Designing For Trust.

A UX case for Nina, Kosovo's sitter app.

Hero

Overview

Nina is a trust-first babysitting marketplace for Kosovo.

It helps parents choose a sitter with confidence. Built for a market where childcare is mostly booked through Facebook groups and word of mouth, and where the biggest barrier is uncertainty. Nina makes trust visible early through identity verification, transparent profiles, and secure in-app payments that protect both parents and sitters.

Problem Statement

Parents in Kosovo can find babysitters, but they can't reliably verify who they are. Facebook posts and informal recommendations rarely show identity, experience, qualifications, or accountability. That uncertainty creates anxiety and hesitation, forcing parents to either take a risky choice or give up entirely.

The real problem isn't supply — it's trust.

?

Goals

What we set out to achieve

Trust in 60 seconds

Build trust within the first minute of exploration

Clear credibility

Make sitter credibility clear without overwhelming users

Reduce hesitation

Show proof before parents request a sitter

Calm & premium

Create an experience that feels reassuring and in control

Two-sided protection

Government ID verification and secure payments

Clear expectations

Set expectations upfront to reduce misunderstandings

Goals

What we set out to achieve

Trust in 60 seconds

Build trust within the first minute of exploration

Clear credibility

Make sitter credibility clear without overwhelming users

Reduce hesitation

Show proof before parents request a sitter

Calm & premium

Create an experience that feels reassuring and in control

Two-sided protection

Government ID verification and secure payments

Clear expectations

Set expectations upfront to reduce misunderstandings

Research

Voices from the field

I interviewed parents and sitters in Prishtina to understand their real frustrations with finding childcare.

4

Interviews

2

User Types

3

Insights

"
B

Betim

Parent

"Yes, it would be great to have a mobile app for this."

Validation
"
K

Kaltrina

Parent

"We definitely need something like this in Prishtina."

Market Need
"
A

Arbesa

Sitter

"An app with verification would be much more trustworthy than Facebook groups."

Trust Gap
"
J

Jennie

Sitter

"Parents cancel last minute and don't show up. Our time is valuable too — I need prepayment protection."

Pain Point

Key Takeaway

Both parents and sitters want the same thing: trust and accountability

Personas

Who I designed for

Two real users with different needs, united by the same frustration: finding trusted childcare.

Parent
K

Kaltrina

Airline Manager, 26

Goal

To be successful in her career while ensuring quality care for her child

Frustration

Manually searching for sitters on social media is exhausting and unreliable

"Life can be beautiful if we want"

Sitter
J

Jennie

Municipality Employee, 27

Goal

Earn extra income as a sitter while keeping her day job, and travel the world

Frustration

Too many sitters compete for the same posts — it's hard to stand out and get hired

"Our time is valuable too"

Different needs, same solution

User Journey

From chaos to clarity

How finding a babysitter changes when trust is built into the experience.

Before
1
😩

Desperately post on Facebook

Write a rushed post in 'Moms of Prishtina' hoping someone trustworthy sees it

2
😰

Get flooded with strangers

23 comments, random tags — no way to tell who's reliable

3
🤔

Stalk their profiles

Scroll through vacation selfies trying to judge character

4
😬

Exchange numbers, hope for the best

Meet a stranger, hand them your child, and pray

With Nina
😌

Open Nina, see who's nearby

Browse verified sitters with real photos and reviews

😊

Check their credentials

ID verified, first aid trained, 4.9 stars from 23 families

🙂

Book with one tap

Select date, agree on rate — no awkward DMs

😄

Pay securely, leave a review

In-app payment, rate the experience, build trust

Same journey, completely different feeling

UI Design

The final product

A premium babysitting experience designed with trust, clarity, and delight at every step.

App screen
Onboarding

Reflection

Learnings & next steps

What this project taught me, and where Nina goes from here.

What I learned
🎯

Design for a real problem

The best products don't start with features — they start with frustration. Nina exists because I saw parents and sitters struggling, not because I wanted to build an app.

💬

Interviews reveal what assumptions hide

Every conversation surprised me. Users don't think the way you expect — and that's exactly why talking to them early saves months of building the wrong thing.

What's next
1
🧪

Usability testing with 20-30 users

I've already recruited testers from Prishtina. Real parents, real sitters — the people who will actually use Nina.

2
📅

Beta launch in 2-3 months

The core features are nearly complete. Once tested and refined, Nina will go live in Prishtina as the first platform of its kind in Kosovo.

3
🔍

Rigorous feedback loops

Every friction point matters. I'll be tracking where users hesitate, what confuses them, and what delights them — so nothing blocks Nina's success.

👋

Let's work together

I'm currently looking for product design opportunities in Germany. If you like what you see, let's talk.

fidan.portfolio@gmail.com

Designed with care in Bonn, Germany