March 2021 - April 2022
Inmate Autonomy: Facilitating contact & Stamp management for incarcerated individuals
Inmate users frequently encountered friction deleting contacts or navigating the pending facility approval process for new connections. We solved this critical workflow failure by pairing a modernized interaction flow with an updated contact card design. This redesign automatically provided users with an immediate, clear snapshot of their stamp balance and connection status, streamlining the entire contact flow, reducing user error, and improving their ability to maintain essential communication channels.
The current product as it stands fails to cater to a captive audience that must have the ability to manage their contacts
The previous interface created unmanageable bottlenecks, specifically preventing users from successfully removing obsolete contacts and offering no transparency during the critical facility-approval process for new additions.
Defining the Solution Required Rigorous Auditing and Stakeholder Collaboration.
Utilizing agile methodology, and kanban board to stream line workflow. Utilizing cross-functional teams in accordance with state corrections regulations.
Designs were prioritized to heighten the autonomy with inmates using tablets for eMessaging
Being mindful of the research we carried out with our user based. We leveraged the contraints each facility offers to craft our solutions accordingly. Sprints planing design process involed a crossfunctional team of devs and fellow designers.
Clear component content for deletion
By creating an experience where the users can quickly evaluate what umbrella amount will cover. Feedback in prior iterations gave us understanding that most users don't have a grasp on how coverages ultimately protect them
Clear stamp quantity view above chat
Making sure underwriting questions are present to qualify users to craft policies as well as, approve or deny their umbrella policy quote.
Contact card stamp status
With an improved back end system to better aggregate members existing policy info. Design considerations took into account how to best provide that info to users when carrying out a policy quote.
Affective design solutions translated to high marks in usabilty test with participants
Being mindful of stakeholder input as well as existing research regarding how users felt the pain of re-entering data. With the lack of understanding within what their policy entails, and including crucial underwriting questions to deem eligibility easier from a backend standpoint. Utilzing user zoom and 3 Rounds of testng with 15 participants each. Cross platform research with applied to ensure both desktop and mobile expereinces were validated.
Users seeing a clear snap shot of charges aided in successful testing
A high percentage of 90% of the 80 users were able to successfully add stamps to their eMessaging account in order to send messages. This result means 72 of the 80 users completed the task and indicates that the process for adding stamps is highly intuitive and usable for facilitating message sending
Stamp status on contact card created transparency for users
An impressive 86% of the 80 users were successfully able to identify the stamp status of the person they were messaging. This excellent success rate means 69 out of 80 participants completed the task, confirming that the current design makes the stamp status information clear and highly accessible within the messaging context.
After the year of product testing and devolopment we succesfully pushed this iteration of eMessaging platform.
After 4 rounds of usability testing results showed easy adoption of proposed iterations. The primary adopters were low level facilities until we make further iterations taking into account unique security concerns. This project is still a forever adapting one given the forever changing needs.