I see so many problems in the environment of childcare both in Japan and in the US. ookee is a service which helps make parenthood easier, because it should be okay to ask for help while taking care of a baby. Parents do not have to sacrifice themselves. This service one that would be available to all types of parents: for mother/father couples, mother/mother couples, father/father couples, and single mothers or fathers alike.

I spent a lot of time obtaining actual opinions from parents I knew about what problems they see in regards to childcare. When and in what sort of situations do parents want help? What kind of information do parents need? I received opinions from about 30 people, then decided what function my service would provide: access to actual childcare services and information on childcare.

The name of the app, ookee, tells users that “it is okay to get help.” Ookee also means “big” in Japanese. While the service assists with smaller tasks such as shopping, cleaning, and giving information, overall these are actually a big help to parents.

In terms of designing the logo, I was inspired by a traditional Japanese pattern called Shippou, which holds the meanings of “happy family” and “catenation.” Because I wanted to change the negative traditions about raising children, I literally broke down the traditional pattern in order to design the logo. I believe that the service can fulfill the true meaning of the pattern: having a happy family.