Project Overview
Creating a mobile responsive web App that could be tailored to different populations; at the same time, the tool would be scalable to meet the needs of multiple diverse populations. For the scope of this project, our clients chose to focus on the Twin Cities Somali community.
Client: Noma Capital
My Role & Methods
User Researcher, UX/UI Designer, Interview and Usability Testing Moderator and Note-Taker
Competitive Analysis, Card Sorting, Participant Interviews Directed Storytelling, Mid-High Fidelity Wireframes, Rose Thorn Bud, Affinity Mapping, high-Fidelity Interactive Prototyping, Design Systems, Component Library, Style Guides, Annotated Wireframes
UX Team
Keira Gatta, Amanda Snyder, Melanie Bethke, Kate Arneson
Tools Used
Miro, Figma, Zoom, Google Slides, Google Docs, Slack
Summary
Solution
Creating a culturally- Responsive and Scalable platform that is easy to understand and Navigate. Accessible, usable and considerate of cognitive load within the app.
Opportunity Space
Offering services that help support mental and emotional health, facilitated in a software solution tailored for a culturally-cognizant approach. Specifically within the Somali communities in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. As existing mental health tools largely fail when it comes to cultural equity of access.
Scoping
We had the fortune and pleasure of working with project manager Salman Elmi and lead developer Misky Abshir. During our stakeholder interview they made some illustrative suggestions as to possible functionality the tool could have, but emphasized our creative freedom and encouraged us to design without boundaries.
Team & Role
This project included a 5-person UX team, in which I took part in research and design (competitive analysis, moderating and note taking. participant interviews, mid and high fidelity interactive prototyping, design systems, logo and annotations).
We would have the opportunity to come up with our own ideas based on our own research plan and design vision. And that’s exactly what we did.
Discovery & Research
During research I took part in conducting Competitive Analysis, working with a teammate to get a total of 12 current interfaces within the digital health and wellness. This allowed us to see what functions are seen throughout other Apps.
Another role that I took within the Discovery and Research phase is conducting participant interview sessions using directed storytelling and card sorting. This also included using the rose thorn bud method for synthesizing key findings.
Competitive Analysis
We conducted generative research. This allowed us to further learn how to reach client goals in learning about the primary audience. Learning through existing competitors, current workflows and pinpoints on how communities access health support.
Card Sorting
Secondary Research Findings
We learned that affinity with providers matters: members want to feel they can trust someone who represents their identities, especially if they have had adverse experiences with providers outside their group.
Members are more likely to use tele-health than in-person health, mental health issues like depression make it harder to “show up” for things and tele-health removes friction.
Community members are not all native English speakers, so looking for a platform that has access to appropriate communication is important. In having a platform that supports from bilingual providers, interpreters or even culturally-sensitive providers could lead to misunderstanding and even isolation.
The ability to personalize one’s experience with a tool is a desired feature.
“I want a counselor to know what my community is like, the family dynamics and cultural expectations and help me navigate that.”
- Research Study Participant
Design Process
When research was finalized, we handed off our synthesis and findings to the design team in which they developed sketches and information architecture diagrams. Then implementing our solutions we uncovered from our discovery research phase.
Usability Testing
Evaluation Goals
To gain insights into user expectations with respect to content, navigation, organization, features, and functionalities.
To evaluate and identify opportunities to deliver culturally-relevant components, in order to increase trust and representation in a way that is sensitive to underlying stigmas that may be associated with the subject matter.
To better understand the most important features to include, in order to provide functionalities that are important to target audience workflows, while minimizing cognitive load.
To gain insights into language and communication needs in order to increase both cultural and general accessibility (e.g., terminology, language level, verbal requirements, etc.).
To identify key painpoints, challenges, things working well, and opportunity areas, in order to improve and enhance overall usability and accessibility.
Provider Prototype notes: by research team
Rose bud Thorn Synthesis on Counselor Facing Prototype: by research team
Providers Solution
Using the sketches created by the design team from the first research phase, I moved from the research team to the design team. Working on our second primary groups, the Counselors.
With accessibility in mind we decided to keep the majority of the prototypes in gradients of black, grey and white. Making it easier to add in our color decisions with our final prototypes.
Communication & Coordination
Task Management
Culturally-responsive care
Accessibility
Couselors view of the Clients Profile.
Couselors Homepage
Client Solution
Discretion and privacy
Affinity and communication with provider
Easily manage appointments
Ownership in treatment and learning
I had the opportunity to work on both Client facing when building the mid-fidelity wireframes. After usability tested they were handed off to the other UX Designer.
High-fidelity Prototype: by design teammate
Mid-fidelity Prototype
Design System
Final Provider Design
What we produced was an interactive model for wellness management software called Neuro. This tool centers people in the Somali community by considering the multiple obstacles to care community members can face.
We omitted culturally problematic terms, simplified instructions, and provided additional clarity of meaning with both images and text that would increase both visual and cognitive accessibility. We created a path to care that gives members ownership in their treatment, protects their privacy, and holds space for the building of mutual respect and trust.
Next Steps/Takeaway
Going forward with the project, there are a few things we recommend as strategic next steps. The first is building out an onboarding process that includes demographic information, health history and needs, and preferences to inform content that is relevant and useful to that person.
Next, we would like to see an additional interface for a secondary audience: family and friends who are part of the primary client’s support network. This would allow these folx to access resources on how to best support their loved ones during and after their treatment. It would also provide a way for more community members to discover access to services they themselves might need.
We recommended further research and testing for both general and culturally specific accessibility, including extensive research to support populations Neuro could be scaled to reach in the future.