CareLab Collective
Overview
A partnership with CareLab Collective, a community platform where parents of neurodivergent and disabled children can find support and connection.
Duration
Sept - Dec 2024
Team
3 people
Role
UX Designer | User Researcher
Target Users
Parents of ND children
Overview
Our Client
Our clients, Jessica Mingus and Rachel Henes, have been caregivers for a long time. They have both been co-moderators of a local peer support group for parents of neurodiversity and disabled kids, which has been a lifeline for hundreds of families in our hometown. Jessica started the group in the depths of the COVID lockdown, which quickly became a community of parents. Over time, the group became a vibrant hub for over 400 families.
The Problem/Client Needs
CareLab Collective approached us with the goal of transforming their local support group into a digital platform. They needed:
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Design Expertise: Guidance to turn their vision into a functional platform.
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Competitive Research: Insights into existing solutions to inform unique and impactful features.
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Platform Planning: Clear strategies for defining functionality and user experience.
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Interface Design: A user-friendly and accessible design tailored to caregivers’ needs.
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Pilot Preparation: A fully functional platform ready for testing with 50 real users by January.
This collaboration aims to ensure the platform provides meaningful support to caregivers everywhere.
Our Mission
We believe no one should feel alone in their caregiving journey. For CareLab Collective, we aim to:
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Foster an inclusive and supportive community.
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Empower parents to share struggles, celebrate victories, and exchange strategies.
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Build a space that strengthens connections and resilience among caregivers.
Project Plan and Goals
Stage 1
Empathize & Define
Our clients have conducted user research, including 2 interviews and a survey with 36 responses. We visualized the interview data and created an affinity map. Through this, we could see caregivers need access to services and support in navigating system and bureaucracy, balancing diverse needs of children, school and education challenges, transition to adulthood, and emotional and mental well-being.
Affinity Map
Visualizations for Survey Data
“How Might We” Questions
We also created “How Might We” questions to facilitate us find out the directions of our work.
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How might we create a seamless and welcoming experience for caregivers?
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How might we help users quickly find and connect with others?
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How might we help ND parents and caregivers raise their kids more confidently?
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How might we help caregivers find trusted services and resources?
Personas
We created two personas to represent different types of users. We have users of various identities. For example, new parents, parents who are new to services or diagnosis, veteran parents with experience, and parents who come to new stages of the journey.
Lisa, a 40-year-old mother and part-time teacher, cares for her 6-year-old daughter with cerebral palsy. She seeks reliable, peer-vetted resources and connections with other caregivers to feel supported. However, she struggles with finding practical solutions, personalized guidance, and managing time for research. Lisa values connection, reliability, and advocacy, using platforms like Facebook and YouTube to engage with communities that understand her journey.
David, a 45-year-old engineer and father of two, is navigating his 4-year-old son’s recent ADHD diagnosis. He feels anxious and overwhelmed by conflicting advice online, struggling to find practical tools to help his son while balancing his older daughter’s needs. David’s motivations center around understanding, balance, and connection—gaining clarity on ADHD, maintaining harmony within his family, and connecting with other parents for shared advice and support. Platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Reddit serve as his go-to resources to feel less isolated and better equipped to help his family.
Stage 2
Ideate & Prototype
Platform Comparative Analysis
Due to budget considerations, the customer initially intended to use bettermode as the platform for Care Lab Collective. However, after we conducted a comparative analysis of the supporting platforms bettermode, circle and mighty and their different plans, we concluded that circle did a better job in terms of learning curve, app support and registration process. Even though it is more expensive, it will save our customers a lot of learning and maintenance costs in the long run.
Solution Generation
Bridging research findings to solution.
💡QUICK INPUT
By introducing a warm welcome message, a structured orientation program, and tools for community integration, we ensure caregivers feel supported and valued from the start.
💡QUICK INPUT
By offering features like affirmation highlights, a win wall, and caregiver spotlights, we foster connections and create a supportive community where users can quickly find and engage with others.
💡QUICK INPUT
By celebrating wins, sharing inspiring caregiver stories, and providing expert advice through blogs, we create a supportive space that empowers ND parents and caregivers to raise their kids with confidence.
💡QUICK INPUT
This approach ensures caregivers can quickly find the support they need, revisit important insights at their convenience, and get clear answers to common concerns—all in one centralized platform.
Design Result
After choosing Circle as the platform, our next step was to integrate the desired features gradually. Leveraging Circle’s intuitive design interface, we efficiently implemented the client’s requirements without the need for coding. During this phase, we translated the client’s needs into functional designs, bringing the community’s framework to life. The design focused on simplicity while fostering an atmosphere of warmth and care, ensuring the platform provided a safe, welcoming, and user-friendly experience for the community.
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Welcome Page
Where you go when you first land in the community to get an orientation and see how things work.
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“Events” Section
Access live and in-person sessions led by parent-leaders, advocates, and professionals.
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“Let’s share” Section
A place to say hi and share your accomplishments during the progression of this journey.
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Chat Boards & Location Hubs
Safe spaces to say hi, ask questions, share insights, and offer encouragement tailored to your child’s diagnosis, identity, or location.
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Resource Section
A curated collection of tools, articles, and guides to help you navigate this journey with confidence and compassion.
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Feedback Page
Where you can share your suggestions, vote for the next feature, and report bugs so we can improve our community as soon as we see it.