MilKid

Your companion for every move

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OVERVIEW

General Info

Role

Research

Usability Testing

UI Design/Prototyping

Team

Solo

Duration

2 weeks

The Brief

Moving is a challenge many military kids, also known as B.R.A.T's face. Many experience uncertainty and worry about making new friends, being in new environments, and having to essentially restart their life.

Outcome

I designed an app where military kids can connect with one another and find a safe space throughout their moves.

Background RESEARCH

Overall military kid experience

Imagine being surrounded by your closest friends—laughing, feeling at home, and wrapped in comfort. Yet, in the back of your mind, there’s a quiet fear: this life you spent two years building will end, and you’ll have to start all over again.

Children who grow up in military families live uniquely challenging lives. From a young age, they experience frequent moves, parent deployments, and sometimes exposure to war and conflict.

Military kids are adaptable, resilient, and strong—however they are also just kids.

Photo provided by Adobe

Permanent Change of Station (PCS)

PCS requires military families to move about every 2-3 years, with most kids attending civilian schools. 55% of young dependents are ages 6-18, which are the prime development years. They move about 6-9 times, more than 3x the national average.

Affects on Mental Health

Military kids have higher risk of mental health struggles than the average child. Heightened [separation] anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and suicidal thoughts have been attributed to the distress that comes with growing up with this lifestyle.

Opportunity

Military dependents are the largest demographic in the military family community, even outnumbering spouses—yet, they are systemically underrepresented and often overlooked.

This leads to the question:

How can military kids be alleviated of the stress that comes with PCS?

Military dependents are the largest demographic in the military family community, even outnumbering spouses—yet, they are systemically underrepresented and often overlooked.

This leads to the question:

How can military kids be alleviated of the stress that comes with PCS?

Military dependents are the largest demographic in the military family community, even outnumbering spouses—yet, they are systemically underrepresented and often overlooked.

This leads to the question:

How can military kids be alleviated of the stress that comes with PCS?

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Primary RESEARCH

What was it like?

I gathered feedback from individuals who have experienced military moves.

Survey︱26 Responses

Survey Demographics? Middle School and High School Ages

Average Amount of Moves? 7 moves

Stage of School During Most Difficult Move: Elementary

Major Themes:

Loss of friendships
Anxiety of making new friends and fitting in
Fear of the unknown
Instability
Shyness or young age amplifying emotional stress

Average Amount of Moves? 7 moves

Stage of School During Most Difficult Move: Elementary

Major Themes:

Loss of friendships
Anxiety of making new friends and fitting in
Fear of the unknown
Instability
Shyness or young age amplifying emotional stress

"Just knowing that your life is about to start over once again and not knowing how long you’ll be there or who you’ll meet made me nervous.”

- User

81%

Believe there aren't

many resources to aid military kids in the moving process

81%

Didn't know much

about the places they were moving to

90.5%

Felt nervous about moves

"Just knowing that your life is about to start over once again and not knowing how long you’ll be there or who you’ll meet made me nervous.”

- User

PERSONAS

Understanding the users

Leigh and Alex are children of different ages who are preparing to move, each facing challenges from moving domestic or internationally at different stages of their youth.

Leigh's Pain Points

Moving halfway through high school

Has anxiety
Worried about meeting new people and making friends
Doesn't know anyone at her new station
Isn't good with change

Leigh's Pain Points

Moving halfway through high school

Has anxiety
Worried about meeting new people and making friends
Doesn't know anyone at her new station
Isn't good with change

How I addressed her pain points

Can interact with others like her
Can know what to expect

How I addressed her pain points

Can interact with others like her
Can know what to expect

Alex's Pain Points

Moving to Japan and can't speak the language
Never moved outside the US
Can't find much info online or people in his specific situation

Alex's Pain Points

Moving to Japan and can't speak the language
Never moved outside the US
Can't find much info online or people in his specific situation

How I addressed his pain points

Included a way to connect with other kids who are in the same situation of moving countries

How I addressed his pain points

Included a way to connect with other kids who are in the same situation of moving countries

JOURNEY MAP

Empathizing with the user

Mapping out a military kids' experience as they undergo a difficult move allowed me to visualize and contextualize how to implement solutions into the app.

INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

Laying out the structure & security

I came across a roadblock when structuring the app

Security is a crucial factor in the success of this product. Military-related content meant I needed to be mindful of information security—ensuring the app isn't accessible to just anyone. It was important to ensure kids' information won't be leaked and they won't be at risk from individuals with malicious intent.

I initially considered incorporating a feature of taking a picture of a military ID to authenticate, but in terms of security, it wouldn't be as secure as I had hoped.

Solution

After long deliberation and talks with a high-ranking Cybersecurity army officer, I looked into ID.me as it's what's used when authenticating on a governmental level.

I made it so that when someone makes an account, they are redirected to ID.me to authenticate military affiliation first. In doing this, parents will be able to aid in the process and have peace of mind.

After long deliberation and talks with a high-ranking Cybersecurity army officer, I looked into ID.me as it's what's used when authenticating on a governmental level.

WIREFRAMES

From words to visuals

Tab 1 of 2: Low-Fi 1

SCREENS

Final Prototype

MilKid is an app that:

Allows for socializing among military kids along a global and local scale
Has security to ensure that information is not leaked and kids are safe
Enables military kids to have a less anxiety-inducing experience when moving
Includes resources provided by the military

Video Demo

MY LEARNINGS

Reflection

Setbacks are our strength

I also really had to think about military kids' experiences as a whole. Just because I was one, doesn't mean I understood all of their experiences. I had a time constraint during finals week and this was was also my first time creating a prototype on Figma by myself, so I'm happy to have made so much progress.

This project was challenging in aspects that I had never had the opportunity to really delve into previously. Having to be extra cognizant of governmental and users' security was a challenging aspect that presented itself. I also really had to think about military kids' experiences as a whole. Just because I was one, doesn't mean I understand all of their experiences. I had a time constraint during finals week and this was was also my first time creating a prototype on Figma by myself, so I'm happy to have made so much progress.

Thanks for stopping by!

I appreciate your time in looking through my portfolio. My goal is to create with a purpose, and hopefully we can do so together!

Message

Resumé

Thanks for stopping by!

I appreciate your time in looking through my portfolio. My goal is to create with a purpose, and hopefully we can do so together!

Message

Resumé

Thanks for stopping by!

I appreciate your time in looking through my portfolio. My goal is to create with a purpose, and hopefully we can do so together!

Message

Resumé