Social Worker Platform
alleviating social workers’ stress
As a Product Designer, I collaborated with an AI company that was building the future of GovTech. I created an intuitive platform that was tailored to meet the needs of social workers in Health and Human Services (HHS) municipal offices.
Problem Statement
Addressing the weighty subjects that social workers confront daily when working with families, our aim was to offer a digital sanctuary: an intuitive and responsive web and mobile application complemented by uplifting branding.
TEAM COMPOSITION
1 Product Owner/Executive
1 Product Designer
3+ Software Engineers
My Impact
Provided design expertise across UI/UX deliverables
Organized social worker requirements into flows
Crafted unique components for disparate viewports
Groundbreaking Tools for Public Service
While working at a high-growth consulting startup, we were contracted by a partner AI company focused on revolutionizing government software. I was specifically asked to help translate their vision into an intuitive interface for social workers; we aimed to merge functionality with user-centric design, addressing the unique challenges of those in the health and human services sectors.
The client's ties with local government agencies and their understanding of RFPs informed our direction and allowed them to leverage opportunities like this one. Collaborating closely with their software engineers and product owners, my role was to convert these requirements into a seamless interface that blended technical excellence with user needs.
Delineating a Minimal Viable Product
The project started with an MVP that I designed with help of the client and stakeholders. Based on the project brief, I made a first-pass of a responsive web application for desktop and mobile devices that allowed social workers to see consolidated, actionable intelligence in a dashboard view; access family information in a data and genogram; and reference a timeline of reported events. Acknowledging the diverse environments in which social workers operate, responsiveness was important, ensuring usability on desktops in offices and mobile devices in the field.
Lesson Learned
Establishing a closer connection with the RFP-issuing agency could have provided insights into the viability of the app's full-scale development. Given the app's complexity, a more resource-rich approach would have been advantageous due to the sheer size of the project and esoteric needs.
Every design choice, from the color scheme to the UI components, was made keeping in mind the unique challenges and nuances associated with managing social worker cases and families. The prototype went through rigorous evaluations, benefiting from feedback provided by the public service RFP issuing agency. The learnings from this MVP phase were invaluable.
Revisiting the Project with a Rebrand
After a pause due to a reprioritization from the client, we returned to the drawing board, but with a fresh perspective. We recognized the emotional weight that social workers carry daily and aimed to offer a digital oasis—a visual and functional space that lightened this load. I infused the platform with design elements that evoked positivity: from vibrant color gradients and softened backgrounds to lively illustrations. The interface wasn't just about aesthetics; it was about creating an environment of hope, optimism, and positivity, offering solace amidst the challenging terrain of social work.
I leveraged the following visual design principles:
Complex Problem Solving
In this project, I was able to leverage my visual design skills to tackle large scale design challenges and foster a cohesive system that would tie elements and brand together, relative to the audience.
Hierarchy: The UI clearly defines the information hierarchy. Information is then subdivided into clear sections, such as "Who," "What," and "Contact notes," allowing users to quickly scan and locate needed details.
Contrast: The use of a neutral color palette combined with punctuations of color creates a contrast that draws attention to specific elements, emphasizing potential areas of concern or importance.
Alignment: All elements are aligned to a grid, ensuring consistency and balance. The left-hand side menu, central content area, and right-side panel maintain a symmetrical and organized layout, making the interface visually clean and easy to navigate.
Proximity: Related pieces of information are grouped close together, such as family members in the "Who" section or the different types of notes in the "What" section. This spatial arrangement helps users quickly associate related items.
Simplicity: The UI avoids clutter by providing essential information at a glance and using expandable sections or icons to indicate more details available upon interaction.
Balance: The combination of images, icons, text, and whitespace is harmoniously balanced, preventing any area from feeling too dense or overwhelming.
Consistency: The UI elements, such as cards for "Maltreatment overview" and "Contact notes" or family members' profiles, maintain a consistent design, offering a unified and predictable experience for users.
Typography: Clear distinction in font weights and sizes aids readability and guides the user's attention. The typeface appears modern and legible, suitable for a professional platform.
My Design Process and Ethos
Stakeholder Collaboration
By facilitating a channel for feedback, I ensured that stakeholders could provide their thoughts, requests, and concerns on the platform, and address them in a prioritized backlog.
End-user resonance was at the heart of my design ethos. To ensure the interface designs were functionally sound, I adopted an iterative feedback approach. Stakeholders could directly annotate their suggestions and concerns. To ensure design uniformity, I also spearheaded the creation of a holistic design system, setting a standard for the platform's visual and interactive elements.
The Result of Our Efforts
Reflecting upon this journey, it stands out as a meaningful endeavor to positively impact the lives of social workers. In collaboration with a team of astute software engineers, our shared aspiration was to utilize software’s potential in the realm of public service. The culmination of our efforts was an application that will redefine how social workers interact with technology, making their commendable service to society even more efficient and impactful.
Outcomes and Results
Collaboratively, we sculpted a tailored prototype platform for social workers, assessing its feasibility and garnering insights before venturing into comprehensive responsive web development.
Disclaimer: Work shown was created while employed at Nearby Creative and displayed with permission. Header image from Unsplash.
