Intress
UX RESEARCHER| SOCIAL SERVICES
Intress, a well-known social services company in Spain, reached out to the company to explore the implementation of disruptive technological solutions aimed at providing significant value to social services process, its users and workers.
Team
UX / UI Consultant at RocaSalvatella
Team consisting of: 1 Project Manager, 2 Psychologists, 2 Developers and 1 Designer.
Timeline
May 2023 - February 2024
Tools
Figma, Figjam, Excel, Typeform
Goals
1.Identify Pain Points
Identify pain points in current social services processes.
2.Explore innovative solutions
Explore technological or innovative solutions that could address these problems.
3.Accessible and secure solutions
Ensure solutions were accessible and secure for vulnerable users, many of whom face digital or emotional barriers.
Challenge
Develop trauma-informed research with psychological support, ensuring safe participation for vulnerable users, while designing accessible solutions that meet the needs of diverse users, these users encompass a diverse range: including children in foster care, survivors of abuse, ex-convicts, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities.
Partnering with Intress, we designed trauma-informed, accessible solutions through research, collaboration, and innovative technology, ensuring safety and inclusivity for vulnerable users.
Process
What are social services like?
In this project, it was vital to focused on understanding key stakeholders: including the company, its employees, and the users essential to Intress. To gain insights, we visited over five centers across the country, immersing ourselves in Intress's diverse operations.
Our methodology involved working with psychologists to adapt various techniques for each user group, addressing the distinct verticals in which Intress operates: Children and Family, Equality and Gender, Mental Health, Older People, and Justice and Community.
WORKSHOPS AND FOCUS GROUPS CONDUCTED 7
With workers
10-15 people in each session
6
With users
10-15 people in each session
INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED50
With workers
50
With users
During the research we had to design and adapt different techniques together with the educators and psychologists for the diversity of users we faced.
For example, with children or younger participants, we created an empathy map activity where they imagined themselves in the role of a superhero. This approach helped them engage by encouraging them to think creatively and explore emotions and perspectives beyond their own.
Gathering extensive information and directly engaging with users, the obtained insights were artfully transformed into rich user personas and user journeys. This conversion enabled a more nuanced and user-centered understanding of the audience.
In parallel to the research conducted in the centers, a benchmark study was carried out, analyzing companies and organizations that had been innovating with individuals similar to Intress's users. This benchmark provided a wealth of technologies and insights, which became valuable resources for driving innovation within the project.
In order to understand what kind of technology could interact better with each user we did several workshops presenting different types of technology: consoles, VR, AR, screens, laptops... In case it was possible we brought together users from different generations to see how they could interact with each other.
Some of the results
These were the three main problems we found to be present in all areas. In addition, there were also others, such as the habitation issue and the incorporation processes, which were long and tedious due to the legal documentation that must be provided to the users.
95% of users
They are not aware of what is in their IEP (Individual Education Plan).
75% of users
Feel lonely at some point during their journey.
Digital gap
Given that the users are of different ages and abilities, we have found a large digital divide in the project: 58% of the users have difficulties to use technological devices autonomously.
Insights into opportunities
To transform research insights into tangible solutions, I designed and facilitated a dynamic brainstorming workshop with a multidisciplinary team (designers, developers, and key stakeholders). The session began by categorizing user pain points through affinity mapping, using our user personas and journey maps as anchors. By framing challenges like ‘How might we simplify the IEP for non-tech-savvy users?’ or ‘How can we reduce loneliness through digital touchpoints?’, we sparked 25+ actionable ideas.
The workshop prioritized inclusive collaboration: developers proposed technical feasibility checks, while social workers highlighted ethical considerations. This fusion of perspectives led to prioritized concepts, including a gamified IEP interface and a community-building feature—solutions that later became cornerstones of the project’s next phase.
One of the solutions that was reached