From Concept To MVP

Designing for Emotional Support in Caregiving Journeys

ROLE

UX Design- Ownership - Visual Design

TEAM

1 Graphist - 1 Developer

INDUSTRY

E-Health

YEAR

Feb 2023- Present

ROLE

UX Design- Ownership - Visual Design

TEAM

1 Graphist - 1 Developer

INDUSTRY

E-Health

Duration

Feb 2023- Present

Overview

42% of partners reported feelings of isolation and anxiety. How might we support SCI partners through digital tools?

OBJECTIVES

Feelinks is envisioned as a supportive digital hub to foster connections, shared experiences, and emotional support among the partners of people with a spinal cord injury (SCI).

mETHODES

Field Study
Explorative Interview
Stakeholder Map
Persona
Empathy Map
Wireframing
Paper Prototyping
MVP
Figma
Jotform
Miro
Meet

IMPACT

Breaking isolation for an estimated 2.5 million+ SCI caregivers worldwide who often experience 3× higher rates of depression than the general population.

Centralizing critical knowledge that reduces the average 7.5 hours weekly that caregivers spend searching for information across 12+ fragmented online sources
Building community resilience through peer-to-peer support, potentially reducing the 40% of SCI partners who report feeling severely isolated
Enhancing caregiving quality by addressing the needs of partners who provide an average of 11.3 hours of daily care, valued at $120,000+ annually per caregiver

Introduction

When a spinal cord injury changes everything, who supports the supporters?

Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) are life-altering events that extend their impact beyond the affected individuals to their close relatives, especially partners. This traumatic life event brings significant changes for partners, resulting in mental and physical burdens and putting them at risk of burnout. Each question and each challenge underscore the multifaceted nature of the issues.

social activists

Insurance companies

Rehab Centers

Hospitals

Suppliers

Media

Scholars

Indirect stakeholders

Doctors

Municipalities

The government

SCI Families

SCI patients

direct stakeholders

SCI Partners & Caregivers

core Stakeholders

The problem

As 42% of SCI partners reported feelings of isolation and anxiety, more attention and support are essential to alleviating their challenges.

As an insider, I got to know I am not the only person with feelings of isolation and depression after the accident that happened to my partner.
Based on my literature research, there are

"The partner had to cope with the shock, support the injured partner during the institutionalized rehabilitation, and struggle to make their relationship and life together function again."

"They were struck by the brutal fact that their partner had been seriously injured, and their own needs faded into the background."

"The partners experienced much distress and appreciated the support they got but felt that they were mainly left to manage the difficult process on their own."

(Johnson et al.)

"The partner had to cope with the shock, support the injured partner during the institutionalized rehabilitation, and struggle to make their relationship and life together function again."

"They were struck by the brutal fact that their partner had been seriously injured, and their own needs faded into the background."

"The partners experienced much distress and appreciated the support they got but felt that they were mainly left to manage the difficult process on their own."

(Johnson et al.)

Discovery

I found a Facebook group of 2000+ international women with their partners in a wheelchair.

That was the best place to validate the insights from literature using the research canvas method.
Reaching out to them, I managed to plan several interviews to gather insights in a detailed way.

Discovery

INTERVIEW INSIGHTS

The interviews validated the fact that there is room for improvement of the platform they currently use. (the Facebook group).

The interviews validated the fact that there is room for improvement of the platform they currently use. (the Facebook group).
The suggestions helped me map all the needs and pain points and translate them to design solutions.

The insights helped me map all the needs and pain points and translate them to design solutions.

Intuitive Process

Users find it difficult to locate key features like "Add Money" or Send/Request due to complex navigation. Users seem to find their prone due to confusing category errors and unclear information architecture.

Fee Transparency

Users face confusion and frustrations with unclear and excessive transaction fees and conversion rates. Which shows lack of transparency around fees.

Flexible Payment Scheduling

Users need more flexibility and control over their payments, specifically the ability to schedule future transactions.

Data Driven Persona

Using the data gathered from the user interviews helped me draw a more realistic picture of the users.

Sarah and Debbie represent two caregiver archetypes: The Empathic Caregiver, reflecting the majority who seek emotional support, and The Resourceful Partner, who actively looks for tools and community to manage care. While Sarah feels emotionally overwhelmed and isolated, Debbie focuses on solutions and balance. Together, they highlight the emotional and practical needs in SCI caregiving.