Veteran Pathfinder

Discovery

User Interviews & User Research

While there was a lack of funding, there was no lack of enthusiasm. The problems veterans faced had to be understood from the national scale down to ground level.

Individual Level

Individual Level

Need

To understand how veterans are finding solutions on their own? What works, what doesn’t and why?

Solution

Veteran Interviews

7 veterans were interviewed for 60 minutes.

Insights Gained

1. Veterans suffer from a loss of: Community
   Service & Mission
   Achievement & Recognition

2. Veterans often have family, fellow veterans, or friends as a support system; this support system often faces the same challenges, and may be part of a solution.

3. Veterans know a wealth of information about solutions for the challenges they face.

Community Level

Community Level

Need

To understand how communities of veterans are working together to face problems, how well they work.

Solution

Social Media Platforms

Online platforms and their veteran communities were examined.

Insights Gained

Social media offers responses to some problems, but suffers from:

1. Incorrect information
2. Unorganized Information
3. Outdated Information

National Level

National Level

Need

To understand major trends in the veteran community on a national scale, through in-depth research spanning decades.

Solution

Governmental Research Documents

Research from the Veterans Administration, and other research organizations were examined.

Insights Gained

1. Causes of problems may have several sources, that can multiply if not treated: physical, emotional, financial, psychological.

2. There is no single source of expertise to the varied problems the veteran community faces.

3. There are several good resources; and several bad resources, it is a challenge to weed them out.

Define

Personas & Empathy Maps

To guide design, based on user needs, the interview and Veteran’s Administration research data entered into AI and developed into personas and empathy maps, which gave me key insights.

Allen

The Helper

Age 52

Retired infantryman, now volunteers at a local Veterans' Outreach center.

"I'm looking for the same fellowship I had in my first unit."

Challenges

Isolation after leaving service.

Lacks a sense of community.

Struggles with adjusting to civilian life.

Core Needs

Opportunities for meaningful volunteer

Sense of belonging and purpose.

Connection with others that have had similar experiences.

Behaviors

Actively seeks out volunteer opportunities at local veterans' centers.

Frequently looks for ways to connect with people he served with.

Participates in online veteran forums.

Attitudes

Willing to help others but feels uncertain about how to contribute.

Eager to help veterans avoid the trial-and-error path he had to endur

Wants to feel valued in his post-service life.

Diana

The Rebuilder

Age 37

Army veteran who struggles with mental health challenges.

"I need support from others who understand what I’ve gone through."

Challenges

Struggles with PTSD, but hesitates seeking help due to privacy concerns.

Veteran resources are scattered, and points of contact are hard to find.

Core Needs

Access to mental health support.

Respect for privacy and autonomy while healing.

To support others with her strength and get support from others who understand her.

Behaviors

Tends to isolate when feeling overwhelmed.

Willing to try new therapies if they are recommended by peers.

Participates only in small and trusted communities.

Attitudes

Desires privacy and respect.

Wants to feel empowered in her healing process.

Wants to be part of something bigger, but on her terms.

Jamal

The Seeker

Age 25

Navy veteran, adjusting and exploring career options.

"I have developed as a leader in the Navy, how can I get the corporate world to see it."

Challenges

Struggles to find a stable career after

military service.

Financial instability and debt.

Learning how to establish himself in the corporate world.

Core Needs

To have his career benefit from years of military experience and training.

Stability in long-term career prospects.

Mentorship from those who’ve successfully transitioned.

Behaviors

Seeks advice from peers who have already transitioned.

Frequently searches for career-focused online groups.

Navigating the bureaucracy in the veteran assistance system.

Attitudes

Determined to make the most of his post-service life.

Feels uncertain about the future but willing to explore.

Worries about financial stability.

Peter

The Fighter

Age 44

Marine Corps veteran who sustained injuries during service.

"I need a hand up, not a hand out."

Challenges

Chronic injuries from combat.

Difficulty finding accessible work due to physical limitations.

Feeling misunderstood by others who have not experienced similar trauma.

Core Needs

Connection with others who have experienced similar challenges.

Respect for physical limitations.

Find a community that values his knowledge and experience.

Behaviors

Regularly seeks medical advice for injury management.

Actively advocates for fellow veterans’ healthcare.

Joins online support groups for disabled veterans.

Attitudes

Reluctant to ask for help, but appreciates it when it is offered.

Passionate about helping others in similar situations.

Believes in personal strength and self-reliance, but recognizes the importance of community.

Common Themes in the Personas

• Community
• Achievement
• Recognition
• Service

Insights into Action

1. The number of challenges was too large for me to take on with a limited budget.

2. The only group large enough and with the expertise to take on the challenges was the veteran community; I just needed to create a platform that made it possible.

3. A crowdsourced platform would also provide veterans with the opportunity to fulfill their needs of community, achievement, recognition, and service.

Key Crowdsourcing Factors

• User-Driven Veterans/supporters can target real-world issues, propose solutions, and comment on ideas.

• Tailored Solutions Crowdsourced platforms can generate specific, usable solutions to people’s unique needs, from people who understand.

• Privacy Veterans can maintain anonymity while accessing valuable information or seeking advice.

• Community Building The platform can foster a sense of belonging, by providing a safe environment for veterans to share resources, experiences.

• Comprehensive Support By including veterans and supporters (e.g., family members, healthcare providers), the platform can provide comprehensive solutions for veterans.

IA

Information Architecture (IA) & User Flow

Testing's First Lesson

The original prototype tested well for basic writing, but user feedback made it clear I needed to redesign the platform so that it would promote community communication.

Publishing Focused Architecture

I assumed that as a content platform, my best course would be to design it after established CMS applications. I studied WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla, where users login and can immediately start publishing. User feedback made me rethink the architecture.

Communication Focused Architecture

Communication and community need to be the backbone of the platform. I redesign the architecture by moving messages from a separate page to the home page, giving users immediate access to the community.

Redesigned Prototypes

The standard home page for a publishing platform won’t cut it. Users wanted to get and send updates and ideas; as soon as they logged in, 3 designs were tested.
(The center design performed best.)

Home Page as Communication Hub

1. Menu of all messages, organized by tag.
2. View of all messages from selected category.
3. Community Chat allows a constant exchange of ideas.

Now that I understood the best solution to fulfill the user's need would be a crowdsourcing platform, the user flow and site map had to be worked out so that wireframes and prototypes could be generated and tested.

User Flows

Design

Wireframes & Visual Design

Wireframes

Visual Design

Testing

Usability Testing & Iteration

Testing's Second Lesson

Again, the early prototype I created was designed to be efficient at writing, and it tested well, however users let me know they needed a design that made it easier to collaborate, not just write.

The Question That Launched a Workshop:

"What do you like/dislike about the writing process?"

Below: Users were asked what they needed before, during, and after they created content.

workshop

Center Box

To provide the environment the user needed, I had to rethink the workflow and redesign the platform.

Standard Writing Flow

The standard writing flow would not allow the required community collaboration.

Collaborative Writing Flow

The first prototype test let me know that users wanted a platform that allowed them to discuss ideas for content.

The second let me know I needed to allow users to have support through every step of producing content.

• Every page has a link to the community chat (Pathfinder's Square) that acts as a place where users can exchange ideas for pages.
• Users can assign writing teams to their pages.
• Writing teams can provide feedback and suggest page edits.

User Need 1: Collaborative Writing Through UI

Writing Team Feedback

1. A writing team can be created to act as co-authors.

2. Co-authors can comment and make suggestions.

3. Co-authors can have their suggested edits displayed in content to be accepted or rejected.

User Need 2: Validation Through UI

Problem: Motivation

Solution: Gamification

Four needs voiced in user interviews with veterans were regaining Community, Achievement, Recognition, and Service; careful thought was put into what statistics would be best to present to them and how. Gamification with points based on the quality and quantity of pages produced allows an alignment between user and application goals.

Header & Identity

When a veteran leaves service, they lose the uniform; the uniform displays the unit, name, and rank of the service member. The header has analogous design features: the Veteran Pathfinder crest, name, rank, and points, providing a sense of place and accomplishment as the veteran’s uniform did.

Impact

Evaluation & Metrics

Measuring the impact of a platform with limited resources is challenging, but it can be done by focusing on qualitative insights, user feedback, and demonstrating clear, actionable outcomes.

Success Measured

To prove the success of the platform, I collected both quantitative and qualitative data.

Key indicators included:

• High satisfaction and positive testimonials from users.
• Clear behavioral patterns indicating continued engagement and use.
• Concrete outcomes, such as participants resolving critical issues like housing or accessing mental health resources.
• Identification of successful features and areas for improvement.

Next Steps

Continuous Improvement

Users were positive about the platform and expressed favorably about the variety of solutions they found, and they had ideas for improvement.

Users wanted live video chats; others liked the video chat concept but wanted an inconspicuous option for remaining anonymous.

With more funding and time, there are several improvements that can be made to the platform.

Covering Veteran's Needs

Near Term

Congratulations!

Silver Iron Will Badge

You have earned the Silver Iron Will Badge. Your pages guiding veterans through rehabilitation have been viewed 2,000 times and have an average of 4.00 points.

Congratulations!

Gold Iron Will Badge

You have earned the Gold Iron Will Badge. Your pages guiding veterans through rehabilitation have been viewed 4,000 times and have an average of 4.50 points.

Making it Easier to Contribute

Far Term

Remove pain-points in the contributor’s user journey.

Removing the toughest parts of writing.

Artificial Intelligence

1  Expertise & Interest

1  Expertise & Interest

A Navy veteran, Alonzo, is interested in helping the veteran community enters his areas of experience.

2  AI: Assigning Talent

2  AI: Assigning Talent

The Veteran Pathfinder AI has noticed a Google Alert on TBI issues and an increased number of searches on the platform.

Knowing Alonzo has managed TBI, the AI arranges a time for him and fellow Pathfinders to write a page on TBI.

3  Writing Team & AI

3  Writing Team & AI

The Veteran Pathfinder AI has written an outline of topics that would be most beneficial to cover in regard to TBI.

Alonzo meets with the TBI writing team to discuss the best treatments for and how to manage TBI, while the Veteran Pathfinder AI writes the page that can be read by visitors and used as data for the platform's AI to answer users' questions.

Lessons

Key Takeaways

1. Designing for VS Designing with

Lesson: While it's common to talk about designing for underserved groups like veterans, I learned the deeper value of designing with them. My early assumptions, even with the best of intentions, missed key nuances of their needs.

Implementation Insight: I had to shift from a standard interview to co-creation workshops, giving veterans not just a voice but a role in shaping the features and priorities, making Veteran Pathfinder a more collaborative platform.

2. Validation Loops Build Momentum

Lesson: Participants wanted to know that their contributions mattered. Lack of follow-up made the platform feel like a black hole, and participation suffered.

Implementation Insight: Gamification, using real world data in a dashboard not only let users know that had an impact, but help them become more effective participants.

3. Designer & Developer

Lesson: Being responsible for design and development was a great learning experience. Combining the knowledge of the user’s needs with the capabilities of programming results in better products.

Implementation Insight: I’m as guilty of this as other designers, in the past I simply asked engineering teams if they could code a feature. By having conversations with engineering teams about the over-all goals of a project, along with the user’s needs I give them the opportunity to generate options, and shape projects, resulting in better user experiences.

What This Means for You