Problem / Brief
design a multi-platform career coaching service to help the formerly incarcerated.
Amelia was intended to be a tone-sensitive platform that allowed people to connect and ameliorate their situation career-wise.
“
Our goal is to make a welcoming platform to allow those to learn at their own pace.
Ideation Process
Challenge
In addition to creating the design flow. The “company” doesn’t exist, so Amelia was created through ample research. Additionally, the task given is an extremely sensitive and important topic, so tone is essential to the success of the project.
Research and Planning
I had to limit my sample size for this research. Deciding the demographic was formerly incarcerated people of the United States, so that laws would be federally uniform. However, laws in each state vary so drastically that I had to do state by state research as well. After said research, I delved into asking those of whom had experienced the job finding, or recruiting process with former incarceration at the forefront.
Some people don't have ready access to a laptop, so a hand held version was essential in our design process. We then began organizing their thoughts and jotting down an action diagram for the app.
Mentor Personas
people we believe would want to give advice or help those formerly incarcerated.
Josh Quill
age: 32 | education: PhD in Economics | hometown: Akron, OH | family: Husband with two kids | occupation: Professor
“My brother's life was taken by unjust system in place, so now I want to help others find a fulfilling path."
Goals:
help people break into academia
connect others to his network he has built up
be empathetic and open
Frustrations:
“seeing people stuck because of a system not created to rehabilitate”
“there is so much lost potential in this world”
Amanza was incarcerated for protecting herself against her ex husband. She was given a sentence of 15 years but was let off after 8 with good behaivior. She got her GED in prison, and was ready to start a new life after release; however, it was an uphill battle. She's now ready to give advice on her trials and tribulations so others can avoid her mistakes.
Charli is non-binary and was outed to their parents at a young age. Their parents threw them out, which led them to ending up in and out of the foster care system and juvy. They were able to get out of the cycle at the age of 30 and have been working hard to build the life they want. Charli is thankful for their partner, but wants to make something out of themself.
Changes
making a desktop version
streamlining the design to feel less daunting
fixing tonal issues
Josh grew up with an older brother in and out of prison due to various reasons. He watched his brother give his hardest to get back on track, but due to his record was left jobless and at one point homeless as well. Josh became empathetic and understanding to those formerly incarcerated and now on his own time teaches economics at local jails and prisons.
Amanza Grey
age: 55 | education: GED | hometown: Daytona, FL | family: Single mother to one son | occupation: Recruiting Director
"I kept failing every time I tried to stand up, until I found my way. I don't want anyone else
Goals:
help people write resumés to showcase their skills
bolster confidence in everyone she comes in contact with
give interview tips, from her experience, to explain their past
Frustrations:
unfair disadvantage to those who have worked hard to get back on track
“so many people are in a bad financial situation because of incarceration, which doesn't make reacclimatizing any less scary”
User Personas
our main users, those who have been formerly incarcerated for various offenses and ready to start anew.
Malik Khan
age: 27 | education: MBA | hometown: Galveston, Texas | family: single lives with parents | occupation: unemployed
“I had an amazing job lined up post grad. One small mistake has really ruined my career prospects and I don't know how to get back on track.”
Goals:
find jobs that use his education without judging his background
communicate his mistake as a life lesson
possibly find states that are more lenient to those formerly incarcerated
Frustrations:
people not giving him a chance
“having to live with my parents because of my lack of savings now is so hard”
Malik was arrested after he recieved his MBA due to possession of marijuana. In most states, he would not have had any consequencws but in Texas the judge made an example out of him. He served 3 years and has been recently released. He is ready to start his life anew, but it has been hard. He is looking into moving states to see if that would help him.
Charli Han
age: 45 | education: part time university | hometown: Portland, Oregon | family: Lives with partner | occupation: Volunteer
“I was left to fend for myself, which led me down the wrong path. It was so hard finding work and to this day I still can't find well-paying jobs"
Goals:
Find a high paying job
Talk to those in interested fields
Feel safe while talking to new people
Frustrations:
“I'm afraid to reach out to just anyone for help because I am a gay, non-binary person who has been formerly incarcerated.”
“People will guarantee my hiring, see I have a record, and rescind my acceptance.”
“I don't know how to prove I'm worth it.”
With these personas in mind we needed to plan the following:
respectful of backgrounds
calm and welcoming environment
a platform that allows people someone to talk to
the ability to research different laws and rights
accessible to those either with no phone or no access to a computer
With all these in mind I created the following mockups and Low Fidelity Prototype.
Many comments were on typographic/aesthetic issues; however, a large consensus was that the app was doing too much. We narrowed it down to only focus on our mentee platform and planned mentor section to be added post launch.
Phone: High Fidelity Prototype
Computer: High Fidelity Prototype
Lessons learned is that what may feel kind to a designer, can be cruel to the user. I had to do way more research than any other project before, because this is such a sensitive and confusing topic.
What's next is applying to jobs with this portfolio project as well as my other two: Flora and REM Logistics. I hope you enjoyed and feel free to reach out to me via email at ems@emfreedman.com.
