tested from one to four per row - two felt best, spacious enough to scan without excessive scrolling. Each button included a small illustrative image to reduce text monotony.
Throughout, information was structured in layers: a brief summary first, with a "learn more" option for those wanting depth.
From the dashboard, users can access time-specific updates, including weekly highlights, baby development, and body changes. Each section opens with a brief summary card, with the option to go deeper.
If users choose to continue, they are taken to a full, expert-backed article tailored to their current stage. Each article then leads into Advice Meets Experience, where users can explore peer perspectives related to that specific topic.
This flow allows users to quickly scan relevant updates or dive deeper, while consistently connecting structured medical guidance with real-life experiences.
Placing the following feature, Chronology Tracker, first risked influencing how users reported symptoms. If they read what they *should* be feeling this week, their answers might reflect that rather than their actual experience. Leading with "How are you feeling today?" kept responses uninfluenced and immediately made users feel seen.
Weekly updates from the Chronology Tracker followed, including a fruit or vegetable size comparison - a lighthearted element users genuinely appreciated.
The full article library and full community forum moved to the hamburger menu, keeping the dashboard focused on the current moment.
After reading a full article, users are guided into a space where others share how their own experiences compare.
Users can scroll through related stories, validate whether their experience aligns, and contribute their own. A dedicated Community Discussions thread allows for deeper exploration. The flow moves continuously from understanding to reassurance, helping users feel both informed and supported.
Information is presented through layered, bite-sized components that progressively reveal more detail, allowing users to move from quick reassurance to deeper understanding without feeling overwhelmed.
The name InnerBloom reflects growth from within - personal transformation, care, and empowerment throughout pregnancy. The logo combines a soft sweeping curve evoking a pregnant belly with a growing sprout, symbolizing nurturing and gentle progress. The color palette (muted sage, deep teal, and warm neutrals) creates a calm, grounded atmosphere that supports users emotionally while maintaining clarity. SF Pro ensures legibility for information-heavy content; Figtree adds warmth and personality in headings, balancing clarity with empathy.
problem
solution
problem: most users tried to navigate back via the hamburger menu rather than the logo solution: a dashboard option was added to the hamburger menu alongside the existing logo shortcut
problem
solution
problems: - no positive pregnancy symptoms were included in the initial symptom list - users found the volume of options slightly overwhelming solutions: - positive symptoms were added (increased energy, improved mood, glowing skin...) - "your regulars" tab was introduced for more personalized filtering
problem
solution
problems: - background and foreground contrast needed strengthening - inconsistent button colors made primary and secondary actions feel mismatched solutions: - background contrast was increased slightly - secondary button colors were adjusted for clarity
the most appreciated feature across all sessions, directly validating the core research insight: users strongly wanted a bridge between professional guidance and peer experience
navigation was consistently described as straightforward, easy, and uncomplicated
the UI was noted as simple, clean, and calming - contributing to users expressing they would use the product in real life
users appreciated content tailored to their current stage and symptoms, and valued the bite-sized info cards that allowed quick scanning without committing to full articles
Overall, testing confirmed that InnerBloom's approach effectively supports expecting mothers by prioritizing clarity, personalization, and emotional reassurance. Tailored content, digestible information, and integrated peer perspectives reduced overwhelm and built trust, while the calming visual design reinforced a sense of support throughout.
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The emotional sensitivity of the subject matter was the primary lens for every decision. As someone navigating pregnancy at the same time as this project, I had firsthand understanding of how it feels to receive information when you're already overwhelmed. Being a user and a designer simultaneously was genuinely useful, though it requried staying conscious of the distinction between my own experience and what research was telling me. The most challenging design problem was information architecture. Pregnancy as a subject is essentially boundless. Every decision about what to include required asking: what is absolutely essential? A focused MVP scope kept that question answerable: daily symptoms and weekly development updates became the non-negotiables, and everything else was deffered.
This project deepened my understanding of designing for emotional needs alongside functional ones. Feeling understood, supported, and not overwhelmed aren't soft requirements - for expecting mothers navigating a sensitive and often anxious experience, they're the whole point. Even small UX decisions, like what appears first on the dashboard or how many symptom options are visible at once, had a measurable impact on how safe and confident users felt.
Presenting complex medical information in a way that feels manageable is an ongoing challenge. I want to continue refining how content is layered and delivered, particularly for users already experiencing stress, so that the experience consistently feels supportive rather than clinical.
