PEERSUPPORT.IO & KRASMAN CENTER

Designing a safer, more supportive remote mental healthcare system for over 23,000 centers across North America.

The Krasman Centre, with drop-in centers in Richmond Hill and Alliston, is a vital resource for individuals facing mental health, substance use, and housing challenges across York Region, Simcoe County, and Toronto. 

This system enables remote support for peer support workers to reach individuals anywhere from Whitehorse to Richmond Hill. Existing platforms like Zoom and Google Meet lacked the necessary privacy and specialized features for group calls to offer security to the participants. 

Mockup of the meeting room screens. 

The Challenge:

This project emerged from the recognition that existing teleconferencing platforms like Zoom and Meet lacked essential features crucial for the sensitive nature of peer support meetings. These included additional privacy settings ensuring participants couldn’t reach out to one another, the capability for individuals to take personal breaks and rejoin meetings seamlessly if needed, and a crisis button enabling immediate access to support in case of emergencies during sessions. By addressing these critical gaps in existing solutions, I endeavored to create a secure and supportive environment conducive to the unique needs of the Krasman Centre’s clientele.

Breaking down the user flow of the steps that happened before the support meetings on the teleconferencing helped highlight which features would be needed in the development of the system.

Approach:

Before designing the platform, understanding the nuances of the onboarding process was crucial. This involved collaborating closely with peer support workers and managers from the Krasman Centre to comprehend their distinct challenges in providing remote peer support.

Through interviews and data gathering, I delved into the intricacies of the onboarding process, aiming to streamline it effectively while ensuring that users could easily navigate and access the necessary functionalities to participate in peer support sessions. 

Navigating the user flow for new users and returning users ensures a smooth onboarding experience and effortless access to peer support sessions.

User Flows

The onboarding process for support recipients would be different whether it was their first time or a subsequent group visit.

First-time participants needed a clear and intuitive user flow that guided them through the steps of signing up and registering for group sessions. By providing straightforward instructions and eliminating unnecessary complexity, I aimed to make the initial experience as seamless as possible.

Returning participants wanted efficiency and convenience. I streamlined the process to ensure that returning users could easily access the platform and join group sessions without any unnecessary friction. By creating a familiar and user-friendly environment, I aimed to encourage continued engagement and participation in peer support sessions.

Initial sketches of the waiting room and meeting room were used to ideate which features were required in the teleconferencing system.

Stakeholder Review

To maximize the use of our time budget and facilitate frequent iterations, I began the design process with quick, hand-drawn sketches of the teleconferencing system. These initial sketches included ideas for the waiting room and meeting room interfaces, as well as the user flow for onboarding. By presenting these sketches to stakeholders early on, we were able to gather feedback and make adjustments quickly before committing to more time-consuming digital wireframes.

This approach allowed us to stay agile and responsive to input from peer support workers, managers, and the software engineering team. This frequent iteration process continued in the digital wireframe process, with changes made based on stakeholder feedback to ensure that we were on the right track. This helped us refine the system to meet the specific needs of the Krasman Centre and its user base. 

Mockup of the final prototype given to the PeerSupport.io engineers to develop for use by the Krasman Center. 

Iterative Design

Once the sketches were approved, we moved into medium-fidelity prototypes that helped to deepen our insights during the frequent testing we performed. This allowed us to uncover important features that were missing, test the usability for both the staff and the participants, and run implementation feasibility by the engineering team.

Samples of prototypes that were shared during this iterative process – some of the changes implemented after feedback were shifting from a circular camera display to a rectangle, having a way to close the action menu, and simplifying the messaging process to both participants and absent members of the group. 

Mockup of the final prototype given to the PeerSupport.io engineers to develop for use by the Krasman Center. 

Iterative Design

Upon stakeholder approval, we moved into a medium-fidelity prototype. We uncovered the need for important features through this usability testing process for staff and participants and ran implementation feasibility by the engineering team.

Video demonstrating the “crisis mode” feature that was instrumental in the success of this platform – one of the things lacking in existing teleconferencing systems. 

Added Functionality

A critical aspect ensuring the success of this platform was the capability for participants to discreetly notify the group leader in times of crisis. The button had to be prominently visible and easily accessible, yet distinct to prevent accidental activation. Drawing inspiration from emergency strips found on buses, user testing confirmed its effectiveness—striking a balance between discreetness and clarity, ensuring it remained inactive unless truly necessary, yet readily activated when needed.

To ensure that the host promptly noticed when someone entered crisis mode, an animation was incorporated into the host’s interface. This visual cue alerted them immediately, enhancing responsiveness to participants’ needs.

The final prototype of the waiting room had a usability rate of 100% by test users and was well recieved by the Krausman Center staff. 

See the waiting room prototype in action.

Impact:

The final teleconferencing system was well-received by peer support workers and managers at the Krasman Centre. The platform offered a virtual hub for psychiatric survivors and their support network, enhancing access to resources and support across the region.

The improved onboarding process made it easier for individuals to sign up and join group sessions, resulting in greater engagement and better support outcomes. This aligned with the Krasman Centre’s mission and expanded its impact within the community.