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Project Overview
ABOUT
Inclusive is a NYC nonprofit aiming to provide easy access to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities needing medical services. Our team helped build a MVP of the Inclusive platform.
ROLE
UX Design Apprentice
SCOPE
Storyboards, Journey Maps, User Flow Charts, Customer Experience Diagram, Personas, Low-High Fidelity prototypes, Design System
TOOLS
Figma, Trello, Notion, Zeplin
DURATION
August 2022 - October 2022
PHASE 1: THE CHALLENGE
NYC parents are lost and overwhelmed trying to find speech therapy for their child
THE PROBLEM
01
Hard to navigate
Parents struggle to navigate the existing path due to excessive bureaucratic processes and limited access to information.
02
Accessibility Issues
Existing platforms are not IDD-friendly and have language barriers resulting in parents being frustrated and children not being cared for adequately.
03
Lack of a central spot
Parents are unable to feel confident in their search due to an overwhelming amount of obstacles and misinformation in the current system.
THE SOLUTION
An IDD-friendly and inclusive platform is the solution
PHASE 2: USER RESEARCH
Current platforms do not cater to the needs and wants of parents
USER RESEARCH
Our research team conducted various competitive analyses, user surveys, user interviews, and affinity maps. Using the data gathered from the research findings, we synthesized the major themes and insights to be used in informing our design decisions down the road.
PHASE 3: IDEATION
Brainstorming a simple solution for a complex problem
LOW-MID FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
Keeping the insights in mind from user research, we began to brainstorm ideas to address user needs and pain points, and translating these ideas into low and mid-fidelity wireframes. For the first three weeks of the project, our goal was to create and refine the mid-fidelity wireframes based on continuous user research findings and client feedback.
PHASE 4: USABILITY TESTING & ITERATIONS
Taking a step back to listen to the user's perspective
USABILITY TESTING
Based on usability testing results, we continually iterated our design for a span of 3 weeks: with 3 areas of major improvements.
PHASE 4: DEVELOPER HANDOFF
Handing off nearly 100+ desktop and mobile screens
DEV HANDOFF
Our team used Zeplin to collaborate with developers and hand off nearly 100+ mobile and desktop screens. We used annotations, arrows, and user flows to give context to our screens incorporating happy paths and edge cases. Specs were added to provide measurements for all the UI elements and padding. This enabled our developers to work with clarity and efficiency after receiving our finalized screens.
PHASE 5: FINAL DESIGNS
The moment we've all been waiting for...
FINAL PRODUCT
After two months of hard work and relentless cross-team collaboration, we successfully concluded Phase 1 of the Inclusive Project and delivered a comprehensive MVP. Check out our designs below!
Link to full prototype coming soon!
PHASE 6: DESIGN SYTSEM & STYLE GUIDE
Contributing & implementing a responsive design system
DESIGN SYSTEM
Although a design system was not initially within the scope of our project, we decided to create a comprehensive & responsive design system to establish consistency across all screens. The design system is inclusive of typography, colors, iconography, buttons, components, modules, overlays, and more. I contributed to the mobile design system and learned an incredible amount regarding the importance of design systems.
PHASE 7: IMPACT
How does our design solution create a substantial impact?
THE IMPACT
The MVP we built over the course of 8 weeks has incredible value from a business, customer, and community perspective. I'm incredibly proud and grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of such a socially-conscious project.
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A functional platform and features that connects Inclusive’s SaaS products & gives new users insights into their mission & solutions
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A “modular” foundation upon which the company can expand features such as the SNT & ORG and incorporate more SaaS products
Reflections & Key Takeaways
WHAT WE DID WELL
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Agile environment with supportive and collaborative attitudes for productive work flow
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Prioritizing accessibility and keeping the user at the center of the design process
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Creation and implementation of a responsive design system
WHAT WE CAN IMPROVE
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Began user research and usability testing earlier to avoid tight schedules
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Focused on consistency between screen groups prior to dev handoff
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Taken future expansion of Inclusive into account during ideation and prototyping phases to make our designs scalable
PERSONAL TAKEAWAYS
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Expanding my horizons as a designer through new tools and design techniques
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Prioritizing accessibility by using mindful design practices and adhering to accessibility standards
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Learned the importance of organization to avoid miscommunication