Parent Talk: a rapid response to the needs of parents [in a pandemic]

Three years ago, Action for Children started designing digital services for parents and families. Several of these services were being piloted when, four months ago, Covid-19 struck and suddenly parents across the UK were without the support networks they were used to. They needed support virtually, and they needed it now. So we worked at pace to scale our live chat pilot, so there were enough parenting coaches around to help answer parents’ queries. We also created specific Covid-19 content, to help parents navigate this difficult time.

But we wanted to do more. As our leader Lynn mentioned in her last post, we had always planned to create a more holistic digital offer for parents — a single place to get all the information, advice and guidance that parents need. The pandemic simply added urgency to this need. So, just over two months ago, I called up our friends at Super Being Labs and asked them if they were up for a challenge.

And off we went. Scoping, designing and launching a new digital service in record time — all the while, navigating our own pressures of working through a pandemic. Here’s what we did, and what we learned.

Adapting our design process for a pandemic

Although we were creating a new service, we weren’t entirely starting from scratch. We had conducted a lot of user research with parents for other projects, including the pilot services that this new, consolidated service would replace. So, my first step was to map out existing insights and identify which research gaps to address in the short discovery period I had. Being at home, with little space to map in the usual way — with post its, of course — I improvised by using visual collaboration tool Mural.

When I say time was short, I really mean short! I had about two weeks to recruit and interview parents for discovery research, and a further week to test things like usability and navigation. All of this was done remotely, and I thought it would be difficult to get parents engaged this way — but, actually, it was really easy to recruit them. I guess everyone was at home, without a busy pre-lockdown schedule to manage, and not needing to travel to attend the research.

Parents also remarked that they enjoyed taking part in the research as it was something different to do with their increasingly monotonous days, with many further noting that it felt like a release to share some of the pressure and concern they were experiencing as a parent.This is something Action for Children’s latest survey with over 2,000 parents has also learned, with parents telling us they feel more anxious, overwhelmed and out of their depth as a result of the pandemic.

Speaking to parents via video link, I took more time to ensure they had a decent internet connection, could see and hear me, and were able to share their screen when I needed to follow what they were doing e.g. in usability testing or tree testing. I also recorded the sessions so I could watch them back— generally, good practice, but essential when researching remotely, since it sometimes felt difficult to stay focused during a session. Apparently ‘Zoom fatigue’ is a real thing, as this BBC article suggests — we have to work harder to process non-verbal cues such as body language and facial expressions when we’re not physically in a room together.

Remote communication and collaboration tools were also essential for the internal team. From testing and feeding back on Marvel prototypes that would then be updated in real time, to holding virtual ideation sessions to come up with a name and identity for the service, to project managing the content design and approval process on Trello. Without the ability to easily talk to each other, ask questions, and share information, getting the service up and running this quickly would have been near impossible.

So, what is this service anyway?

Parent Talk offers free, down-to-earth information and advice for parents of children aged 0–19. We launched the service with around 100 pieces of advice content, chosen because they are some of the most common parenting questions. Our content has been created or curated by our parenting coaches, and is based on their experiences working with children, young people and families. Parents can also speak directly to a parenting coach via our confidential, one-to-one live chat feature. Our parenting coaches are there to listen and help however they can, so no question is too big or small, and no topic off limits.

Not only does Parent Talk respond to the immediate needs of parents in lockdown, but it also reflects broader parenting challenges. The very reason we began to explore digital parenting services a few years ago was in response to a decade of austerity and the subsequent cuts to universal service provision. In many parts of the UK, parents simply have less access to face-to-face support than they used to. There’s also not much out there to help parents of children older than 5 — and parents feel a growing reliance on schools to provide them with both emotional support and practical advice, despite recognising that schools are themselves under a lot of pressure to do more with less for their children.

Parents also put themselves under incredible pressure — not only in their parenting responsibilities, but also in how they are perceived by other parents. Many told me that they were worried about asking for help in traditional settings, in case it would be perceived as a failure of their parenting. Being able to ask for help online could therefore increase a parent’s confidence whilst also reducing that stigma of asking for help.

There’s also the challenge of receiving help in the right way. Most parents use their smartphones to search for information online, so we’ve ensured Parent Talk is mobile-first in design, with short, clear articles that are easy to understand. Parents also recognise there’s already a lot of information available online, but it can be frustrating to not know if that information is trustworthy or accurate. Having our parenting coaches oversee the content design process, as well as being available to have real-time conversations with parents, is key to us building trust and confidence in the service — and something that I believe stands Parent Talk out from other digital parenting offers.

So what are you waiting for? We’re still in lockdown so you have no excuse. Go check out Parent Talk today.