Youth Resources

Role: Lead UX Designer
Timeline: 13 months
Team: 8 Designers

Type: Public Facing, Web Application(Mobile-Friendly)
Tools: Figma, Power Pages, Jotform

Project Overview

A Board motion passed by the Board of Supervisors to create a Youth Application to connect Youth in Los Angeles County with vital resources and information to stay informed.

Read Board Motion

Goal

Create an application that would include information population-specific resources, services, and supports that affirm the diverse cultural and community identifies of Youth in Los Angeles County.

Problem Statement

Youth don't know where to access positive connectedness, so the LA County Youth Commission recommended a youth application (app) to provide information on available community resources to engage young people in socially fulfilling and engaging resources, activities, and environments.

Design Toolkit

Figma

Power Pages

Jotform

Design Process

We used the 5-stage design thinking model to keep our designs as consistent as possible.

User Research

The first step was to conduct User Research and create personas to understand the target audience's needs, preferences, and pain points.

The users involved were:

Youth (ages 14-26)
Delete the Divide Interns
Stakeholders
Case Managers

Paper Wireframing

In response to a pressing stakeholder request for a two-week demo, we expedited development efforts by creating multiple application iterations, despite ongoing team composition. However, we were able to return to the UX design process to optimize the user experience.

Low-Fidelity Prototype

Defining the flow of interactions and transitions between the different screens, the team created a low-fidelity prototype in Figma.

User Testing

We held two usability tests, one in May 2024 (5 individuals) and a focus group (16 individuals) in November 2024. We also held a stakeholder meeting, where we presented our application to 8-12 executive leadership groups from various County departments.

5 - Youth (ages 18-26) (Remote)
16 - Focus Group (ages 16-26) (Remote)
8-12 - Stakeholders (Remote)

We utilized the software, Useberry, Jotform, and Microsoft Teams. Participants completed 3 tasks and were allowed to explore the prototype afterwards.

Findings

The team decided to test some of the basic and common operational tasks needed to navigate and utilize the app. The included features in the test are:

Explore County Services (Mental Health, Children & Family Services, and Youth Development)
Look up calendar events in the individual area.
Find the "How-To" section to know how to navigate the application.

Task 2: Participants were able to complete the tasks. They mentioned how "cool" it was that an application like this was being developed, as they were unaware of similar resources available. They also suggested that the application should be more visually appealing with more vibrant colors and graphics.

Task 1: Participants visually expressed confusion and curiosity while navigating the application. Many users explored the application to familiarize themselves before being reminded to complete the task, while others did not complete it.

Task 3: Over five months, user testing participation increased from 5 to 16 participants, representing a 220% growth.

Youth participants expressed excitement at the prospect of an application specifically designed for them. Many were unaware of the resources and services available through LA County, highlighting a significant gap in information dissemination.

Their valuable feedback on the application's design and features will play a crucial role in shaping a more inclusive and youth-centric platform in the years to come.

Improvements

Following user testing, we streamlined the homepage to minimize distractions and maintain focus. A prominent call-to-action and highlighted resources, identified as frequently used during testing, were strategically placed.
Enhanced the resources page with visually appealing card-style layouts. Each resource includes a brief description and relevant graphics to foster user trust and understanding.

Refined the locate page pagination to display comprehensive opportunity details, including organization, address, phone number, and website, providing users with a more detailed overview.

Project Success

A One of A Kind Board Motion passed by the Board of Supervisors was accomplished by Youth for Youth in Los Angeles County.

A 220% increase in user participation, including past participants who requested to come back to provide further feedback and be part of the process to help curate the application for Youth.

Dozen of Youths reported being thankful for an application that provides a one-stop-shop of resources in LA County, while some reported while going through user testing that information provided they never knew existed and will be using it.

Home Page

Before Focus Group (May 2024)

After Focus Group (November 2024)

Resources Page