• Ethnographic research with women who had recently given birth

• Assessment of their unique communication and information needs

• Identified opportunities to address both practical and symbolic needs

• Imperatives and need models were created, pointing the way toward compelling new communication services
  

Mother of invention

Point Forward studied the unique communication and information needs of women in the first few months after giving birth. Ethnographic techniques were used including in-home interviews, picture-sorting exercises, and social network mapping. Transcripts of the interviews were analyzed in detail to identify dozens of specific needs and need areas. We discovered two categories of needs: practical needs, such as communication capabilities that fit into small windows of available time, and symbolic needs, like helping new moms demonstrate to peers their total commitment to caring for their babies.