Restore Women’s Shelter aims to create an equitable and safe space for women experiencing homelessness to foster growth, build confidence, and restore both dignity and hope. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Restore Women’s Shelter champions women through a housing program, a night shelter, and medical, career, and mental health resources.
The Problem: There is a lack of housing and resources for single women experiencing homelessness. Women are continually choosing the streets over shelter out of a fear for their own safety and well-being.
Competitive Analysis
The existing services for people experiencing homelessness across the country often lack consistency and ease. There are minimal resources for women that include both a day shelter and a night shelter, while also providing aid for the application process. Secondary apps often rely on technology, something that many experiencing homelessness do not have consistent access to.
Research + Statistics
Current Shelter System
The chart below outlines common shelter systems and details some of the pain points in the process. The chart below outlines common shelter systems and details some of the pain points in the process.
Interviews
City Engagement Pastor, 3 individuals experiencing homelessness, & an accomplished non-profit that cares for people experiencing homelessness.
Key Insights
User Personas
After conducting research and interviews, I created two individual user personas for women from different backgrounds experiencing homelessness.
Journey Map
How Might We…
Design Concept
We will design a custom shelter experience that is centered on safety and dignity so that women experiencing homelessness can access necessary care to break their current cycle and feel in control.
Lo-Fi Sketches
Preliminary ideas for the outside kiosks and shelter floor plan.
Mid-Fi Model + User Testing
Mid-Fi protoype accompanied by feedback from the user testing phase with 7-8 users.
Hi-Fi Prototype
A breakdown of the shelter structure is below. Restore Women's Shelter has a night shelter, a housing program, and day programs to facilitate accessibility to resources.
Kiosk + Welcome Screen
To stay at the shelter or utilize the day programs, a guest can use the kiosks located outside of the building. For those who may not have access to technology or a phone, kiosks level the playing field for shelter accessibility.
New Guest Application
A new guest can fill out an application and schedule an appointment with someone on the Restore team.
Night Shelter Reservations
Approved guests can book up to 15 nights at the Night Shelter each year, with a max. of 4 in a row. When a guest is eligible, they are given access to apply to the Housing Program.
Day Program Appointments
Make an appointment for the medical resource center, the mental health center, or the career center.
ID Card + Front Desk
ID Cards are used to access the kiosk system as well as each program and housing facility in the shelter. Both the night shelter and the housing program require an ID card with specific access to enter any room. This ensures the security of all guests. Also, A security desk is located directly inside to monitor the guests or provide emergency assistance.
Floor Plan
This floor plan outlines the night shelter, housing program, and day program facilities. Also, the floor plan is shown for each individual room depending on program status.
Quick Summary
Restore Women’s Shelter aims to create an equitable and safe space for women to foster growth, build confidence, and restore both dignity and hope. Restore strives to break the cycle of homelessness for unaccompanied women through a housing program, a night shelter, and medical, career, and mental health resources.
Takeaways
Through the design process of creating Restore, I learned the value of research (statistics, systems, interviews) in developing an effective prototype and concept. Small details about the user's needs and challenges can inform every aspect of the design process, therefore ensuring that the solution is relevant and practical.
This project also proved the value of defining systems in the UX process. Even if the user may not know what is happening in the background, it's important that it's made clear to the audience/individual reading about the program.