Triaging system for Vancouver Children Youth and Mental Health Unit for Clinic Referral, based on user's catchment area.
OVERVIEW
The Vancouver Children and Youth Mental Health and Substance website is intended to provide the user with the intake form based on clinics around the catchment area through a triaging system. This is a four-month project that was done during my co-op term with Vancouver Coastal Health – Learning Technologies, in collaboration with the Vancouver CYMHSU team. Currently, the project is still in its pilot phase and is expected to launch in Spring 2023.
PROCESS
I led the team on the initial research regarding topics around Mental Health, specifically catered towards users below the age of 18 years old. The research was divided into three major steps:
01 Brand Comparison
To acquaint myself with the field of mental health, I initiated case studies on brands advocating for mental health. I analyzed the elements and designs that proved effective for both the brands and their users. This exercise aided my team and me in establishing a foundation and acquiring a more comprehensive understanding of the business landscape.
This process allowed me to categorize precedents associated with existing brands and incorporate them into my Art Direction process, thereby contributing to the development of the initial prototype for this project.
02 User Interviews
We conducted user interviews with nurses from one of the clinics in the catchment area, gaining valuable insights into the challenges clients may encounter while completing physical intake forms and scheduling appointments during clinic walk-ins. Furthermore, we interviewed the Indigenous Nurse Representative team in VCH, providing an additional perspective that deepened our understanding of the struggles and issues Indigenous children may face while growing up in Vancouver's neighborhoods.
03 User Persona
Insights from user interviews played a significant role in shaping the user persona to align with the needs of the target audience, specifically gaining insights into the dynamics between parents, children, and the healthcare system in Vancouver.
Moreover, the impact of the persona I created resonated across the entire organization, prompting the VCH Communications team to reassess their website and information architecture. The user persona I developed served as a guiding framework, offering insights into the accessibility and flow of the Vancouver Coastal Health's website.
VISUAL EXPLORATION
Based on the insights gathered from interviews, study groups, and case studies, I proposed three distinct approaches for the art direction and overall look and feel of the website. These three options were presented to the stakeholders outside of my team and received positive responses.
RESULTS
While our team was working with the art direction of the CYMHSU website, the VCH Communications team just released their new brand guideline that was created in tandem with the progress of this project. Therefore, we have to pivot the previous designs and follow closely the new brand guideline. To still cater to our user, we decided to explore more on the micro-interactions of the site.
Micro-interactions: color blob
Aligning with Vancouver Coastal Health's revised brand guidelines, we brainstormed ways to maintain a sense of ease and youthfulness on the CYMHSU website. Consequently, we implemented an animated cursor effect—introducing a color 'blob' that dynamically responds to the user's mouse interaction. We intentionally adjusted the speed to be slower, enhancing the overall sense of ease for the user. Additionally, we chose the blob as a playful micro-interaction to maintain clarity on the urgent care-focused website, ensuring minimal distraction from essential information.
OUTCOME: A WEBSITE AUDIT
With the plan to merge our design into the VCH website, my contributions, particularly in mapping out the user journey, identifying potential pain points for the patients, and articulating our design decisions, played a key role within the organization. These insights not only influenced our project but also provided a deeper understanding of the entire VCH website architecture. Consequently, they prompted a reevaluation of the website's overall usability, benefiting not only our immediate project but also enhancing the broader VCH online presence.