Find a Sitter Today (FAST)

FAST is an app for parents to book last-minute childcare. I partnered closely with the founders to design the app and the internal tool from 0 to 1.

☑️ Over 60% activation rate in the first week
☑️ Achieved a ~50% repeat booking rate within 3 months

Background

The founders conceived the app after repeatedly struggling to find last-minute childcare. Frustrated by the lack of background checks and subscription-based models common among existing services, they set out to create an app that lets parents quickly find vetted sitters with a tap of a button.

MVP

I set out to design the app along with an admin portal from scratch. Some of the main flows in the app includes:

  • User signup / Onboarding / Profiles & Background checks
  • Booking a sitter now or scheduled one for future
  • Sitter accepting a request
  • Parent tracking the job and sitter location
  • Sitter clockout
  • Parent payment, Sitter cashout
FAST wireframes
My initial sketches to align stakeholders on project scope

Homescreen Strategies

For parents, I designed a screen that's easy to scan, so users can quickly find key actions. The home screen also shows nearby active sitters to reassure parents that local sitters are available.

For sitters, the home screen highlights key actions such as going online/offline, viewing earnings, and managing upcoming bookings.

Showing nearby sitters online to encourage parents to book sitters.
Showing pre-saved home address or another saved location
Two main actions for parents
Parent
Sitter
Upcoming scheduled bookings
Weekly earnings that links to payouts
The main actions for sitters: going online and offline

Booking a sitter

Unlike the multi-step onboarding process required for sitters due to safety protocols, we wanted to keep the parent's onboarding experience as frictionless as possible.

Therefore, options such as adding a child or any preference settings can be completed while parents make their first booking.

Sitter clocking out

Challenge

Defining when a job is considered finished was one of the most complex parts of the design. Parents may not be home at the originally set time, and I learned that some parents often text sitters to extend their time.

Relying on GPS isn’t ideal, as it can be inaccurate (e.g., when parents work in the same building.) Also, another adult, not the person requesting the service, might arrive to close the job, which further complicates detection.

Solution

One of my initial ideas was to add an “Extension” request feature, but the founders wanted a more straightforward approach.

I ultimately designed a process that prompts users for input and let sitters clock out with the in-app camera for safety. This solution considers edge cases and minimizes manual conflict handling.

A flowchart I created to map out all possible job completion scenarios

More app screen designs

FAST screens

Admin Portal Design

User management in the admin portal

Reflections

The app launched in Philadelphia in 2024 to strong early traction: over 60% activation in the first week and a ~50% repeat booking rate within three months. It quickly expanded to New Jersey.

Designing both the user-facing and admin sides was an exciting challenge that required thinking in systems and planning every feature holistically, including from the perspective of business operations. I was grateful for the opportunity to work with the founders to bring their vision to life.

Working with Loren was a fantastic experience. She was professional, punctual, and incredibly easy to collaborate with. From the start, she immediately understood the vibe we were going for with our app and translated it into a sleek, visually compelling design. Her creativity and attention to detail made the entire process smooth and enjoyable. We couldn’t have asked for a better designer!

Ashley Clark
Co-founder, Find a Sitter Today