So what's the problem?
Loss of a notebook and exposure to personal information.
Difficulty in effectively reporting to divorced parents when the notebook is sent in the child's file to one of the parents.
Another challenge is the inability to store medical record data.
Parents do not have access to daily information at all times.
The difficulty for the treatment team in writing the report in the contact notebook. (Time-consuming)
My Goals
Client: Elwyn Israel | My role in the project was: Research, UX/UI Design
Project Summary
"Kesher" is a joint initiative between the MAX Organization and Israel Elwyn.
I volunteered through the MAX program, which empowers youth through technology projects and practical entrepreneurship. During my volunteering, I led the UX characterization and UI design of the Kesher App for Elwyn - an organization that operates rehabilitative daycare centers for toddlers with special needs nationwide.
The Selection & Development Process
Out of 31 candidate projects, the MAX Organization selected only six based on their social value and high implementation potential. Kesher was chosen to move into initial development during a 3-day CyberArk Hackathon, involving 16 senior developers. Following the hackathon, the project's development continued through additional volunteer developers who worked to complete the product until it was successfully delivered to production.
Impact and Success
The app provides a vital digital communication solution for rehabilitative daycare centers.
-
Acquisition & Implementation: The application was acquired by Israel Elwyn and is currently in active use across 11 centers, supporting over 170 children and their families.
-
National Recognition: The project was presented at the National Conference of Rehabilitative Daycare Directors (under the Ministry of Health and Welfare).
-
Future Potential: Following its success, both Israel Elwyn and the MAX Organization have received inquiries from various NGOs interested in adopting the product for their own needs, paving the way for further expansion.
The Challenge
Israel Elwyn operates rehabilitative daycare centers for toddlers (aged 6 months to 3 years) with disabilities. By law, these centers are required to maintain a "Kesher Notebook" a manual daily log where teachers update parents on the child's status, including sleep, nutrition, mood, participation in activities, and paramedical therapies.
Project Goals
To create a digital reporting system that is simple, accessible, and effective, enabling parents to receive comprehensive, real-time updates regarding their child's daily routi
The Problem
The reliance on a physical notebook created significant challenges:
-
Security & Privacy: Risk of losing the notebook and exposing sensitive personal information.
-
Accessibility: Difficulty providing updates to divorced parents when the notebook is physically held by only one household.
-
Data Management: Inability to store, track, and manage medical history and long-term data.
-
Operational Efficiency: Manual reporting is a time-consuming process that takes away valuable time from the caregiving staff.
Market Research
We analyzed existing applications in the market to understand current solutions. Our research revealed a significant gap: no current product is specifically tailored or accessible enough to support the unique reporting parameters required for toddlers with disabilities in rehabilitative daycare centers.
There are no daily personal reports
No medical reports
The parent cannot correspond with the kindergarten teacher
User Research & Analysis
To build a deep understanding of the users, we combined quantitative and qualitative research:
-
User Survey: We conducted an in-depth survey targeting both parents of children with special needs and kindergarten teachers/caregiving staff. This analysis helped us define the precise needs and pain points for each persona.
-
Artifact Analysis: The association provided us with authentic examples of physical contact notebooks. By reviewing these daily logs, we were able to map out the exact information flow between teachers and parents, ensuring the digital solution captured every critical detail.
Target Audience
The product is designed for parents of toddlers with disabilities and kindergarten care teams.
We identified an immediate potential of approximately 4,000 users, with the built-in scalability to expand to any
institution providing care for children with special needs.
Parent
kindergarten teacher
Personas
User Flow
Following the initial characterization with Israel Elwyn, we designed comprehensive user flows for both parents and teachers to ensure a seamless and intuitive experience. We mapped out every interaction—from secure sign-in to daily reporting and attendance updates—to ensure the digital transition was clear and logical for all users.
Wireframes
We used hand-drawn wireframes to facilitate early discussions with Israel Elwyn. This allowed us to quickly validate flows, surface technical constraints, and refine the product direction before moving into high-fidelity design.
The Solution
The "Kesher" app is a secure mobile solution designed to bridge the daily communication gap between kindergarten staff and parents. We replaced the outdated manual reporting process with an efficient, accessible digital system.
-
Smart & Accessible Reporting: We designed an intuitive interface that allows staff to easily provide real-time updates on meals, activities, and paramedical treatments. Parents stay informed at all times, receiving comprehensive daily reports directly to their mobile devices.
-
Cloud-Based Medical Records: A key feature we developed is the secure cloud storage of medical files, enabling long-term tracking and continuous monitoring of the child’s therapeutic history.
-
Branding & Identity: We intentionally chose purple - the color identified with the disability community - to strengthen the sense of belonging and pride among our users.
Parent Experience & Onboarding
Upon enrollment at the Elwyn daycare center, parents are automatically registered through the institution's system. To ensure maximum data security for sensitive medical information, unique credentials are issued to each family, granting them secure access to their child’s personal dashboard.
Check out the video below to see the full parent journey in action.
A screen of a general bulletin
board for the entire daycare
where activities and vacations
in the daycare will be updated.
The screen of daily reporting to
each parent individually - all the
daily reports shared from the
kindergarten teacher to the
parent. Sending pictures of the
child in daycare activities and
sending documents. In the daily
report, the parent can
correspond with the kindergarten
teacher.
After the parent connects to the
App, the home screen will
appear, through which the
ability to connect to the other
screens in the App.
Staff Experience: Seamless Reporting
Upon logging into the class dashboard, the caregiving staff transitions from manual paperwork to a streamlined digital process. We designed the interface to allow teachers to record daily events - such as meals, sleep, and paramedical treatments - in just a few simple taps. This efficiency ensures that the staff spends less time on documentation and more time providing dedicated, direct care to the children.
Check out the video below to see the daily reporting flow for staff in action.
The home screen of the
kindergarten teacher in which
the kindergarten teacher reports
an update on the attendance
of the daycare children.
News screen for daily reporting
of the daycare center.
Starting a personal report to the
parent about the child's activities
in the daycare center
Choosing a Report
Choosing a report that the
kindergarten teacher wants to
report to the parent about the
child in the daycare center
Calendar for events
Add a new event
Choose time for alert
An event updated in a calendar
Toddlers belonging to the
daycare
Update details
Key Takeaways
-
Designing with Empathy: Working with the Elwyn Association highlighted the vital role of deep empathy in the design process. Understanding the emotional and functional challenges faced by both parents and staff was critical in creating a tool that provides genuine, meaningful support.
-
Simplicity as a Core Value: In a high-pressure environment like a rehabilitative daycare, every second counts. I learned to prioritize essential features and minimize interactions to ensure the app serves the user’s needs efficiently, rather than becoming an added burden.
-
The Power of Digital Transformation: Witnessing how a manual, fragmented process can be transformed into a streamlined digital solution reinforced my passion for using design to solve real-world problems and improve people's quality of life.
