Design and Production of a Pregnancy Journal

In a pregnancy journal, expectant mothers record their thoughts, feelings and moods that occur during pregnancy. They can note down doctor's appointments and attach photographs of their growing bump. The pregnancy journal was then designed using the Design thinking method. The design process was aided by an online survey, which revealed what colours expectant mothers prefer, which pages should be included and what the journal's cover should look like. This was followed by the production of a prototype.

Problem

In a pregnancy journal, expectant mothers record their thoughts, feelings and moods that occur during pregnancy. They can note down doctor's appointments and attach photographs of their growing bump. There are not many pregnancy journals available in Slovenia, so the aim was to create one that would be made according to the wishes and needs of expectant mothers.

A pregnancy journal was created that an expectant mother picks up every week, but in which she will not only record her mood, but will also learn what is happening with the foetus in each week of pregnancy and what she finds out at specific appointments. The diploma thesis is divided into two parts – the theoretical part and the research-application part. The theoretical part presents the development of desktop publishing, where we learn which were the first dedicated design applications and which software is most popular today.

We learn the basics of typography and discover how different typefaces affect readers' moods. It also explains how people choose certain colours and what their symbolism is. Seven of the most common printing techniques for journals were listed, and finally, how it is possible to reduce the carbon footprint in printed media.

In the research-application part, pregnancy journals on the Slovenian and foreign markets were first researched, with two journals from each market described in detail.

Solution and Method

The pregnancy journal was then designed using the Design thinking method. First, the wishes, needs and problems of the users were identified. Based on this data, the main problems to be addressed were identified.

This was followed by the generation of ideas and then product design. The individual processes are described here, from page design, colour and typeface selection to cover design.

Results

The design process was aided by an online survey, which revealed what colours expectant mothers prefer, which pages should be included and what the journal's cover should look like. This was followed by the production of a prototype. Four prototypes were printed and each was given to expectant mothers for testing.

After testing, the product was improved based on the information provided by the testers. The Design thinking method therefore enabled the creation of a product that is made according to the wishes and needs of expectant mothers.