Case Study

Nina

Nina App

Kosovo's first childcare mobile application

Solo Founder
iOSIn Development
AndroidPlanned
3 to 6 monthsResearch, Product Design & iOS Development
●Overview
0212
◆What is Nina?

A trust-first childcare marketplace for trusted babysitters.

iOSLive
AndroidIn Development
The Problem

"Parents in Kosovo rely on Facebook groups with 200,000 members to find babysitters — with no verification, no reviews, and no guarantee of trust.

The gap that inspired Nina
01
/01

Problem

Parents post in Facebook groups and message strangers directly. They can't confirm identity, experience, or reliability before inviting someone to care for their child — and plans often fall through with no accountability.

02
/02

Solution

Nina turns trust into visible proof on sitter profiles before booking. Structured profiles, identity verification, and clear expectations help parents compare safely and decide faster.

03
/03

Validation

In 10+ interviews, parents consistently said they'd use a sitter app only if trust and safety are solved first. Sitters wanted a way to prove credibility and stand out beyond Facebook posts.

Research Insights

What I Discovered

from 10+ user interviews with parents and babysitters in Kosovo

Majority

Android is the default in Kosovo

Cloudflare Radar market share data shows Android holds the majority share in Kosovo. This made Android support non-optional for scale.

Source: Cloudflare Radar (2024)

Chaotic

Searching is time-consuming and chaotic

Parents scroll posts, compare strangers, and message multiple people. The process is noisy, inconsistent, and hard to decide confidently.

No App

No babysitter marketplace app exists

No dedicated mobile app exists in Kosovo for parents and babysitters, so people rely on Facebook groups and Instagram. There is no verification, no reviews, and no accountability.

GAME CHANGING DISCOVERY

Android dominates nationally, but every parent I interviewed in Prishtina used iPhone. I'm launching iOS first to validate fast, then planning Android next so the product can reach most families.

EVIDENCE SNAPSHOT

Real voice (Prishtina iPhone cluster) →
Insight (Android national, iOS local) →
Implication (first dedicated mobile flow)

REAL VOICE

"Everyone I interviewed in Prishtina was using an iPhone."

— Parent, Prishtina

Early demand clustered in the capital, where iPhone usage was consistently high in interviews.

INSIGHT

Android dominates nationally, but Prishtina skewed iOS

  • Cloudflare Radar (2024) shows Android holds the majority share in Kosovo
  • Interviews showed my first launch market (Prishtina parents) was iPhone-heavy
  • Result: iOS-first pilot, Android planned next so parents don't fall back to Facebook

Source: Cloudflare Radar (2024)

DESIGN IMPLICATION

Replace chaotic searching with the first dedicated mobile flow

  • Parents and sitters currently rely on Facebook groups and Instagram to connect
  • The process is inconsistent: lots of DMs, repeated posts, and decisions without structure
  • No dedicated babysitter marketplace mobile app exists in Kosovo

This gap created the opportunity for Nina.

From insights to direction — FigJam “This is a synthesis artifact, not a brainstorm. It groups parent needs, sitter participation drivers, and marketplace system constraints, then shows how those clusters shaped the final product approach. The cross-links are the key part: they make the line from what we learned to what we built easy to trace.”

KEY DECISIONS

What we chose and why

Evidence base: 10+ interviews + observation of daily Facebook requests

FILE-01
DECIDED
REF: NINA-DEC-01

iOS-first in Prishtina, then expand

Why

Every parent I interviewed in Prishtina used an iPhone. Early demand was concentrated in the capital, and I already had access to a Mac setup, so iOS was the fastest path to ship an MVP.

Trade-off

Android parents and families outside Prishtina could not join the MVP at launch.

Result

Shipped faster with a focused launch market, while planning Android so the product can scale nationally.

FILE-02
DECIDED
REF: NINA-DEC-02

Android expansion based on user feedback

Why

Cloudflare Radar (2024) shows Android holds the majority share in Kosovo. Interviews also confirmed that excluding Android would push parents back to Facebook groups, which defeats the product's goal.

Trade-off

Increased scope and delivery complexity.

Result

Roadmap became iOS-first pilot, Android next, so Nina can scale nationally and reduce Facebook fallback.

FILE-03
DECIDED
REF: NINA-DEC-03

Payments designed for Kosovo (Paysera-first)

Why

PayPal, Klarna, and Apple Pay aren't available in Kosovo. Interviews showed parents strongly preferred in-app payment over cash for safety, and Paysera is commonly used locally.

Trade-off

Custom payment UX and integration instead of standard iOS payment patterns.

Result

Payment design matched local reality and removed a major trust blocker.

FILE-04
DECIDED
REF: NINA-DEC-04

Trust cues shown before messaging

Why

Parents said they wouldn't message a sitter without proof first. Trust must be visible during discovery, not hidden deep in profiles.

Trade-off

Discovery cards become denser, and verification becomes a requirement to earn visibility.

Result

Parents filter with confidence early, and sitters are incentivized to verify to stand out.

Workshop Artifact

Concept Evolution

How assumptions were tested, broken, and rebuilt through interviews and observation — from marketplace hypothesis to trust-first design.

What I Assumed(before research)
✗ Wrong!

Messaging drives the core interaction

Parents discover sitters, message directly, negotiate via chat.

A basic profile and open chat cover the MVP

Minimal profile card + unrestricted messaging, OLX-style.

✗ Wrong!

Parents decide after a conversation

Messaging itself builds enough trust to convert a booking.

What Users Said(pinned findings)
"I wouldn't message someone I know nothing about."
— Parent, Prishtina

5 of 6 parents required reviews, badges, and experience before any contact.

"I spend 30 min scrolling and still don't know who to trust."
— Parent, Prishtina

Unstructured posts with no way to filter, compare, or verify.

"Everyone here has an iPhone."
— Field observation

iPhone dominance among target parents despite national Android majority.

What I Decided(shipped)
Shipped

Surface trust signals at discovery

Reviews, verified badge, experience on every sitter card. Parents evaluate trust before opening a profile.

Shipped

Gate messaging behind booking

Chat unlocks only after sitter accepts a request. Every conversation carries real booking intent.

Shipped

iOS-first pilot in Prishtina

SwiftUI-native app first. Matches device usage, reduces scope for solo founder.

What shifted ↓
1.Trust moved to pre-discovery
2.Chat gated behind acceptance
3.Structured discovery replaced scrolling
Next iteration
01Validate trust badge comprehension with 5 parents
02Run sitter onboarding usability test for drop-off points
03Measure booking rate vs. chat open rate
Product Impact
Reduced uncertainty before contacting sitters
Lower spam exposure for sitters
Faster decision time for parents
Higher probability of trusted bookings
●The Solution
04
12
TRUST
✓ID Verified
✓
★4.9 Rating
✓
⚡Fast Reply
✓
🛡️BG Cleared
✓
Profile Verification System
All checks passed
●The Solution
04
12
TRUST
✓ID Verified
✓
★4.9 Rating
✓
⚡Fast Reply
✓
🛡️BG Cleared
✓
Profile Verification System
All checks passed
●The Solution
04
12
TRUST
✓ID Verified
✓
★4.9 Rating
✓
⚡Fast Reply
✓
🛡️BG Cleared
✓
Profile Verification System
All checks passed
Scope of Work

What This
Project Covered

A structured, end-to-end product process — from initial research to production-ready iOS and Android apps. I owned and executed every phase solo.

Solo Founder
05
12

Research

2 Weeks
User interviewsCompetitive analysisProblem definitionMarket validation

Planning

1 Week
Feature prioritizationUser flowsInformation architectureTech stack decisions

Design

3 Weeks
WireframesVisual design systemUI screensPrototypeUsability testing

Development

6 Weeks
SwiftUI + Kotlin developmentSupabase backendAuthenticationBooking systemApp Store & Play Store prep
Total: 12 Weeks
User Personas

Who I Designed For

Two sides of the same marketplace — each with distinct needs, frustrations, and goals.

06
12
THE PARENT

“I just want peace of mind.”

Ardiana, 34•Prishtina

Works full-time in finance. Two kids under 6. No extended family nearby to help.

PAIN POINTS
✕Spends 2+ hours scrolling Facebook groups
✕No way to verify strangers
✕Has to share phone number publicly
◎
GOALFind a trustworthy sitter in under 10 minutes
THE SITTER

“I want to be taken seriously.”

Era, 22•Prizren

Psychology student with 3 years of babysitting experience. Looking for flexible income.

PAIN POINTS
✕Gets 50+ spam messages per post
✕No way to prove experience or skills
✕Parents treat her like a beginner
◎
GOALBuild a reputation and find consistent work
Nina brings them together

USER FLOW

How parents and sitters connect

App architecture and navigation structure

Flows were designed to minimize marketplace cold-start friction by ensuring parents trust listings before sitters receive requests.

N
Onboarding
Splash Screen
Select City
Welcome
Select Role
Home Screen
City Filter
Search Sitters
Sitter Profile
View Reviews
Booking Popup
Booking Details
Send Request
Parent
Sitter
Home Screen
Earnings Card
Set Availability
Edit Profile
Add Skills
Get Verified
Booking Request
Booking
Request Sent
Sitter Decides
Accept
Chat Unlocked
Booking Confirmed
Decline
Request Declined
Favorites
Saved Sitters
Quick Book
Profile
Edit Profile
Settings
Tab Bar
BallinaRezervimetFavoritetProfili
Tab Bar
BallinaOrariProfiliMesazhet
Core Flows

How the key journeys work

From research insights to real interactions

/01

Parent: Discovery to Booking

Finding and booking a trusted sitter

Screen 1
1

Trust badges visible on discovery cards — parents filter with confidence before tapping

Screen 2
2

City filter shows sitter count — sets expectations for availability

Screen 3
3

Full verification checklist visible before booking — the #1 research insight

Screen 4
4

Price calculated upfront with summary — no surprises, builds trust

/02

Sitter: Managing Requests

From incoming request to conversation

Screen 1
1

Professional dashboard — sitters wanted to feel like a business, not a side gig

Screen 2
2

Verification progress visible — incentivizes completing profile

Screen 3
3

Upcoming bookings with status — clarity on commitments

Screen 4
4

Full booking details with earnings — transparency before accepting

Screen 5
5

Chat unlocks after confirmation — protects from 50+ spam messages

To be continued