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Project Overview
Timeline: March – June 2025
Status: Launched internally
My Role: Lead UX Designer
Team: Project Manager: Rachel Robert
Front-end Developer : Brycen Medart
Kids Club Supervisor: Jesse Sallas
TL;DR
I redesigned the Kids Club check-in and out system for lightblue, a gym management SaaS platform. The old workflow was slow, paper-dependent, and created confusion around who was authorized to pick up children.
Through field observations, co-design workshops, and multiple workflow iterations, I simplified member check-ins, digitized non-member check-in workflow, and introduced a Safety Dashboard that gives staff real-time visibility into every child’s status.
Impact:
Check-in time reduced by 35%
Clearer pick-up authorization rules reduced errors
Staff and parents reported greater confidence in the process
Key Learning: On complex workflow projects, it’s critical to stay closely aligned with the PM on scope—otherwise scope creep can quickly derail progress.
Where the Problems Begin
It’s a busy Friday evening. A parent arrives with her child, but the system fails to recognize her credit and blocks the sign-in. The staff has to hands her a paper form instead. Holding her child in one arm, she struggles to fill it out while the line behind her grows longer and more impatient…
Background
Lightblue is a SaaS platform for gym management. The Kids Club module handles child check-in/out, but the process was fragmented, paper-heavy, and risked frustrating parents while burdening staff.
Stakeholders & Requests
This project involved three key perspectives: parents, front-desk staff, and the Kids Club supervisor. Each had different needs—parents wanted a smooth and secure check-in, staff needed faster workflows with less manual data entry, and the supervisor required clear rules and visibility for safety and compliance.
Research & Discovery
To ground the redesign in real-world needs, I combined observation, co-design, and synthesis methods:
Shadowing
Co-design workshop
Mapping
Quantitive findings
Segmentation: Members 67% (n=4), Non-members 33% (n=2).
Overall median check-in time: 180s
Members: 200s
Non-members: 140s
Rework rate (returned forms / repeated steps): 50% of check-ins
Paper form usage: 100% of non-member visits; 50% of member visits
Interpretation: Paper itself doesn’t materially slow check-in; the real drag occurs when a member flow fails and staff must switch to paper mid-stream. Authorization checks also add delay because frontline staff are often unsure about permissions and need to consult a manager.
Qualitative findings (Affinity Themes)
Authorization ambiguity — 18%
Unclear rules for who can drop off/pick up.Visibility gaps (in-room ops) — 14%
Limited real-time view of headcount, allergies, time-in-room.High data-entry load — 9%
Re-entering caregiver/child details with minimal auto-fill from family records.Edge-case handling — 7%
Sibling split pick-ups, missing photos, unregistered child derail the happy path.
Workflow Optimization
V1
Streamline member flow and digitize non-member intake, cutting check-in time and paper use.
What we changed:
Front-loaded credit check: detect balance issues upfront and route to resolution early, instead of blocking at the end.
Fully digital pathway: removed paper fallbacks
Anchored actions in one place: Right side panel handles Check-in / Check-out / Exceptions with guided steps and a single Resolve & return CTA.
Limitations of v1
Authorization edge cases (temporary caregivers, split pick-ups) still elongate the flow; compliance cues aren’t yet obvious.
These gaps led us to revisit the UX information architecture and permissions before v2.
IA & Permissions
Clear roles, fewer branches, one exception lane; no temporary authorization.
1) Surfaces & Entry Points
Front Desk (desktop):
- Main area: Safety/Room overview
- Right side panel / modal: Check-in / Check-out, exception handling
Self-serve iPad (front desk area):
- Non-member intake (adult info → child info → e-waiver → submit)
2) Permission Model (Rules)
Member (within the same Family membership):
- Default drop-off adult = pickup adult.
- The drop-off adult may choose a pickup adult from the same Family at check-in.
- Both adults must remain on-site while the child is in Kids Club.
Non-member:
- No designee selection; the same adult must remain on-site and do pickup.
Temporary authorization: Not allowed.
3) Data Management & Retention
- Non-member: The system stores adult info only; no child data is retained.
- Each visit runs the non-member workflow: re-enter child info + sign a new e-waiver on the iPad.
- Member: Family/child details are auto-populated from the membership record; waivers are tracked per policy.
Workflow Optimization
V2
Based on the knowledge from IA and permissions, we redesigned the workflow.
Workflow Optimization
Non-members enter child and parent details directly on an iPad.
Staff only verify the information, process payment, and confirm check-in.
This significantly reduces manual data entry for staff and shortens queue times.
Why it worked
Simplified the workflow dramatically.
Fewer branches, less typing: Front desk selects rather than types; exceptions never spill into the happy path.
UI Design
Child Card
After each check-in, the right-side panel immediately generates a Child Card. This card consolidates essential information for staff at a glance:
Child photo paired with parent photo
A timer showing how long the child has been in the Kids Club
Emergency contact details
Real-time status updates (checked in / pending check-out)
This design ensures that every child’s information is visible, traceable, and actionable without requiring staff to search across multiple screens.
8.2 Safety Dashboard
To give staff full oversight, I restructured the layout:
Center Panel: A Safety Dashboard showing the overall state of the Kids Club — including the total number of children present, emergency alerts, and allergy reminders.
Right Panel: Dedicated to the check-in/out flow and Child Cards.
This separation keeps operational tasks (check-ins) and safety monitoring (dashboard) distinct but visible at the same time. Staff can process sign-ins without losing sight of the overall safety context.