Accenture

How I helped uncover user needs to improve the foster care experience.

This engagement has been adapted for client confidentiality, but I’ve shared below what I can publicly post. If you’d like to hear more or dive deeper into the work, feel free to reach out — it’s one of my favorite projects from my time at Accenture.

Role:

Product Designer

TEAM:

Lauren, Doug, Christina - Design

Tools:

Figma, Figjam, Miro

Timeline:

Jan 2023 - Aug 2023

Project Overview:

The goal of this engagement was to help a government agency identify and address pain points within the foster care system. We set out to better understand the experiences of the different people involved; case workers, foster parents, and families. All so that we could uncover opportunities to reduce frustration and support the agency’s mission of providing safe and supportive environments for children.

Our approach was rooted in empathy. We conducted user interviews, facilitated client workshops, and synthesized our findings into clear recommendations. What struck me about this project was how much of the solution space wasn’t about technology. It was about honoring the human side of a very complex system.

The process

A Brief Overview

1. Exploration Workshop

We began with a collaborative brainstorming session with the client. They were extremely engaged, mapping out the variety of users involved—both internal (case workers, agency staff) and external (foster parents, families).

2. User Interviews

We interviewed case workers, foster parents, and families navigating the system. This step was essential in understanding not only what was broken but also why it felt broken to the people experiencing it.

3. Synthesis & Recommendations

We compiled insights and crafted recommendations designed to reduce process inefficiencies, increase clarity, and alleviate pain points where possible.

Personas

Who we were working with

Case Workers

Case workers were overwhelmed with manual, paper-based processes. Everything from printing and scanning documents to managing case communications was time-consuming and prone to errors. With large caseloads, it was easy for details to slip through the cracks—leading to stress and burnout.

Foster Parents

Many foster parents entered the system with the hope of adopting, not fully realizing that the primary goal of foster care is reunification with birth families. When reunification happened, it left many feeling heartbroken and unwilling to continue fostering. While we couldn’t solve this systemic challenge, we could address other areas that caused frustration—like unclear communication and logistical hurdles.

Families

For birth families, technology access was a major barrier. Most did not own a computer, relying instead on mobile phones. Some had to use public libraries to complete steps in the process, which was impractical and sometimes impossible. Designing mobile-first wasn’t just a best practice here—it was a necessity.

Our Solutions

Automated Communications

Reduce the burden on case workers by automating reminders and scheduling messages.

Secure Dashboard

Provide a centralized, mobile-first portal where case workers, foster parents, and families could view schedules, updates, and communications without sharing personal phone numbers.

Mobile-First Design

Prioritize accessibility by ensuring key processes could be completed on a smartphone, eliminating reliance on public computers.

Centralized Scheduling & Messaging

Create a secure, centralized system for scheduling visits and facilitating communication across all parties—reducing confusion, missed appointments, and frustration.

Impact

How we made a real impact

- Reduced case worker workload by streamlining repetitive tasks.

- Improved trust and clarity between foster parents, families, and case workers.

- Made the system more accessible for families with limited technology resources.

- The client extended the engagement to begin implementing our recommendations.

reflections

Lingering thoughts

This project was one of the most fulfilling experiences in my career. It reminded me that user experience isn’t always about technology, but rather, about people.

Sometimes the goal isn’t to make things easier, but to make them clearer, fairer, and more sustainable. In this case, we weren’t just improving processes, we were helping create better experiences for children and families at incredibly vulnerable points in their lives.