- PiyoLog" is an application for recording and sharing information on baby feeding, elimination, etc.
- Excellent usability during childcare, including one-handed input on the phone and even voice input.
- As of April 2020, more than 1 million downloads have been made, and many moms and dads are using it.
The free childcare record application "PiyoLog" won the grand prize in the "BabyTech® Award Japan 2020 Health Management Category" for its ability to share information about children even when the partner is away from home and cannot be directly involved, and for its ability to record data using only one hand and voice input when the hand is not available. The system was also awarded the grand prize in the "BabyTech® Award Japan 2020 Health Management Category". The BabyTech.jp editorial staff interviewed Mr. Naoyuki Nishizawa (honorifics omitted), who is in charge of public relations and marketing at PiyoLog, the company that developed PiyoLog, and asked him about the product, its development process, and future development.
An application that meticulously responds to various requests for a childcare record application
Editorial:Thank you very much for your time today. Could you begin by giving us an overview of "PiyoLog" and its features?
Nishizawa:PiyoLog" is a childcare record application that allows you to easily input records of feeding, sleep, elimination, and so on. In addition to the previously mentioned items, you can record the baby's height, weight, weaning food, vaccinations, and other information as needed. The greatest feature is the ability to share childcare records among couples and family members. Recently, there are more and more childcare apps that allow information to be shared, but around 2016-2017, when PiyoLog was developed, there were still very few.
Couples can share information about their baby's food intake and sleep schedule.
And the most appealing aspect currently is the ability to use voice input: with Siri, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and others, you can simply speak and type without having to touch your phone.
Editorial:We have covered various childcare record apps from other companies, but it is really rare to find one that allows voice input.
Nishizawa:In my own experience and that of Sakakibara, our company's representative in charge of development, both hands are occupied when changing diapers or breastfeeding, and it is difficult to touch the smartphone. I often forgot to input my childcare record into my smartphone when I had other things to do right after changing a diaper or feeding a baby. With voice input, I can keep a record in real time even when both hands are busy. I consider it very convenient in that respect.
PiyoLog recording screen
Editorial:So with a smartphone or smart speaker, you can easily keep track of your records anywhere in the house. How exactly do you use voice input?
Nishizawa:For example, if you say, "Hey Siri, I took a poop," PiYoLog will automatically record the time and content of the poop. If you say, "Hey Siri, I drank milk," PiYoLog will reply, "How many ml did you drink? If you answer, "I drank 200 ml," the amount of milk you drank and the time you drank it will be recorded.
Editorial:That's great! I too have stopped using some childcare recording apps because of the hassle of entering "time" and "numbers", but I think I can continue with the voice input of PiYoLog. By the way, what is the stopwatch icon on the screen for recording?
Nishizawa:It is called a "breastfeeding timer." Since it is difficult to record the exact amount of breast milk like milk, you can instead let your baby suckle on your breast and use the nursing timer to count the feeding time. This feature was implemented because it is quite difficult to glance at the clock while breastfeeding and record how many minutes it was .......
Breastfeeding timer screen
PiyoLog" was born out of the "difficulty in sharing childcare information" felt through actual experience.
Editorial:What was the impetus for developing "PiyoLog" in the first place?
Nishizawa:When Sakakibara, the developer of "PiyoLog," had a child, he experienced difficulty in sharing the childcare record with his wife, which made it difficult for her to participate in childcare. At that time, I kept child-rearing records in a paper child-rearing record notebook I received from the maternity hospital, but the notebook was only good for a few months, and when I finished the notebook, we discussed how to continue the records. However, the childcare record apps at the time did not have a function to share information, so I had to tell the person using the app, "I changed a diaper at ________, so please record it. This was inconvenient, so we decided to create an app that would allow us to share childcare records for ourselves and our spouses, and we developed "PiyoLog.
Editorial:So the representative's own experience in childcare was the catalyst? I am sure many people could relate to that frustration, but how many users do you have today?
Nishizawa:As of April 2020, more than 1 million downloads have been made.
The app is being updated more and more based on users' voices (i.e., voices from the childcare field).
Editorial:39,000 people have commented on the iPhone app store, what are some of the particular comments you have received from users?
Nishizawa:Some parents say that time passes so quickly when doing housework and childcare that they lose track of how many hours have passed since the last feeding or how long it has been since the baby woke up, but that "PiyoLog" makes it easier to keep track of the baby's daily rhythm. We have also received comments from grandparents who live far away from their babies that they can feel their babies' growth even when they are far away. We have also heard from people raising twins that they sometimes get confused about which child's diaper was changed or which child was fed milk, but PiyoLog has made it easier for them to keep track of their baby's situation.
Records are graphed, allowing you to feel the growth of your child.
Editorial:Is there a limit to the number of people who can share information in a piyo log?
Nishizawa:There is no upper limit. Generally, we ask couples to share the space between them, but some users share the space with grandparents from both sides of the family.
Editorial:From the user's point of view, I thought the design of "PiyoLog" was very cute and friendly. It is unusual to have a variety of background colors to choose from.
Nishizawa:On the other hand, some people said that the icons were too cute, so we added icons with simple designs later.
Editorial:Then I thought the ad banner was very small and easy to use even in the free version. I was also impressed by the very helpful tutorial (=explanation) that appears when you first start using the application.
Nishizawa:The size and position of the ad banner has been adjusted in previous updates in response to user feedback. Also, the tutorial was just implemented in February 2021.
Editorial:You are always thinking of the users and keep updating the system.
Nishizawa:The "moon symbol" in the upper right corner of the PiYoLog menu screen can be pressed to enter dark mode. This was also implemented in response to the voices of parents who said that when they give their babies milk at around 3:00 a.m., if the smartphone screen is bright, the baby wakes up after the feeding or it is too bright for the parents to see. It is also possible to set from the start that the screen will be in dark mode from certain times of the day to certain times of the night.
The "PiyoLog" series of related apps provides even more extensive childcare support.
Editorial:Can you tell us about the future development of the "PiyoLog" application?
Nishizawa:Since a childcare record application is something that is used on a daily basis, we would like to make it as convenient as possible with as little effort as possible, and we would like to gradually solve even the smallest problems that you might have suggested.
Editorial:I see that a sister application to "PiyoLog" called "PiyoLog Vaccination" has also been released.
Nishizawa:The information recorded by "PiyoLog Immunization" is also entered into PiyoLog in conjunction with "PiyoLog". There is also an app called "Labor Pains Timer by PiyoLog" that can be used in conjunction with PiyoLog. This app is used during the pregnancy period before starting "PiYoLog," and counts when contractions have come and gone.
After the interview
The developer's own experience with child-rearing led him to develop the child-rearing record application, and I got the impression that he really understood the usability of "PiyoLog". I had the impression that the developer "knows what he is doing! The value of sharing information between husband and wife, easy-to-read graphs and illustrations, helpful instructions on how to use the app, and voice input is surely conveyed to those who have truly experienced child-rearing. With the most recent addition of Apple Watch support, it is likely to become an even stronger ally in childcare.
PiyoLog Official Web Site
https://www.piyolog.com/
