Springboard Collaborative

Uncovering new opportunities for early literacy development.

UX research

springboardcollaborative.org

Context

Springboard Collaborative is a social enterprise working to reduce the literacy gap by creating programs and services that foster family engagement with schools.

The opportunity

Although their programs were designed for K-5 education, Springboard believed they could further their mission by offering programs to underserved students, families, and educators in Pre-K.

However, doing so would require a better understanding of the unique needs and context of Pre-K. This meant gaining a better understanding of the parents, providers, and environments that inform Pre-K education.

Our approach

To help Springboard frame potential design solutions, Nonlocal led a qualitative research study that gathered insights on the unique behaviors, characteristics, needs, constraints, and values of Pre-K families and educators in the context of early childhood literacy development.

Over more than a dozen hour-long interviews with Pre-K families and teachers, we facilitated in-depth discussions about people’s experiences with Pre-K education and their perceptions of existing Springboard materials. Done during the initial COVID-19 lockdowns, all research was conducted remotely.

Outcome

We generated insights about Pre-K families and teachers across a range of themes. Based on those insights, we framed opportunities for new Springboard materials and programs.

The opportunity statements helped SBC brainstorm new solutions and prioritize the most impactful ideas.