Visualizing the Future of Special Education Case Management

Design Visualization

A comprehensive product model to illustrate key interactions within a modernized digital system, enabling effective planning and strategy and sharing project outcomes across the client’s organization.

problem

A public department of education inundated with thousands of special education complaints is overwhelmed by the growing number of cases. With an inefficient digital system to fulfill cases accurately and on-time, the department is unable to efficiently resolve the legal requests of parents who need the appropriate education accommodations for their children.

Timeline

My Role

project Team

Tools and MEthods

8 weeks

Design Intern

Design Principal, Senior Researcher, Senior Designer, Researcher

Adobe CC, Figma, Miro, Otter

* * *

Project Proposal

For a one-year project engagement, the client requested our team to meet with front-facing workers to understand the current process of special education planning. Through interviews, contextual inquiry, and usability testing sessions, the team designed and validated new screen designs for a comprehensive system that serves the urgent need of upholding timely and accurate special education provisions.

During my two months on the project as a design intern, I produced a product model that illustrates the key moments in which each functioning member of case management interacts with and lives within the designed solution. An intermediary version of this model was used during a client workshop to garner information on system integrations, and the final version shared the project's outcomes throughout the client's organization.

The product model illustrates the key interactions of each member who will use the modernized system and which systems are integrated.

My contributions

Shadowed usability test on high fidelity screen flows.
Led the collection of project information and translated them into the product model.
Rapidly iterated on designs for the product model by meeting with team knowledge experts, sourcing synthesized findings, and referencing collected data to ensure accuracy.
Shared versions of the product model with the team for feedback and refinement.
Developed methods of note taking for a workshop with the client, using the product model as a tool of discussion.

Results

Facilitated planning and strategy discussions for next steps systems integrations, using the product model as a centerpiece during a client-facing workshop.
Disseminated project outcomes throughout the client's organization, using the product model as a marketing and sales tool.