Overview

As part of the Designlab UX Academy program, I designed RTConnect, an all-in-one platform that empowers recreation therapists by providing easy access to curated mental health resources. Recreation Therapy uses recreation and leisure activities to enhance mental, emotional, social, and physical well-being. Through comprehensive user research, wireframing, and interactive prototyping in Figma, I prioritized accessibility, usability, and a seamless user experience to help therapists deliver high-quality care more efficiently.

Problem

Recreation therapists struggle to find reliable, relevant mental health resources, as existing platforms are disorganized and hard to navigate. This limits their ability to improve their practice and deliver optimal care to clients.

Solution

I created RTConnect, a platform that offers a curated library of resources, tools, research, and best practices. It also includes a discussion forum for therapists to share insights and connect. This saves time, enhances practice, and improves client support.

Research

Initially, I aimed to understand the challenges of both recreation therapists and the general public regarding mental health resources. Through user interviews and competitive analysis, I identified key pain points.

Competitive Analysis

I reviewed four platforms—American Therapeutic Recreation Association, Therapeutic Recreation Directory, The Real Recreation Therapist, and Recreation Therapy Facebook groups. While they offered some resources, many lacked a focus on mental health or were hard to navigate. This highlighted the need for a more streamlined, accessible solution.

User Interviews

I interviewed three recreation therapy professionals and three individuals from the general public about their difficulties accessing mental health resources and recreation therapy related to mental health. Key insights from the interviews revealed that all interviewees agreed the general public has limited knowledge of recreation therapy. All recreation therapy professionals expressed difficulty in finding mental health resources within the field, citing mental health stigma and the unpopularity of recreation therapy as contributing factors. Additionally, all participants sought resources from colleagues or other sources rather than online platforms. Most individuals from the general public were only familiar with traditional mental health resources, such as finding a therapist.

Define

After synthesizing the insights from my user interviews and creating an affinity map, I realized that the most pressing issue for recreation therapists was the difficulty in finding reliable, online mental health resources tailored to their needs. This insight led me to refine my focus: rather than addressing multiple user groups, I decided to concentrate on supporting recreation therapy professionals. By addressing their challenges, such as burnout and lack of accessible resources, I can help improve their effectiveness, reduce burnout, and ultimately provide higher-quality care for their clients. This focus also indirectly benefits the general public by raising awareness of recreation therapy and fostering its inclusion in more healthcare settingsTo ensure that our solutions are tailored effectively to these professionals, we need a deeper understanding of their specific needs, goals, and pain points. This is where user personas come into play.

User Personas

After defining the problem, I created user personas. Layla a recreation therapy student who who struggles to find mentorship and mental health-focused resources. Dominic an experienced therapist who faces burnout and lacks tailored resources to support his work with teens in psychiatric settings.

POV and HMW

To address their challenges, the guiding question becomes:

“How might we design a platform that streamlines access to recreation therapy tools, provides tailored guidance to meet specific needs, and fosters collaboration among professionals?”

Ideate

During brainstorming, I explored a variety of ideas, revisiting user research, personas, POV statements, and "How Might We" questions for guidance. Two key concepts emerged: a centralized platform for organizing resources and a networking space for mental health professionals to connect. To address both needs, I combined these ideas into a single platform that organizes mental health resources while also providing a space for professionals to share experiences, insights, and support. This approach responded to users' desire for both accessible resources and community connection.

Feature Set

After looking into my research and user personas and looking and my HMWs, I wanted to focus on prioritizing what users want and need which are creating a centralized platform that organizes and consolidates mental health resources related to recreation therapy, easy navigation features in gathering resources, and networking.

Must Have Features:

- A starting point for users to navigate through the platform providing an overview of the websites content, features, and navigation options
- Why a priority?
  - A central point for users to access various content
- Archive of different resources organized with articles, research papers, activity guides, assessment tools, intervention strategies, etc
- Why a priority?
  - Users need resources to enhance their profession
    Contributes to the easy resources access that users need and want
- A virtual space for users to engage in conversations, exchange ideas, ask questions, and share information
- Why a priority?
  - Connecting with other RT professionals can increase support and resources that users want.
- Users are able to filter resources by age group, type of resources, etc.
- Why a priority?
  - User want to have easy navigation due to users having a hard time finding resources online

Low Priority Features:

- Hub of self-care resources for users
- Why low priority
  - Though it would be great to have in reducing burnout in the field, users prioritize resources for their practice
- Users can filters by date, author, target population, therapeutic approach
- Why a low priority
  - Though it would enhance user experience, a basic filter option can gauge user needs and behaviors along with keeping the site simple temporarily

User Flows and Task Flows

With the user flows and task flows, I was able to determine how users might interact with the website. This helped me simplify tasks and flows to enhance the user experience. Understanding the user task flow and user flows also guided me in creating design ideas for my wire frames. Without them, I would have felt lost on what to design and how it would align with the users' goals.

Design

After creating the user flows and task flows, I began designing the wireframes. As this was my first UX project, I encountered challenges.

Low Fidelity Wireframes

Low-fidelity wireframes were created to outline the basic layout and user flow, focusing on key features like the discussion thread and resource library. These wireframes helped visualize how users would interact with the platform. My mentor provided valuable feedback on improving UI elements, which was especially helpful as I continue to learn and grow in UX design. This feedback allowed me to refine my designs and enhance the user experience. Below are examples of the discussion forum and resource library pages, the primary features designed to address user needs and goals.

Branding

Before moving into high-fidelity wireframes, I've focused on the UI which include refining the typography, color palette, and overall branding. The colors I chose were inspired by the platform's core values: Compassion, Connection, Collaborative Learning and Growth, Empowerment, Accessibility, and Innovation. These values are represented by earthy tones that evoke a sense of warmth and grounding. For the brand name, I wanted to incorporate "RT" to reflect the focus on recreation therapy, while also creating something catchy that conveys networking and collaboration. Thus, "RT Connect" was created.

Primary

Secondary

Neutral

High Fidelity Wireframes

High-fidelity mockups were created to bring the design to life with attention to visual details such as typography, color palette, and overall branding. I refined key UI elements, such as buttons, icons, and navigation, to ensure they were intuitive and accessible. Incorporating feedback from earlier wireframes, I created a polished design that aligns with the brand's identity and provides a seamless user experience. The hi-fi mockups were then used for usability testing to further enhance the design and ensure it met user needs.

Before

User Testing

Five users with backgrounds in recreation therapy tested the usability of the high-fidelity mockups. The testing revealed that users found the website easy to navigate and well-organized. Tasks such as reviewing the site, connecting with RTs, and finding resources were completed efficiently. However, feedback indicated:

the need for a more vibrant color scheme
clearer labeling for the "+" button (to specify 'create a thread')
addition of back buttons for smoother navigation
suggested incorporating icons for sharing or printing resources.

Direct User Feedback

“Design is simplistic, professional, welcoming”

“That was easy to navigate”

“I like how its (resources) not all over the place”

Success Metrics

100%

All users completed all 3 tasks

“Add a bit more color. When I think of recreation therapy, I think of more colors, a color that's catchy”

“It would be good to have a back button instead of going back to home” on the navigation menu

100%

All users overall stated that it was simple and easy to use

“looked a little plain, very neutral color. When I think of RT I think more color, lively color, maybe blues?”

“not everyone might now what the plus buttons is”

75%

Users clicked the estimated amount of clicks to complete task

Iterations

Before

Many changes were made based on user feedback, including improving the color scheme, adding back buttons, and updating the "+" button. Lower-priority adjustments, such as refining the resource page layout, were also considered.

Users thought the use of overall color was a bit “plain” or “boring” yet “welcoming” and “professional” and suggested more vibrancy whether it was in the background, or the resource cards. Therefore, the color scheme was changed completely to get the vibrancy feel users were looking and changed the illustrations to go with the color scheme.

Enhancing Visual Appeal and Functionality

Users wanted the ability to share or print resources, and some did not like the border/background; so, the color scheme was completely revamped to achieve the vibrant feel users desired, illustrations were updated to match the new scheme, a visual hierarchy was created for the text and icons to enhance appeal, and a share button was added for users to share or print resources.

After

Add on Screen:

Users frequently clicked the "read more" button to continue reading before conducting additional searches, and a screen was not developed yet during user testing; therefore, a new screen was added, following a similar pattern to match the platform’s updated color palette

No More Floating Button and More Visual Hierarchy

Users were confused by the FAB, as some didn’t know what the “+” symbol represented or couldn’t see it, so it was replaced with a regular button labeled "Create" near the top of the screen, a visual hierarchy was added to the text and bookmark icon for better appeal, and "votes" was changed to "views" to reduce negativity

Before

Discussion Thread Card Iteration:

Created more a visual hierarchy to text and bookmark icon to make more appealing and
changed up votes to “views” to limit negativity of down votes for users

Color Scheme Updated

Final Design

View Prototype

Conclusion

RTConnect addresses the need for accessible mental health resources in recreation therapy through a user-friendly platform featuring a resource library and discussion forum. User testing confirmed the platform’s ease of use, and visual enhancements were made based on feedback to improve usability and appeal. This project not only improved resource accessibility for therapy professionals but also provided invaluable experience in designing user-centered solutions.

Key Learnings

After

As my first UX project, this experience has been an incredible learning journey. I gained a deep understanding of the UX design process and the importance of iterations in refining ideas. I've come to appreciate the value of feedback from both users and mentors, as it has been instrumental in shaping my designs. This project taught me to keep users at the center of every decision, ensuring the final design truly serves their needs and provides an exceptional user experience. With each iteration, I feel I’ve demonstrated significant growth and developed a stronger ability to create thoughtful, user-focused solutions.