CASE STUDY

Designing a Supportive Caregiver Marketplace for AARP

AARP recognized the vital role of caregivers and aimed to support them through the creation of a Caregiver Marketplace portal. This case study outlines the journey of designing and implementing a user-centric platform to provide caregivers with valuable resources, a supportive community, and access to relevant products and services.

Challenge:

To develop a Caregiver Marketplace that serves as a comprehensive hub for caregivers, offering educational content, community support, and connections to helpful solutions.

Timeline : 12 Months. Budget: $375,000.00 USD Audience: 40M

My Role: Senior UX Designer and final design delivery
UX Facilitator for Workshops, Interviews and Sprints
Stakeholder Presentor

I led design from kick-off to launch. In addition, I worked alongside 2 designers a Researcher, Prototyper, and 2 Product Managers as well a 50/50Forward a content and brand division within AARP.

KICKOFF / RESEARCH
DESIGN AND PROTOTYPING
IMPLEMENTATION
FINAL DESIGN AND DATA

ONSITE WORKSHOP

At the onset of the project we relied heavily on the RFP to better understand specific goals and opportunities AARP was trying to achieve. Without pre-existing insights, I reached out to the AARP team and set up a roadmap for the research phase.

Proposed Research Phase:

Data Analysis: Analyzed user data from AARP's existing platforms to uncover insights into user behavior and preferences.
User Insights: Conducted in-depth interviews with caregivers to understand their unique challenges, needs, and preferences in caregiving.
Stakeholder Collaboration: Worked closely with AARP's directional group, vendors, and partners to align on project objectives and requirements.

Data Analysis Insights:

Who, What, Where, when
and why?

Caregiving Situation:
Relationship to Care Recipient: Parent, Spouse, Sibling, ...
Duration of Caregiving (in months): 24, 12, 36, ...
Intensity of Caregiving (hours per week): 40, 20, 10, ...
Types of Care Provided: Personal care, Medical care, Emotional support, ...
Digital Behavior:
Devices Used: Smartphone, Tablet, Computer, ...
Preferred Platform: iOS, Android, Windows, ...

Online Activities: Researching health information, Joining support groups, Seeking advice, Topics of Interest: Managing medication, Coping with caregiver stress, Financial planning, ...
Preferred Content Formats: Articles, Videos, Podcasts, ...
Trusted Sources of Information: Healthcare professionals, Online communities, Caregiver organizations, ...
Challenges and Pain Points:
Financial Challenges: Cost of medical care, Lost income due to caregiving responsibilities,
Emotional Challenges: Stress, Anxiety, Depression, ...
Access to Resources: Availability of caregiver support groups, Respite care options, ...

Results:

The post-workshop data analysis emphasized varying preferences in online support channels and technology adoption. It identified needs and prioritized practical online caregiving tools, emotional support resources, and accessible online resources, emphasizing the significance of user-friendly digital solutions. These findings validated workshop insights and directed ongoing scope for the caregiver project.

User Insights and Stake holder Collaboration

Empowering caregivers through collaboration and prototyping

The objective of the UX workshop for the Caregiver Project was to gather insights directly from caregivers AARP identified, understand their needs and pain points, co-create solutions through collaborative prototyping sessions, and validate the prototypes by having caregivers walk through them.

Duration: 3 days

Day 1 - Understanding and Empathizing
Day 2 - Ideation and Prototyping
Day 3 - Validation and iteration

Findings:

Caregivers participating in the workshop emphasized the multifaceted nature of the caregiving journey and highlighting the profound emotional impact it entails, including stress, anxiety, guilt, and isolation. They expressed a strong desire for connection and community, underscoring the importance of peer support and solidarity in navigating the challenges of caregiving.

Additionally, caregivers identified practical challenges such as medication management and appointment scheduling, emphasizing the need for user-friendly tools and solutions to alleviate caregiving burden while also recognizing the need for personalized support tailored to their individual needs and preferences.

Complexity of Caregiving Journey

Emotional Impact of Caregiving

Desire for Connection and Community:

Results:

The Co-Creation Workshop: Facilitated a collaborative workshop to define personas, user journeys, requirements, and wireframes, ensuring design and prototyping would align among stakeholders.

Design Phase: Duration 6 weeks - 12 weeks

The project commenced with low-fidelity mockups, establishing the initial structure and functionality. Iterative refinements ensued based on feedback from stakeholders and users, focusing on addressing usability concerns and enhancing the overall user experience.

Weekly Checkpoints with teams.

Continuous Lo-Fi Iterations

Refinement of Personas and Journey Maps

Alignment with Brand on Content.

EXAMPLE : Persona #1

Multiple personas were created to encompass a spectrum of caregiver demographics, challenges, and needs, highlighting the importance of providing comprehensive support through the caregiver portal.

EXAMPLE : Lo-Fi On-Boarding Mobile Wireframes

An elegant onboarding flow welcomes users with a visually appealing introduction and clear instructions. Interactive elements and personalization options engage users and make the process intuitive. Progress indicators and helpful tips guide users through each step, ensuring a positive and productive experience.

The onboarding flow was a crucial role in shaping the user's perception of the product and influencing their decision to continue using it. Tracking users and rigorous testing of content ensure a plan of consent improvement.

EXAMPLE : Lo-Fi Portal Wireframes

The caregiver portal serves as a centralized platform for caregivers to access resources, support, and information to assist them in their caregiving journey. It offers educational content, practical tips, support groups, and tools to help caregivers manage tasks effectively.

The portal was structured with clear and intuitive navigation, organized into distinct sections for easy access to information and tools relevant to caregivers' tasks and challenges

Additionally, interactive elements such as guided tours, tooltips, and interactive tutorials were incorporated to assist users in navigating the portal and familiarizing themselves with its features.

Example Caregiver Journey : Registered, Returning, Un-Reg, Un-Reg Returning Users

Key touch points and milestones in the caregiving journey, such as when caregivers first become aware of the need for support, when they seek information and resources, and when they engage with the portal for assistance were recognized and highlighted and thoughtfully designed for.

Prototyping in Hi-Fi

Transitioning to high-fidelity mockups introduced detailed design elements and interactivity, refining the appearance for a polished presentation. Usability testing sessions were then conducted to validate design decisions and gather feedback, leading to optimizations aimed at improving user engagement.

Beta version of the Caregiver Marketplace based on wireframes and requirements, focusing on functionality and usability.
Final Color Palette and design assists continiously being tested.

Desktop Example:

Iterative refinement based on real-user feedback allowed for continuous improvement and optimization of the platform.

Content Strategy:

Developed a strategy to curate and organize the backlog of educational content and resources, ensuring relevance and accessibility for caregivers.

Six Month Validiation:

The Caregiver Marketplace successfully launched as a user-centric platform, providing caregivers with a supportive and informative environment. The platform received positive feedback from users, with high engagement and satisfaction reported.

NPS = 40
Promoters (scores 9-10): 60
Passives (scores 7-8): 20
Detractors (scores 0-6): 20
User Adoption Rate: 60% of registered users actively engaged with the portal during the first six months.
User Engagement Metrics:
- Average Session Duration: 12 minutes
- Number of Sessions per User: 5 sessions on average per user
- Frequency of Return Visits: 45% of users returned to the portal after their initial visit
Content Consumption Metrics:
- Total Views of Educational Resources: 10,000 +views
- Interaction with Support Articles: 500+ interactions (likes, comments, shares)
- Usage of Interactive Tools: 67% users utilized interactive tools
User Satisfaction App Stores:
- User Ratings and Feedback: Average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars based on user feedback Apple Store
Task Completion Rates:
- Profile Setup Completion Rate: 70% of users completed their caregiver profile setup process
- Participation in Support Groups: 34% caregivers joined support groups
- Utilization of Caregiving Tools: 60% of users utilized caregiving tools provided
Conversion Rates:
- Premium Services Sign-Up Rate: 2% of users signed up for premium services
- Completion of Online Courses: 89 users completed online courses
Retention Metrics:
- Retention Rate: 50% of users continued to engage with the portal over the six-month period