Here For You
Role
Lead UI Designer
Team Size
4 Members
Tools
Figma
Canva
We designed an app that streamlines support systems for those in times of need, allowing them to communicate with their network of trusted companions easily and providing them with the liberty to heal freely.
Overview
A Platform that Makes Digital Support for those in Need Easier than Ever Before
Summary
"Here For You" is a platform that evolves the average digital support system. Our site is a resource for those currently experiencing a time of need. We felt the average donation website doesn't offer enough options to further help your loved ones. We understand that sometimes people need help beyond just money. As life becomes increasingly harder to navigate when you've lost a loved one or been in a tragic accident, having even someone to pick up their groceries or babysit can become the most powerful course of action. "Here For You" transforms the support space by creating a space where people can do more than just donate by signing up to complete specific tasks for your friends and family. Thus, the burden of having to do one less thing each day can be lifted off of those who need it.
Figure 3.1: Beginning Profile Set-up Pages (Left) and Landing Page (Right)
We Need a More Evolved Digital Support System Beyond Your Average Donation Website
Problem Statement
Sites like GoFundMe or Kickstarter are great for raising funds for medical care, but sometimes support needs to extend beyond financial needs. The burden of everyday life can become overwhelming when faced with a traumatic experience, and we aim to create a platform that can alleviate that burden. Sometimes, people just need help with everyday tasks, and assisting them with these tasks can allow them to take the time to grieve, mourn, or recover.
Figure 3.2: Setting Up Profile Page
We Want to Create a Platform Where People Can Temporarily Help Automate Someone's Menial Tasks
Goal
The ultimate goal of our platform is to create a sports system that temporarily alleviates the stress of everyday life, providing a space for your loved ones to recover. Ultimately, we aim to provide various avenues of support that don't limit someone's impact to financial generosity. Our main feature is what we call the support schedule, an easy-to-use calendar that allows users to plan events and create tasks they might need help with that their support circles can sign up for.
Figure 3.3: Setting Up Your Giving Page
Design
Encompassing an Inviting Feeling When Visiting Our Platform
Our Approach
The notes I was given as a designer were to create an inviting presence the moment you reach our landing page, and to keep the overall website simple, without looking overly upbeat. I was also asked to use earthy tones or white to keep the page easy to read, easy to use, and leave room for color changes later. Additionally, my supervisor asked me to try to keep a circle motif to signify our platform's focus-point feature, which is support circles. We wanted to emphasize the idea of community and how our platform will connect people together, forming a digital support circle for anyone who needs it.
Brainstorming
Figuring Out Our Initial ideas, Design System, and First Steps
Based on the data that we gathered, we were able to identify various factors that would potentially influence career development, including financial impact, cultural values, familial exposure, and level of parental support. After collecting our data, we handed the information onto the design team so they could translate it into a design draft.
Figure 3.4: Initial Ideas, Setting up a Design System, and Brainstorming
Drafting
Starting to Build Out Our Key Components and Figure Out the Focal Points of Each Page
Before we cleaned up our designs we wanted to make sure we had everything we wanted on each page. We also felt it was important to lay it all out so we had a good idea of how much space we could use and what we needed to prioritize, emphasize, and layer.
Figure 3.5: Initial Draft of Profile Page (Left) and Support Schedule Page (Right)
Expanding
We Needed to Next Figure Out the Layout of Our Page Sequences and Navigation
Beyond just the layout of each page, we wanted to test how our draft design would look across all our different pages, helping us gauge whether any necessary changes were needed. Furthermore, it was helpful to test which assets were transferable and versatile enough to be reused on different pages. Additionally, being able to see each page let us know how extensive our setup sequence needed to be.
Figure 3.6: Support Schedule Set-Up Pages
Conclusion
Figure 3.5: Discussion Guide Submission Page (Left) and Discussion Guide Main Page
Handing Off the Project After Laying Out the Base Architecture
Next Steps
Unfortunately, I was unable to stay on this project as long as I would have liked due to scheduling conflicts. I would have loved to see how these designs evolved. After creating the initial roots for the platform, we handed off the project to a new team, helped onboard them, and passed the torch. As lead, it was my job to understand the basis for the website and to translate all of my supervisor's thoughts and comments as to what each page needed, and to also communicate with the new team about how they should approach improving the design while keeping in mind the original focus.
What to Do Differently Next Time
Needing More Communication from the Research Team Leading to Understanding the Platform Better
My most significant setback was the lack of communication between teams within this project. I found it challenging to identify the wants of the target audience without having any data from firsthand accounts, interviews, or articles. Even more so, we needed user testing to make sure our design was following the correct path. I believe that any interviews or user testing for our platform would have helped us understand the niche and motivation behind our design layout much more. Despite these hurdles, I thought that this experience challenged me as my first real opportunity to lead a design team and understand the process and responsibilities that come with the title. I was able to evolve my ever-growing set of design skills and continue my growth within the design space.