Project Overview
This project explores the design of a responsive community resource navigation website for Metro Vancouver, focused on helping residents find food assistance and housing/shelter resources more easily. The goal was to reduce mental effort by presenting support services through a clear, need-based structure that accommodates both urgent situations and exploratory planning.
The project is a conceptual redesign inspired by existing Metro Vancouver community resources, intended to address common usability challenges without replicating real systems in full detail.
Role: UX Designer (Solo Project)
Platform: Responsive Website
Timeline: 3 weeks
Scope: This project focused on designing a clear website experience for discovering food and housing resources in Metro Vancouver, prioritizing core flows from category selection to service details. Secondary features such as accounts, personalization, and real-time availability were intentionally deprioritized to maintain focus on clarity, trust, and decision-making.
Metro Vancouver Resource Hub
High-Fidelity Prototype Demonstration
Reflections & Learnings
This project resulted in a clear, low-friction experience that helps users quickly identify and access food and housing support in Metro Vancouver. By prioritizing urgency, availability, and clear next steps, the design reduces decision fatigue and helps users move from uncertainty to action with confidence. The final flow supports fast scanning at the catalogue level while still offering detailed information when needed.
User Insights
Users seeking essential services are often under stress and prioritize immediate availability over comprehensive exploration.
Unclear eligibility requirements can prevent users from taking action, even when services are accessible.
Simple reassurance and expectation-setting language helps users feel supported rather than overwhelmed.
Users benefit from seeing key details (location, hours, eligibility, availability) upfront before committing to deeper exploration.
Design Learnings
Designing for urgency requires a different hierarchy than traditional browsing experiences, with emphasis on clarity and action.
Progressive disclosure is especially effective for support services, allowing users to access essential information first and details later.
Explicit visual cues (status indicators, arrows, CTAs) reduce hesitation and make navigation feel more intuitive.
Small interaction decisions—such as clear “View Details” actions and consistent card layouts—can significantly improve user confidence and flow.
Next Steps & Opportunities for Improvement
If this project were extended further, I would focus on validating and expanding the experience to better support a wider range of user needs and real-world scenarios.
Additional User Testing
Future rounds of usability testing would involve individuals with lived experience accessing food and housing services, as well as frontline support workers. This would help validate assumptions around urgency, eligibility clarity, and language tone, and ensure the design is inclusive and accessible.
Expanded Filtering & Personalization
While availability and location are high-priority filters, future iterations could include filters such as family-friendly options, accessibility needs, or dietary restrictions. These filters would help users quickly identify services that are relevant to their circumstances without overwhelming them.
Real-Time Data & Service Updates
Integrating real-time availability updates and service alerts (e.g., capacity changes or temporary closures) would further reduce uncertainty and prevent unnecessary trips. Partnerships with service providers could help keep information accurate and timely.
Accessibility & Language Support
Future improvements would include multilingual support, plain-language content audits, and enhanced accessibility features such as screen-reader optimization and high-contrast modes, ensuring the platform supports users with diverse abilities and language needs.
Broader Platform Expansion
Longer-term opportunities include expanding beyond food and housing into related support areas such as mental health services, income assistance, or employment support—while maintaining the same clarity and urgency-first design principles.
This project reflects my interest in designing thoughtful, human-centred experiences that make essential support easier to understand and access.
Questions about this project? Feel free to contact me :)