KELTY MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCE CENTRE
Ask Kelty Tool Optimization
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The Ask Kelty tool is a valuable resource for parents and caregivers, offering a categorized list of commonly asked questions related to children’s struggles with a wide range of ailments. However, Kelty was facing low engagement with the tool, as it was originally buried under multiple layers of navigation. Our primary goal was to improve the tool’s visibility and usability to ensure it could reach and benefit as many users as possible.
Kelty Mental Health is a comprehensive mental health resource centre affiliated with BC Children’s Hospital, dedicated to providing valuable information for parents and caregivers. The website aggregates a wide range of resources, both from external sources and internal databases.
MY ROLE
Lead Product Designer
TOOLS
Figma
PROJECT LENGTH
8 months
01.
Exploration & Discovery
Competitive Anlysis
Given the unique nature of the Ask Kelty tool and its usage, it was essential to identify similar tools to assess their strengths and weaknesses. This helped us uncover insights for optimizing the Ask Kelty tool.
1. HealthyChildren.org - Paediatric Symptom Checker Tool
HealthyChildren.org offers a pediatric symptom checker, which helps parents and caregivers understand their child's symptoms by answering a series of guided questions. This tool, like Ask Kelty, aims to provide guidance to caregivers about potential health concerns.
Strengths
INTERACTIVITY & GUIDANCE
The tool is highly interactive, leading users through a series of questions about their child's symptoms, which creates a personalized experience.
VISIBILITY
The tool is prominently placed on the homepage, making it easy for users to find and engage with it.
VISUAL DESIGN
The interface is clean and simple, with well-organized categories that allow parents to quickly navigate the content.
FEEDBACK LOOP
After completing the questions, users receive personalized advice and are directed to relevant articles or resources, ensuring they are supported with next steps.
Weaknesses
LIMITED DEPTH
Although the symptom checker provides basic guidance, it lacks detailed responses or resources beyond symptom identification.
NO IMMEDIATE SUPPORT
The tool doesn’t offer an immediate way to contact experts or access personalized support directly through the platform, limiting real-time assistance.
2. Child Mind Institute - Symptom Checker
The Child Mind Institute provides a symptom checker for parents to assess and understand their child's behavioral or mental health concerns. It asks users to choose a symptom or issue from a list, leading to a tailored overview of the condition and guidance.
Strengths
COMPREHENSIVE CONTENT
The tool offers in-depth content about each symptom or condition, covering a wide range of behavioural and mental health issues. It is backed by expert advice and research.
USER-FRIENDLY LAYOUT
The layout is simple and easy to navigate, with a strong focus on accessibility and straightforward language that parents can easily understand.
IMMEDIATE RESOURCES
After using the symptom checker, users are provided with direct access to articles, guides, and next steps for further help, making it very resource-rich.
Weaknesses
LESS ENGAGEMENT
The tool is static compared to the interactive nature of Ask Kelty. It relies on the user selecting a symptom upfront rather than guiding them with questions.
VISIBILITY
Like Ask Kelty, this tool is not prominently featured on the homepage, requiring users to navigate through menus to find it, which could reduce engagement.
Comparison to Ask Kelty
Strengths
EXPERT SUPPORT
One standout feature of Ask Kelty is the ability to connect users with a Peer Support Worker for further guidance, which neither of the competitors provide. This direct human support adds a personalized touch.
CONTENT DEPTH
The tool organizes questions into categories based on user needs, offering an easy way for parents to get answers quickly across a wide range of mental health topics.
MULTILINGUAL SUPPORT
Ask Kelty supports multiple languages, making it more inclusive compared to both competitors.
Weaknesses
VISABILITY
Similar to Child Mind Institute’s tool, Ask Kelty is not easily accessible from the homepage, leading to lower engagement. Improving its placement or accessibility could significantly increase usage.
LACK OF PERSONALIZATION
Unlike the HealthyChildren.org tool, Ask Kelty doesn’t guide users through an interactive, symptom-based journey, which could make it less engaging or effective for users looking for more personalized support.
Summary & Takeaways for Kelty Mental Health
Improve Visibility
Like HealthyChildren.org, placing the Ask Kelty tool prominently on the homepage or other high-traffic pages would likely improve engagement.
Increase Interactivity
Adding an interactive component, such as a symptom-based questionnaire, could make the tool feel more dynamic and user-friendly, while also personalizing the experience.
Maintain Expert Access
The Ask Kelty tool’s strength lies in its human touch—something the other sites lack. Continuing to promote access to Peer Support Workers is crucial for setting it apart from competitors.
02.
UX Design Process
User Flow
The key takeaway from evaluating the current state of the Ask Kelty tool was its lack of sufficient access points. At the time, the tool was only accessible through the second-level dropdown navigation, limiting its visibility. To address this, we decided to add a widget-style component on the new Resource Library landing page to improve accessibility and increase engagement with the tool.
Flow From New Widget
Widget Flow Breakdown
Wireframes
Wireframes had to be made for both the new Ask Kelty widget, and the structural visual changes we made to the Ask Kelty page itself. The goal for the Ask Kelty page was to help users better navigate the questions, categories, and make it more obvious they can ask their own question.
Ask Kelty Page
Ask Kelty Widget
03.
Final Designs
Summary
The final designs feature a clean, streamlined interface for the Ask Kelty page, enhancing user interaction. By incorporating the widget on the Resource Library landing page, we introduced a new access point in a high-traffic area of the site. We successfully achieved the project goals, resulting in a ~15% increase in traffic to the Ask Kelty page after launch.
