UX design focused on a public interest initiative

As a UX designer, I had the opportunity to lead a project with a social focus, aimed at fostering empowerment and self-esteem among individuals facing economic vulnerability. My strategy to address these needs revolved around developing an application and a website that would provide a secure and accessible space where users could access personalized assessments, free career guidance, and resources to enhance their skills and job opportunities. From the outset, my goal was to generate positive transformations in the lives of these individuals, ultimately aiming to make a favorable impact on society as a whole.

Project approach

In designing the application and website, my aim was to address the lack of access to resources and guidance for individuals facing economic vulnerability. I sought to provide personalized tools that fostered individual empowerment and socio-economic well-being improvement. Recognizing the social need, I aimed to offer a comprehensive platform that not only diagnosed users’ needs but also supported them in their personal and community growth journey, thereby enhancing their self-esteem and resilience.

Responsibilities

I had the responsibility of overseeing all phases of the project:

  • I conducted user research to understand the needs and challenges of individuals facing economic vulnerability.
  • Developed digital and paper wireframes.
  • Designed low and high-fidelity prototypes for both the application and website.
  • Crafted an intuitive and user-friendly interface for a positive user experience.
  • Conducted usability tests and gathered feedback for iterative design improvements.
  • Implemented accessibility standards to ensure inclusivity and usability for all users.
  • Defined information architecture and applied responsive design techniques for optimal cross-device experiences.
  • Advocated for user-centered design principles and ethical considerations throughout the project lifecycle.

User Research

For user research, I conducted semi-structured interviews and surveys targeting individuals experiencing economic vulnerability, as well as experts in community development and social psychology. Initially, I assumed that users’ primary needs would revolve around job search and access to basic resources. However, throughout the research process, I discovered that while these concerns were important, there was also a profound need for emotional support, personalized guidance, and community involvement. This led me to rethink my approach, focusing on providing a comprehensive platform that addressed both the practical and emotional needs of users, aiming to strengthen their self-esteem and empower them to improve their quality of life holistically. Based on these findings, I conducted a “Competitive Audit” that yielded highly insightful conclusions.

Competitive Audit

Although there are several organizations with solid proposals for empowering and boosting the self-esteem of people in vulnerable situations, there are still opportunities to improve accessibility, clarity, and address different gaps not covered at the service level. By identifying these areas for improvement, I began devising a differentiated proposal to more effectively meet the needs of the target audience.

Ideate

Taking into account the gaps and opportunities identified through the competitive audit and understanding the users’ issues, I conducted the Crazy Eight ideation exercise to generate highly interesting and valuable ideas for the project.

Digital Wireframes

After conceiving and elaborating preliminary versions of the page schematics on paper, I proceeded to develop the initial designs for the application in Figma. These designs focused on providing guidance to users and instilling confidence in them.

Low-fidelity prototype

To conduct usability tests, I created a low-fidelity prototype connecting the user flow to diagnose their current situation and obtain a detailed action plan to achieve their desired state. At each stage, users can utilize the navigation bar to seamlessly move between different sections of the application and communicate with their assigned counselor, providing a smooth, coherent, and satisfying user experience.

Usability studies

I conducted a remote usability study with 5 participants. The main objective of the usability study was to gather insights into users’ interaction with the application, identify areas for improvement, and provide specific data to enhance the user experience in future design iterations. This approach allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of users’ needs and preferences, as well as identify opportunities to improve usability and user satisfaction.

Main results

Accessibility

Some users encountered accessibility difficulties.

Navigation

Some users encountered difficulties navigating the application.

Accompaniment

Users frequently sought direct support from the professional counselor to achieve their action plan.

Mockups

I designed the mockups based on the findings of the usability study. Subsequently, I implemented adjustments to enhance accessibility. Among these modifications, improving the contrast and text size was included.

Before the usability study

After the usability study

I made design changes to enhance navigation, such as adding a “Home” button in the navigation bar to facilitate access to the “Welcome” page, which allows users to navigate to different sections of the application easily and intuitively.

Before the usability study

After the usability study

High-fidelity mockups

High-fidelity prototypes

Accessibility considerations

Address any barriers

Comprehensive accessibility testing was conducted with users with disabilities to identify and address any barriers or usability challenges they may encounter.

Clear and consistent navigation

We designed a clear and consistent navigation to facilitate access to all the features of the application, especially for users with motor or cognitive disabilities.

Compatible with screen readers

We ensured that the application was compatible with screen readers to allow users with visual impairments to access information effectively.

Responsive design

Mobile version

Tablet version

Desktop version

Reflections

The design of the application has been praised for its ease of use and user-centered approach, as described by a participant in the study who commented: “The app is intuitive and has helped me better understand my personal goals.” The clear structure and coherent navigation have contributed to a positive experience for users, making it easy to access the various features and services offered. Throughout this project, I have learned the importance of user research in understanding users’ needs and expectations. Constant iteration of the design based on feedback and usability testing has proven crucial in creating an optimal user experience. Furthermore, collaboration with peers and the application of user-centered design principles have been essential in developing effective and satisfying solutions.

Next steps

Usability testing

Usability testing involves systematic evaluations conducted with real users to assess the ease of use and overall experience of a product or system. These tests involve observing users as they interact with the product and gathering feedback on their experience. The results of usability testing provide valuable insights to identify areas for improvement in design and enhance user satisfaction.

Integrate the additional features

As part of the next steps, I will integrate the additional features requested by users during the usability testing. These new functionalities are intended to address specific user needs and improve the overall usability of the application.

Complementary website

As a next step, I propose designing a complementary website to the project’s dedicated application. This website will serve as an extension of the mobile app, providing users with an additional platform to access important information, resources, and features from their desktop browsers. Creating this complementary website will increase the project’s visibility and enable a more comprehensive and versatile experience for users, regardless of the device they use.

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