The Village
2024
Challenge
We partnered with Sun Life Financial for our Global Business and Digital Arts capstone where we were tasked to design a solution to help close the gender gap in mental health care.
Outcome
High-fidelity Figma prototype
Corporate Entrepreneurship Proposal
Skills Used
Figma, Research, Summative Writing, Communication, Collaboration, Ideation
My Role
Head of Research
Final Prototype
Our solution is a platform to help women battling substance use disorder that offers personalized and accessible care throughout every step of the recovery journey. Click through our final iteration of the interactive prototype on Figma
Platform walkthrough
2024
The Process
Stage 1: Empathize
Since 2012, there has been a significant increase in mental health disorders, particularly among women. We started out by conducting research on Canada's current mental healthcare system and reflecting on our own personal experiences to find existing gaps.
Stage 2: Define
We discovered the link between substance abuse and anxiety disorders presents numerous challenges to Canada's healthcare system due to their interconnected nature and the existing inequalities and stigmas surrounding them. Therefore, we made our focus to explore how societal, psychological, and systemic factors contribute to women being less open about and seeking assistance for substance abuse. Using research on internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) and intersectionality, our goal was to enhance support systems through informed strategies and interventions.
In my role as Head of Research, I defined our research goals and objectives as well as managed the team's research roles. I assured our design decisions aligned with our research findings and we have data to support our positioning.
Stage 3: Ideate
After laying the groundwork, each group member pitched a project idea. I mediated the discussion to ensure it stayed aligned with our early research findings. We refined them into one big idea which was a community-based platform offering users personalized resources in a variety of mediums, free and covered by their specific Sun Life plan.
Big idea brainstorm session
2024
User journey map
2024
Assumptions activity and design requirement brainstorming session
2024
Stage 4: Prototype
We moved on to create prototypes for our minimum viable product (MVP), a digital product that provides a holistic solution for pregnant and parenting women struggling with substance use disorder. It offers a personalized care journey, adapting to users' daily emotional needs through tailored prompts and questions, with anonymous peer support groups to create an open and safe space. See an earlier prototype visualization below.
More information can be found in our MVP Report
Early product visualization
2024
Stage 5: Test
We conducted internal and external user testing on our MVP prototype to refine our product and create a high-fidelity prototype. A summary of improvements can be found in our High Fidelity Prototype Report as well as our process and insights.
Corporate Entrepreneurship Proposal
The other aspect of our capstone project is the feasibility which we discuss in our Corporate Entrepreneurship Proposal. There, we outline our company background, structure, strategies, market analysis and more.
Business Model Canvas
2024
