Inital Protytype

This version effectively provided two functions: It could send and it could receive text messages. That was it. When onboarding a case manager, we explained that those were the two functions we guaranteed would work. Everything else was either absent or partially developed and obscured from the user. This ultra-streamlined project was the simplest wrapper over the underlying database structure that allowed messages to a single number (attributed to the organization), to be routed to the correct case manager account.

Learning

Interviews and observations. In-depth user research with clients and case managers. Patterns of behavior towards supervision, differences in individual attitudes, and barriers to complying with supervision. Synthesis of the results of this user research formed the foundation for the way we understood the problem, and what needed to be built in order to best serve of case managers (our user base) those working to address it and fit the needs of the clients (our end users).

Building

Only the most basic features. We had accounts that were for case managers, which allowed them to add clients and attach contact methods to each client. With that information, they were able to send and receive text messages. Our MVP worked, and that was it. What we ultimately tested at first was whether or not it functionally matched and meshed with the workflow of the Criminal Justice Services' case workers.

Measuring

Page Analytics. Application use was simply observed by page count and number of unique visitors, as well as average duration. Google Analytics provides a more than sufficient free tool to qualify whether or not people are staying and in fact using the application. Evaluating use was simply a measure of making sure that individuals were coming and staying at the site. This, combined with the sent message count and in-depth interviews with case managers formed the foundation of the tool'e evaluation.

Overview / Version 2.0