Parent App theming
As the Product Designer on this project, I was responsible for designing both the original parent app theming feature in 2017 and its 2024 redesign. The feature allows schools to personalise the parent app with their own logo, banner and colours.
I designed the first version by working with schools to create a simple, accessible experience that helped parents quickly recognise their child’s school. For the 2024 redesign, I validated the feature with schools, refined the setup using the new SIMS Design System, and improved accessibility to meet WCAG AA standards. The new version is fully built and awaiting release as part of the wider SIMS platform update.
Role
Product Designer
Project type
Feature enhancement
What
Web & Mobile app
The challenge
ParentApp theming was first introduced in 2017 after research showed that schools wanted parents to recognise their communications as coming directly from them rather than from a generic platform. Adding school logos, banners and colour themes made the app feel more personal and helped parents quickly identify their child’s school, which also reduced support calls.
In 2024, the company began unifying all products under a new Design System and raising accessibility standards. As part of this work, I redesigned the theming setup to align with the new guidelines. Although the update was driven by system changes rather than user dissatisfaction, we used the opportunity to speak with schools, confirm the feature still met their needs and identify areas for improvement.
My challenge was to modernise the school branding setup experience to align with the new SIMS ecosystem, achieve WCAG AA compliance, and preserve the simplicity and familiarity that schools and parents already valued, while using the opportunity to validate needs and identify areas for future improvement.
Below:
Timeline overview
This case study presents the project using my current design process, while acknowledging that the original work took place in late 2017.
