Together — Helping families share the work at home

Although people increasingly valued an equal split of chores, their day-to-day habits had not caught up, leaving an uneven workload and tension at home.

In households with an uneven split, family members often saw themselves as helping the person responsible for chores. They lacked a sense of shared responsibility and a reason to stay involved.

Families that shared chores more fairly were more likely to assign clear responsibilities based on each person’s abilities.

The strongest research insight was the importance of understanding each family member’s circumstances and preferences.

I developed two personas and scenarios to capture different needs within a household, then used them to shape the concept.

The concept combines clear responsibilities, visible progress, and encouragement to help family members take ownership and stay motivated.

I kept the structure focused on essential features so family members of different ages and levels of digital confidence could take part.

Anyone can add a chore and share responsibilities. A simple gesture marks it complete, and comments give family members a way to encourage each other.

Charts show what the family has accomplished together and help members adjust responsibilities. Invite links make it easy to bring everyone into the app.

Notifications surface chore updates and comments, with profile and notification settings that each person can adjust.

Push notifications and widgets remind family members about chores and encourage ongoing involvement.

Interview participants felt the concept could help ease uneven workloads and make it easier to stay motivated. This feedback reflected their expectations of the concept.