While attending Austin Center for Design and researching the issue of homelessness I created a series of concept maps for Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH) using semantic zoom to look at different factors involved in the issue. I created this series zooming into the services offered at ARCH and zooming out to look at the ecosystem of the issue. Throughout this process I highlighted areas of opportunity to explore for future projects. 

 

Throughout are research into the issue of homelessness I was very interested in outreach. What causes indivudals to come into the centers and work with case managers? How does outreach work for the indivudals that do not come into the shelters? How do individuals on the street support each other and communicate with the organizations involved in the issue?

 

During our research I learned that most of the case managers find it difficult to make time to enter notes about clients and keep everything up to date. In many cases this results in clients being asked the same questions at various times, which can lead to trust issues. My idea was to create a mobile app. that would make it easier for the case managers to enter notes while they are in the field. I created a set of wireframes (annotated and depicted above) and used them as a paper prototype for usability testing. I conducted tests with case managers at various organizations working with individuals experiencing homelessness. The results were very positive and I learned alot about the case manager's needs. I documented all of the results with the wireframes for reference for future iterations.