CareBridge
A capstone project focused on creating a supportive system for underserved mothers. It addresses the challenges that parents, especially low-income or single mothers, face in balancing childcare with their own healthcare needs.
ROLE
UX Design,
UX Research
DURATION
01.2025 - 04.2025
TEAMMATES
3 UX/UI Designers
4 Researchers
CONTEXT
CareBridge began with the challenge to design a service that helps users navigate bias in systems and services. My team focused specifically on healthcare, where we identified that many mothers, especially those with lower incomes, struggle to access care due to a lack of affordable childcare.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Mothers, especially those with low incomes and limited support, often prioritize their children’s needs over their own due to societal pressure and financial constraints that limit access to affordable childcare and healthcare.
UNDERSTANDING PROBLEMS
SECONDARY RESEARCH
Barriers to healthcare access for low-income mothers
Childcare & Cost
Childcare and financial constraints limit healthcare access for mothers.
Work-Life Struggles
Single, low-income mothers face work-life balance challenges and limited support, affecting healthcare access.
Kids Complicate Visits
Attending appointments with kids is difficult for mothers, straining parents and healthcare workers.
PRIMARY RESEARCH
Understanding the challenges and opportunities for parents
🔎
Accessibility and Cost as Primary Barriers
Limited childcare access and affordability remain the biggest challenges preventing many mothers from attending to their healthcare needs. Affordable, reliable, and accessible childcare options are essential to address these barriers effectively.
🔎
Trust and Openness to Alternative Care Models
Parents expressed openness toward cost-effective, volunteer-based childcare, indicating that trust and perceived safety play a crucial role in whether they would adopt such solutions.
🔎
Strength of Community Networks
Parents often rely on family, friends, and local networks for support. Community-driven initiatives can help improve awareness, trust, and adoption of new childcare or healthcare access solutions.
PRIMARY RESEARCH
Understanding the challenges and opportunities for hospitals
🔎
Strong Potential for Partnerships
80% of facilities are open to collaboration, presenting opportunities to integrate childcare services. Some hospitals are already exploring private daycare partnerships to meet this need.
🔎
Volunteer Sourcing Already in Progress
Other facilities reported sourcing volunteers through their websites and social media, but they face challenges due to the need for additional staff to manage childcare operations effectively.
🔎
Flexible Scheduling is Essential
Many patients book appointments by phone or walk in, underscoring the need for flexible scheduling to ensure childcare can be properly coordinated and accessible for parents.
SYSTEM MAP
Understanding the current healthcare environment for mothers
This map explores the existing environment, highlights system gaps, and outlines the relationships between primary stakeholders, such as mothers, and secondary stakeholders, like healthcare providers. It reveals where current solutions fall short, particularly in accessibility and reliability.
BRAINSTORMING & IDEATION
USER JOURNEY MAP
Seeing the service through a mother’s eyes
Based on insights from user interviews with parents and healthcare providers, we created a user journey map outlining a mother's experience from the moment she is referred to our childcare service to the completion of her visit. It helped us visualize key touchpoints, emotions, and barriers, allowing us to design a more seamless and supportive service experience.
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Creating order before design
To translate our insights into a clear digital experience, we created an information architecture to clarify our content structure and prioritize key features. This process helped us focus on building a secure and accessible childcare solution. Our goal was to ensure a safe and trustworthy environment, with a focus on parent peace of mind through being transparent, while enabling seamless booking and scheduling to support parents with varying healthcare needs.
USER TASK FLOW
Mapping the experience of parents from discovery to childcare appointment
After identifying key touchpoints and pain points in the user journey map, we created a parent’s user task flow to focus on the specific actions a user takes within our service. This helped us translate emotional insights into clear, functional steps for a smoother and more intuitive user experience.
LO-FIS
Visualizing the solution
Learn More
About Us
Home
Volunteer Opportunities
Our Hospitals
Write a Review
Community
Discover feedback and suggestions from parents who have used our childcare services
Discover feedback and suggestions from parents who have used our childcare services
Sara
Discover feedback and suggestions from parents who have used our childcare services
Emily
Discover feedback and suggestions from parents who have used our childcare services
John
Discover feedback and suggestions from parents who have used our childcare services
Alex
Kitchener, ON
Mississauga Hospital
London, ON
Grand River Hospital
How it Works
Simple steps to find the perfect hospital with on-site childcare.
Childcare services at hospitals
30+
Volunteers cared for children
100+
Children taken care of
200+
Find more about our progress and help us grow more
Volunteer Now
Our services are growing everyday
Dashboard Login
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy
+1 234 5678
help@ourservices.com
Explore
Find a hospital near you
About
Our journey
Admin Login
How do we help parents
Why did we start our services
Careers
Support
FAQs
Contact Us
Looking to sign up for childcare
Grow our services
Volunteer with us
Search Locations
Enter your location to find hospitals with on-site childcare facilities near you.
Compare Options
Review detailed information about childcare services, hours, and facilities.
Schedule a Visit
Book a session during one of the allocated times and meet the childcare staff in person.
Home Page
About Us
Home
Volunteer Opportunities
Our Hospitals
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy
+1 234 5678
help@ourservices.com
Explore
Find a hospital near you
About
Our journey
Admin Login
How do we help parents
Why did we start our services
Careers
Support
FAQs
Contact Us
Looking to sign up for childcare
Grow our services
Volunteer with us
Dashboard Login
Write a Review
Community
Discover feedback and suggestions from parents who have used our childcare services
Discover feedback and suggestions from parents who have used our childcare services
Sara
Discover feedback and suggestions from parents who have used our childcare services
Emily
Discover feedback and suggestions from parents who have used our childcare services
John
Discover feedback and suggestions from parents who have used our childcare services
Alex
Kitchener, ON
Mississauga Hospital
London, ON
Grand River Hospital
Find care at a hospital near you
City
Province
Kitchener
Ontario
Search
Filters
Favorites
Within 10km
Grand River Hospital
123 Victoria Street S, Kitchener, ON N02 9S6
(519) 749-4300
St. Mary’s General Hospital
911 Queen's Blvd, Kitchener, ON N2M 1B2
(519) 744-3311
Cambridge Memorial Hospital
700 Coronation Blvd, Cambridge, ON N1R 3G2
(519) 621-2330
Map
Local Hospitals Page
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy
+1 234 5678
help@ourservices.com
Explore
Find a hospital near you
About
Our journey
Admin Login
How do we help parents
Why did we start our services
Careers
Support
FAQs
Contact Us
Looking to sign up for childcare
Grow our services
Volunteer with us
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Learn More
How Can Volunteers Be Involved?
Learn More
Learn More
Learn More
Our Services
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Our offering
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Our Vision
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How do we help parents?
About Us
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About Us
Our Hospitals
Volunteer Opportunities
Home
Dashboard Login
Childcare services at hospitals
30+
Volunteers cared for children
100+
Children taken care of
200+
Find more about our progress and help us grow more
Our services are growing everyday
About Us Page
About Us
Home
Volunteer Opportunities
Our Hospitals
Grand River Hospital
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur tincidunt, nisi eget gravida pharetra, neque orci feugiat libero, sit amet fermentum lorem quam vel arcu.
(519) 749-4300
123 Victoria Street S, Kitchener, ON N02 9S6
Childcare Hours
Mon - Fri: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sat: 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Sun: CLOSED
Schedule Childcare Services
Date
mm-dd-yyyy
Time Slot
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Child’s Full Name
Child’s Age
Book Now
Childcare Facilities
Our Childcare Staff
Parent Reviews
Play Area
Safe and engaging play areas for different age groups
Food Service
Nutritious meals and snacks provided.
Learning Center
Educational activities and materials for development.
Benjamin Carter
Lead Caregiver
Sophia Mitchell
Lead Caregiver
Oliver Twist
Childcare Assistant
Patricia Chan
Childcare Assistant
Lucas Bennet
Childcare Assistant
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy
+1 234 5678
help@ourservices.com
Explore
Find a hospital near you
About
Our journey
Admin Login
How do we help parents
Why did we start our services
Careers
Support
FAQs
Contact Us
Looking to sign up for childcare
Grow our services
Volunteer with us
Susan Handel
11-05-2024
The hospital's childcare services provided exceptional care, creating a nurturing, safe, and supportive environment that put my mind at ease.
16
Reply
Michelle Tsang
12-13-2024
I was thoroughly impressed by the hospital's childcare services, offering engaging activities and professional care that exceeded my expectations.
6
Reply
Angela Meyers
08-03-2024
The hospital childcare team was incredibly attentive and compassionate, ensuring my child felt secure and happy during our stay.
28
Reply
Show More
Leave a Review
Your Name
Your Review
Submit Review
Rating
Individual Hospital Page
BRANDING & DESIGN SYSTEM
A caring foundation of color, typography, and tone.
CareBridge’s style guide embraces soft pastel colors and playful, childlike illustrations (such as hand-drawn doodles) to evoke a sense of warmth, friendliness, and gentle care. The use of the Poppins typeface was a deliberate choice: its rounded, approachable letterforms echo the soft and welcoming tone of the brand, reinforcing accessibility and trust for both children and caregivers alike.
01 Typography
02 Color Palette
03 Icons
Primary
HEX #0D464D
HEX #228594
HEX #FCF4D9
Styles
Secondary
HEX #0D464D
HEX #FE6D3A
HEX #FFC481
Typography
HEX #000000
Opacity 90%
HEX #000000
Opacity 70%
HEX #000000
Opacity 60%
H1
Family: Poppins
Weight: Semibold
Sizing: 36 px
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
H2
Family: Poppins
Weight: Semibold
Sizing: 32 px
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
H3
Family: Poppins
Weight: Semibold
Sizing: 24 px
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
P1
Family: Roboto
Weight: Regular
Sizing: 18 px
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USABILITY TESTING
TESTING PROCESS
Three rounds of user testing to refine and improve the prototype
We focused our usability testing on our primary users (parents, both returning and new) who were either looking to book childcare services or learn more about what CareBridge offers. To assess and enhance the usability of our prototype, we conducted three rounds of in-person, moderated think-aloud sessions. Each round included two participants and was followed by a semi-structured interview to gain deeper qualitative insights. In total, six participants took part in the study. To conclude, participants completed a post-interview survey featuring System Usability Scale (SUS) questions to collect quantitative feedback.
INSIGHT #1
Important Content Was Missed Due to Poor Scroll Cues
Many participants overlooked key information on the hospital page, mistakenly believing they had reached the end. This was primarily due to insufficient visual indicators prompting users to scroll further.
INSIGHT #2
Navigation Relied Too Heavily on the Footer
Users consistently turned to the footer for navigation, highlighting weaknesses in the main navigation structure. This behavior also revealed inconsistent or broken links in the footer, which disrupted trust and usability.
INSIGHT #3
Review Flow Had Friction
The booking process felt too long for several users, with the insurance information step seen as confusing or unnecessary. This led to hesitation and added cognitive load during task completion.
FINAL SOLUTION
Discover CareBridge
The homepage introduces how CareBridge works and shares testimonials from families to build trust and connection. The About Us page highlights our values, facilities, and vision, explaining why CareBridge exists and how volunteers help foster a compassionate, community-driven service.
Locate Hospitals Offering Our Childcare Service
This feature helps parents easily find hospitals that provide CareBridge childcare. The search and map tools are designed for quick navigation and filtering, allowing users to discover nearby facilities that fit their schedule and childcare needs.
Meet the Hospitals and Teams That Care
Parents can explore hospital profiles to learn about available childcare facilities and meet the staff who provide care. This section builds trust by showing the safe, welcoming spaces where children are supported by dedicated professionals.
Book Childcare with Confidence
Parents can book childcare while attending medical appointments through a guided, step-by-step process. Each section is designed to be clear and supportive, ensuring parents feel informed and reassured as they move through the booking flow.
REFLECTION
Designing for Real-World Constraints
Through this project, I learned that addressing systemic issues like childcare access means balancing ideal design solutions with real-world constraints such as cost, staffing, and policy. While it’s easy to design for user needs, sustainable implementation depends on community support, funding, and healthcare structures. This experience showed me that empathy must always be paired with feasibility.
The Value of Iterative Testing
I realized how crucial iterative testing is in refining a design that truly works for users. Each round of usability testing revealed new pain points and opportunities that we hadn’t initially considered. It showed me that user feedback isn’t a one-time step, it’s an ongoing process that strengthens both the product and my own design thinking skills.