Project Details
Client: Inspire of Central Florida
Role: UX/UI Researcher & Designer
Timeline: 8 weeks
Project Type: Capstone / UX for Emergency Response
Tools: Figma, Zoom, Google Suite, Affinity Mapping, HeyMarvin (AI Note Taking Tool)
Client: Inspire of Central Florida
Role: UX/UI Researcher & Designer
Timeline: 8 weeks
Project Type: Capstone / UX for Emergency Response
Tools: Figma, Zoom, Google Suite, Affinity Mapping, HeyMarvin (AI Note Taking Tool)
Motivation
I chose this project because it’s something that I've been close to for a long time.
I worked at Inspire of Central Florida, a nonprofit adult day program that supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. My sister is the current Director of the program. I built strong relationships with the staff and the specialists, many of whom are nonverbal or have complex medical conditions like epilepsy, diabetes, and severe food allergies.
While working there, I witnessed how chaotic and stressful emergencies could be, especially when time is limited and information is hard to find. This experience made me realize that even the most dedicated caregivers need better tools to protect the people they serve.
Context:
Why Nonprofits Struggle with Technology
Why Nonprofits Struggle with Technology
Before beginning the design, I researched the broader tech landscape for nonprofits. The stats were alarming:
Many of these nonprofits are
underfunded, underdeveloped, and overworked.
underfunded, underdeveloped, and overworked.
• 75% of nonprofit leaders cited internal resistance to tech and siloed information as barriers to digital adoption
• 72% used at least three disconnected systems, causing workflow gaps
• In 2024, only 28% of grantmakers allocated more than 6–10% of budgets to technology (down from 36% in 2022)
This project wasn’t just about making an app. It was about solving a real, systemic problem with a lightweight, intuitive, and feasible tool.
SITUATION
“Every second counts.”
A seizure can happen anywhere, during a group activity, in the hallway, or out on the track. When it starts, everything changes. A specialist collapses. Others begin to panic. Some pace, others cry. The environment becomes chaotic.
Caretakers react quickly, but the system is not built to help them. One person stays with the individual in crisis. Someone else sprints to retrieve a thick binder full of paper profiles. The binder might be across the building, or worse, outdated. Staff flip through pages, hoping they find the right allergy warnings, seizure protocols, or guardian contacts in time.
Meanwhile:
• Someone needs to call 911 and describe the emergency in detail
• A second person tries to reach the specialist’s guardian
• Others comfort nearby specialists and try to prevent further behavioral escalation
• Once the incident ends, staff are required to file a report within two hours, relying on memory after an overwhelming event.
• It’s fast. It’s manual. It’s full of pressure. And it happens all the time.
• A second person tries to reach the specialist’s guardian
• Others comfort nearby specialists and try to prevent further behavioral escalation
• Once the incident ends, staff are required to file a report within two hours, relying on memory after an overwhelming event.
• It’s fast. It’s manual. It’s full of pressure. And it happens all the time.
TASK
Design a mobile-first emergency medical system that would:
• Provide instant access to accurate, up-to-date medical and guardian information
• Assign clear emergency roles to avoid confusion during Code Blues
• Simplify 911 and guardian communication through pre-filled templates
• Work offline when internet access is unreliable or unavailable
• Enable fast, collaborative incident reporting with voice-to-text and autosave features
ANALYSIS
Primary Persona: Landon (Caretaker)
Age: 32
Role: Classroom caregiver, supervises 10 specialists
Emergencies managed: 1–2 per month
Role: Classroom caregiver, supervises 10 specialists
Emergencies managed: 1–2 per month
Landon is often the first to respond, but current systems make the job harder.
Goals:
• Deliver accurate and effective care under pressure.• Ensure the safety and dignity of individuals during medical emergencies through timely and coordinated response.
Barriers:
Slow binder retrieval
No guidance during emergencies
Reports based on memory
Guardian updates often outdated
While Landon represents the primary user, I also designed with others in mind.
Jenna, a teacher, is often alone in the classroom. She needs something visual and intuitive to help her respond quickly even without medical training.
Melissa, a guardian, worries constantly about her son. She wants reassurance that staff have the right information at the right time. But she struggles to keep forms updated because of her busy schedule.
These stories grounded the interface in empathy and usability. It wasn’t about personas as templates. It was about honoring real lives.
CURRENT STATE VS FUTURE STATE
User Interviews
Six staff members were interviewed via Zoom, including educators, aides, admin staff, and a facility director. Sessions lasted 30–40 minutes and explored their roles during emergencies, barriers with current workflows, and ideas for improvement.
“Everybody has a certain response to a crisis. You have fight, flight, or freeze. And if a tool helps you get out of freeze—that’s huge.”
Every participant experienced frustration with the current system. Most emergencies were handled instinctively, with little structure or consistency. Many admitted to duplicating tasks during Code Blues, second-guessing protocols, or forgetting key report details afterward.
Key Themes Identified:
1. Information Access is Slow and Inconsistent
Binders were often outdated or missing. Profiles were hard to flip through under pressure.
Binders were often outdated or missing. Profiles were hard to flip through under pressure.
2. Emergency Roles Are Disorganized
No consistent process for deciding who stays, who calls 911, and who finds the binder.
No consistent process for deciding who stays, who calls 911, and who finds the binder.
3. Medical Handoff is Unstructured
Paramedics often rely on verbal summaries. Staff may not know what info to prioritize.
Paramedics often rely on verbal summaries. Staff may not know what info to prioritize.
4. Incident Reports Are Fragmented
Reports are done hours later, based on memory, and submitted individually.
Reports are done hours later, based on memory, and submitted individually.
5. Guardian Communication is Manual and Prone to Gaps
Parents often forget to update medical info. Contacting them is slow and inconsistent.
Parents often forget to update medical info. Contacting them is slow and inconsistent.
Usability Testing – Round 1 (Low Fidelity)
I tested a clickable wireframe with five staff members using simulated emergency scenarios.
What worked:
• Role labels (Primary, Support) were helpful once explained
• Tabs for medical and guardian info were easy to follow
• Staff preferred simplified reporting with checkboxes and dropdowns
What needed improvement:
• Emergency roles needed clearer instructions upfront
• Code Blue button needed more intentional placement
• Staff wanted visual trust indicators, like “last updated” tags
“I liked that I didn’t have to type everything out. Just checkboxes and quick details.
Usability Testing – Round 2 (Mid-High Fidelity)
The second round refined visuals and added real-time features like timers, map views, and reporting flows.
What worked:
• Lock-screen Code Blue activation cut down reaction time
• Seizure timer and in-app instructions increased staff confidence
• Guardian contact tracking created more transparency
• Voice-to-text reporting reduced stress post-incident
“You don’t have to think about what to do. The app tells you, just help the person.”
RESULTS
• Role-based prompts reduced panic and duplication
• Guardian communication was quicker and tracked
• Staff felt supported, not burdened, by reporting
The system helped reduce cognitive load during and after high-stress moments, transforming chaos into coordination.
The system helped reduce cognitive load during and after high-stress moments, transforming chaos into coordination.
NEXT STEPS
Wearable Integration
Trigger pre-alerts using seizure motion data.
Trigger pre-alerts using seizure motion data.
Guardian Portal
Allow families to update information and receive emergency summaries.
Allow families to update information and receive emergency summaries.
Attendance System Integration
Sync emergency readiness with daily check-ins and roll call.
Sync emergency readiness with daily check-ins and roll call.