Visible is a web-based resource directory for NYC individuals and families who are low
income and/or have experienced homelessness.
Project
Capstone project for MS Strategic Design and Management
Processes and Phases
Primary & Secondary Research
Systems Mapping
Qualitative Insights / Expert Interviewing
Landscape Analysis
Concept Development
Prototype Testing w/ Experts & Users (Business model, product & brand)
Branding
Business Modeling
Duration
30 weeks (2 semesters)
Team
Joana Simoes, Nimrah Khanyari, Sara Rebelo
Hypothesis
The Department of Social Services is currently organized in a way that neglects to recognize the systems and communities in which individuals belong, focusing on temporary relief as opposed to long-term wellbeing.
Why Us?
Visible is made up of a diverse team of strategic designers with backgrounds in visual design, research, and business consulting. As aliens in the United States from all around the world (Portugal, Canada, and India) we've experienced, first hand, navigating bureaucratic government services. Information is often disjointed, processes are confusing, and expectations are unclear. We've taken this frustration and channelled it into a passion for simplifying access to government services, in particular within the Department of Social Services' Temporary Housing Shelter.
We started with a deep exploration and research of the problem, the system and the overall context.
Over the period of 3 months we…
"Individuals are overwhelmed, so an easy to access and
easy to navigate platform to find resources is essential."
—Nelly Stastny, Case Worker
The primary and secondary research lead to predictable but also surprising insights.
We then started synthesizing ideas, gathering more precise conclusions and developing a concept.
Iteration #1
The process of defining our initial concept started with organizing and filtering our initial interview data and secondary research into key insights through a synthesizing exercise. We ideated six themes and then developed consequent How Might We's.
Iteration #2
Then, we focused on ideating how we might streamline city-wide government information for families transitioning from temporary shelters to permanent housing. In order to develop ideas, how it could be implemented and why it matters we conducted workshops and learnt about existing competitors.
Iteration #3
Finally, we sought to do a prioritization exercise where we re-assessed which other organizations in the space are our direct competitors and which are indirect and we started concept testing interviews with our stakeholders to finally build out our functions and business model.
"Many unhoused individuals have access to digital devices.
A mobile first website would allow users easy access to information."
— Derek Fidler, Product Design at Shelter Tech
It was finally time to start testing and iterating the final product and business
model in order to develop the most suitable prototype.
We set out to test
1.
Business Model
2.
A/B testing our visual identity and brand voice
3.
Website iterations including features like onboarding page
Who we tested with:
Design Strategists
Experts
Users (Members of the Community)
"There is a need to streamline resources
in a user friendly and simple way."
- Petey Routzahn, Public Policy Expert
The Solution
VISIBLE: Easy to access and user friendly web resource directory.
So that no family has to feel as vulnerable and alone.