Designing a mobile platform for clearer child support payments
Designing a mobile platform for clearer child support payments
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A concept focused on improving transparency, communication, and trust between parents and the broader support system.
A concept focused on improving transparency, communication, and trust between parents and the broader support system.
Summary
Summary
Regarding child support services, it's no secret that the lack of transparency in financial transactions between parties can be a real issue. That's why it's essential to improve this transparency and ensure everyone involved can access all the information they need. One way to solve this is by increasing the custodian's control over how and when payments are delivered. By setting up a transparent system for sending and receiving money, both parties can rest easy knowing exactly where their funds are going and when they will arrive.
The Goal
The Goal
The goal of this app was to reduce friction and help build trust and confidence between parties within the transaction process, leading to more robust and productive relationships overall. Additionally, improving communication between custodial and non-custodial parents can go a long way toward building stronger relationships.
Background
Background
How might we provide clarity and communication between the child support system and the parents needing to operate within the system?
Business Goal
Business Goal
Improve the lack of transparency in transactions between parties
Increase control over how and when payments are delivered
Improve the relationship and communication between custodial and non-custodial parents.
My Work
My Work
Developed the overall design strategy
Identified user needs and product requirements
Conducted local user research to validate design decisions and identify opportunities for improvements
My Role
My Role
Role: Creator
UI/UX Designer (Class Project)Timeline: April 2022 - Current
Platform: Mobile App
Discover, Define + Refine the Process
Discover, Define + Refine the Process
To begin my discovery process, I interviewed friends interacting with the Child Support system in Texas and Ohio. Over the years, listening to their struggles and seeing a need for a better way, I conducted interviews to gain better insights into how those systems worked and didn't work. I also learned how information was stored and relayed to the custodial parties and got their opinions on what can improve the interaction with the system.
The project was tackled in 3 phases, with the overall design strategy being developed first. The journey for the custodial parent, non-custodial parent, and vendor services was built out in the following phases. Mapping the user journey with individual user flows to walk through the customer interaction was a helpful way to identify missed areas of opportunity that would make the mobile more functional and usable.
Solutions & Direction
Solutions & Direction
Wireframing + Prototyping
I defined my solution with wireframes to work through my ideas and give solidity to the concepts I was building. With this, the different use cases and features to include were defined. I showcased it to my user group to refine and gain feedback on my design direction.
Incorporating Feedback Into MVP Wireframes
Incorporating Feedback Into MVP Wireframes
Taking all the feedback into account and incorporating it into the app's MVP. Our main objective was to create a seamless communication process among custodial and non-custodial parties, the child support system, and vendors. Among my user groups, the ability to send immediate funds without the long institutional transfer timeline was the highest-ranked essential item we included.
Results Gained, Experiences & Main Takeaways
Results Gained, Experiences & Main Takeaways
There were many insights gained through this case study project, despite it being non-contracted work. Looking at this as a real issue for many people who live within this system and learning about their struggles was eye-opening. The key takeaway is that transparency and clear communication are the most important things for these customers. By ensuring that all vital information is always available and all interactions are tracked, utilizing these systems can become much more accessible. The story has three sides: the custodial parent, the non-custodial parent, and the legal vendor. Gathering as much information as possible and mapping each journey was crucial in understanding how to create a platform and mobile application that would serve everyone.
Summary
Summary
In conclusion, this was a case study, not a contracted project.
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