Discovery
Apple Alarms to the rescue! Almost.
Our first attempt at problem solving was using Apple’s built in alarms. It was better than nothing but there was much to be desired for our use case.
Complex - Alarms is great but it wasn’t indented to be used this way
By the time the alarm went off class was already in session
No easy way to see what alarms are set for what days
These are actual screenshots of the alarms we used for our son.
Market Research
We tested several leading apps in the reminder space. Specifically, those targeted towards children. In addition to our own testing we scoured their reviews for helpful insights. Some solutions existed in the market. None of them solved the problem well.
Difficult to use
Tried to do too many things (overwhelming)
Didn’t work well or needed a database
Not visually appealing
Exploration
There was lots of collaboration between our small but mighty team. Working closely with my dev partner allowed us to balance technical lift with the value added. We agreed to these guiding strategies for MVP.
Product Strategy
Easy to use/simple
Focus on core functionality ONLY (reminders with alarms)
No database/account required
Fun for kids, pleasant for adults
Ship by start of school year
Have fun along the way
Brand Strategy
Wanted it to be descriptive
Memorable
Fun
Product Launch
We soft launched our MVP Aug 2020! Just in time for “school”!
Evolving positioning
As the pandemic began winding down we looked to broaden our appeal. We adjusted our app strategy and positioning in Summer 2021 so that potential users would understand Bee Ready has many uses beyond home schooling.
Related Work
As the pandemic was winding down, and in-school learning resumed, we looked to broaden our appeal. We adjusted our position in Summer 2021 so that potential users would understand Bee Ready has many uses beyond home schooling.
