Councelopedia
Digital tool for young migrants in Germany
Project timeline
December 2021- March 2022
Client/ Support
HPI School of Design Thinking
Judenmigrationdientse , Germany
Team
Bareen Parvez
Chris Bower
Deniz Calhan
Leon Bien
Marie Janda
My roles
User research
User experience design
User interface design
Visual design system
Illustrations
Problem statement
Background
This project used a design thinking approach to address challenges in youth migration counseling services in Germany. A collaborative, multidisciplinary team worked through research, empathy-building, ideation, prototyping, and testing to develop a user-centered solution.
I contributed to all phases of the project, including interviewing JMD clients and employees, conducting research, and identifying key pain points. Leveraging my expertise in visual design and UI/UX, I focused on designing the digital tool, Councelopedia, its visual system, and illustrating storyboards to effectively communicate and refine our ideas.
DESIGN CHALLENGE
"Design a digital tool for a youth migration service counseling so that young people & employees seeking to support them can digitally access them in the context of language barriers, limited resources & analog-centered workspaces"
Research & findings
As Eric von Hippel noted, 70% to 80% of new product development that fails does so not for lack of advanced technology, but because of a failure to understand users’ needs.
This highlights the necessity of thorough research into JMD's challenges and users, in order to reach a solution that effectively tagets their pain points.
Methodology
Keyword Analysis: In approaching the design challenge, we conducted a keyword analysis to clarify the core terms and constraints tied to the problem. Key terms such as "youth migration service," "language barriers," "limited resources," and "analog-centered workspaces" were explored to understand the complexities around each factor. This helped in identifying critical elements to prioritize, such as improving communication channels, making the tool user-friendly across languages, and designing for a seamless experience despite resource constraints.
Keyword Analysis
Keyword analysis
Desktop Research: Conducted initial internet searches and reviewed JMD's provided materials to gain a broad understanding of youth migration and JMD's operations.
Context & Stakeholder Mapping: We identified and mapped the primary stakeholders, including young migrants, counselors, administrative staff, and external partners involved in youth migration support services. This mapping allowed us to explore each group's needs, expectations, and interactions with one another, providing a holistic view of the current context. By understanding the operational and communicational gaps in the existing setup, we could more effectively tailor our solution to the realities faced by JMD and its diverse user base.
Research methodologies used
Observational Studies: Conducted two in-person observations of JMD's offices to understand internal workflows and dynamics.
Observation activities
User Immersion: The team participated in five immersive sessions, performing tasks as users to understand their experiences better. This included testing JMD’s services via phone and internet, testing their website and simulating a relocation process.
Immersion activities
Interviews: Conducted eight semi-structured interviews with JMD employees and clients to gather detailed insights.
Main findings
JMD provided extensive data to help us understand client and employee profiles. Key insights included:
Demographic composition: The majority of JMD's clients are from Syria (36%) and Afghanistan (11%), highlighting a significant demographic focus.
Diverse client profiles: Clients have varied backgrounds, and many requests are highly personal, which limits the potential for standardization and automation of services.
Language barriers: A major challenge is the language barrier; clients who do not speak German or English struggle to find suitable advisors.
Access limitations: Clients may be unable to access local services due to language constraints, forcing them to rely on JMD’s digital counseling options or necessitating the learning of German first.
Translation issues: The translations on JMD’s website are only partially functional, leading to further communication challenges.
Ineffective appointment system: Both clients and employees express dissatisfaction with the current appointment system, which often results in lengthy wait times for urgent appointments.
Value of face-to-face interaction: Clients and employees emphasize the importance of in-person meetings for establishing trusting relationships, viewing them as more effective than digital alternatives.
Synthesis/ sense-making
During the research phase, we were inspired to discover various pain points within different areas of JMD's current structure and how it functions. Making a sense of these observations helped us further in identifying the key problem areas within the organisation & move forward with the problem that needed an immediate attention to address the concerns surrounding digital counseling
Insights in summary & their interpretations:
Narrowing down solution focus areas
To narrow down the focus areas from our extensive research, we employed a rapid voting method within our team. Each member identified and prioritized issues based on their relevance to the design challenge, alignment with the scope of digital counseling, and feasibility within our project’s timeline and resources. We reflected on the data gathered, considering what was most pressing for both clients and employees and what could realistically be addressed through a digital solution.
This approach ensured that our focus was both user-centered and actionable, helping us concentrate on areas with the highest potential impact while staying aligned with the overarching goal of enhancing accessibility and workflow efficiency.
With this process complete, we identified three key focus areas:
First Contact Improvement:
Facilitating easier initial contact and maintaining communication between clients and JMD emerged as a key area for improvement. This includes refining the existing counseling methods in both online and offline contexts to avoid making them feel like additional burdens.
Employee Workflow:
While improvements are needed to enhance employee workflows and better integrate digital tools, client interviews revealed a high level of satisfaction with JMD's services. Clients appreciated the individualized assistance provided by their counselors during their migration and integration processes in Germany.
Service Quality vs. Accessibility:
The findings indicated that the quality of counseling services and methods were not the primary issues; instead, the focus should be on increasing the visibility and accessibility of these services for potential clients. Ensuring that enhanced accessibility does not overwhelm employees is crucial.
Based on these insights, we focused on designing a solution that prioritizes the client's perspective, making the initial contact with JMD more accessible and streamlined, while also visualizing how the solution might function from the employees’ end.
After reflecting on our findings, we identified key problem areas that require immediate attention for potential clients of JMD:
Who are we designing a solution for?
To frame our insights in a user-centered manner, we developed two point of views, Rashed & Stephanie, to represent the typical user group we aim to design for, i.e JMD’s client & the employee.
Meet Rashed & Stephanie:
Why Did We Choose Rashed?
Demographic Representation:
While the majority of JMD's clients are from Syria or neighboring countries and often have some knowledge of German, we decided to design for a persona with a different and more challenging background.
Rationale?
Focusing on a more complex case, like Rashed's, addresses the accessibility of JMD's services for clients who face significant barriers in their migration journey. By solving for Rashed, we aim to create a solution that can also benefit typical clients who experience fewer challenges.
Broader Impact:
This approach may enhance the diversity and reach of JMD's client base, enabling the organization to assist a wider range of migrants in their integration process.
Ideation
The ideation phase in our Design Thinking process aimed to define the problem clearly, brainstorm potential solutions, and select a solution for further development. This phase builds on the user profile of Rashed, insights from previous steps and feedback from the mamagement of the JMD to fill any gaps in our understanding of the functioning of the organisation.
1. Problem Specification
In defining our focus, we considered the main challenges faced by clients like Rashed. Our process used "How might we..." (HMW) questions to frame each problem.
After categorizing various HMW questions by their thematic challenges, we selected:
“How might we help Rashed to get and stay in touch with JMD?”
Rationale?
The main barrier identified was accessing counseling. Clients like Rashed struggle to connect with JMD counselors due to language difficulties and navigating online resources. Other themes—like improving JMD visibility and connecting clients socially—were considered, but enhancing direct contact was deemed most crucial to address Rashed’s needs.
2. Collecting Ideas
Various brainstorming techniques were used, including silent brainstorming, hot potato brainstorming, and idea shopping. These techniques fostered a free-flowing, unjudged idea collection. Ideas were later refined and categorized.
Brainstorming methods
Silent Brainstorming: Encouraged independent idea generation.
Hot Potato Brainstorming: Added pressure to generate creative ideas quickly.
Idea Shopping: Inspired by reviewing ideas from other projects.
Brainstormed ideas
The initial list was categorized into various themes. Noteworthy ideas included:
Idea Selection
The idea funnel method was used to assess ideas based on value, feasibility, and radicality. Ideas that did not pass each criterion were gradually filtered out.
3 filtration questions helped us to narrow down out choice:
Is it delightful?
If so - is it feasible?
And lastly - is it radical for JMD?
Filtered ideas
Selected Final Ideas
Rebrand JMD and Run a Marketing Campaign
✅ Value: Many potential clients are unaware of JMD. Increasing visibility would make it easier for clients to connect with JMD.
✅ Feasibility: Marketing campaigns are a standard practice, making this approach realistic.
✅ Radicality: Improving JMD's public image through distinct branding could significantly enhance client recognition and engagement.
Make JMD Work as One Entity
✅ Value: Centralizing JMD’s services allows clients to access the organization as a unified entity, enabling them to connect with counselors by language, availability, or expertise.
✅ Feasibility: Organizational silo-breaking is well-researched and manageable, making this feasible for JMD.
✅ Radicality: Shifting from isolated offices to a unified approach would represent a fundamental change in JMD’s operational culture, transforming client interactions and internal collaboration.
Final Decision:
Making JMD work as one Entity: Unifying JMD’s offices and their digital presence for a seamless user experience.
We chose to pursue the idea of making JMD work as a unified entity. This was prioritized over rebranding because centralizing JMD’s functions could address clients’ main issues by improving counseling access, multilingual support, and digital service consistency across locations.
Before and after making JMD work as one entity
Prototype
The goal?
How can we empower JMD clients, like Rashed, with a streamlined digital experience that allows them to connect with counselors effortlessly, overcoming language and location barriers, and providing them with a personalized, accessible support network?
"Making JMD Work as One Entity" restructures JMD to operate as a unified organization, enhancing accessibility for clients like Rashed. Key changes include
Centralized Client Contact
A digital platform allows clients to connect with any JMD counselor nationwide, matching them based on language, expertise, or availability.
Unified Digital Interface
A single dashboard for clients to manage appointments, access resources, and maintain contact with counselors.
Pooled Counselor Resources
Incoming requests are distributed across the counselor network, ensuring prompt, relevant support regardless of location.
Enhanced Language Accessibility
Clients can select counselors by language, reducing language barriers, and can also access the website in the language they understand.
User flow of how the client would be connected to a councelor who speaks their language
Storyboard & user journey
The storyboard outlines Rashed’s journey using the JMD tool, covering his first contact to his ongoing engagement.
The user journey map illustrates the step-by-step interaction of the client, Rashed, with the JMD digital tool, alongside the blueprint for the employee's experience. The project’s current scope focuses on enhancing Rashed’s client experience, but the employee journey has been mapped as a future development area for seamless integration.
Client
The corresponding storyboard explaining how the user would ideally interact with Councelopedia
Client’s user journey map
Employee
Although the scope of our solution was limited to designing keeping in view the needs and problems if the client of JMD i.e., the migrant, we have also imagined how the idea would roughly look like on the employee’s end for their internal product team to implement the solution in their existing digtal counceling interface for employees i.e JMD4U
Employee’s user journey map
First prototype: Critical functions
Counselor matching and multi-language support
The core function allows users to search and be matched with counselors based on language, availability, and expertise. This feature minimizes barriers, ensuring users quickly find support tailored to their unique needs, and providing personalized notifications for ongoing communication.
Centralized user dashboard
The dashboard offers users a personal space to track appointments, access resources, and view messages from JMD counselors. This dashboard becomes the user's central hub, keeping all resources and communication accessible in one place and enhancing the continuity of their integration journey.
First prototype with critical functions of the tool
User testing & iterations
After developing the first prototype, we conducted testing to evaluate whether our solution effectively addressed the primary problem: enabling clients to seamlessly connect with JMD counselors. Feedback from external testers helped validate assumptions, gain fresh insights, and iterate on the prototype.
Who did we test with?
We tested with JMD’s existing clients, employees, HPI Basic Track students and coaches, and individuals with migration backgrounds. Testers reviewed the prototype through an online Figma mockup and shared impressions and improvement suggestions.
Testing methods
First click tests
Walkthrough sessions with stakeholders
1st Testing Round
Feedback summary
❓Critical function unclear to some users.
❓Some users interested in connecting with other migrants & Germans
❓No clear heirarchy between contact & services
Feedback from 1st testing round
1st iterations
Iterations followiing 1st testng round
JMD4You
During the testing and iteration phase, we digged deeper into JMD’s existing platform, JMD4You, for digital counseling. Through calls with JMD’s internal team, we learned that JMD Intern (Employee facing interface) is often seen as an added task by employees due to its complexity and limited user-friendliness, despite annual training. As most employees focus on in-office appointments, the digital tool is rarely utilized, especially since language barriers require additional time with translation tools, slowing down operations. Furthermore, we found that the platform’s design catered primarily to the social work aspect, focusing on counselor tasks rather than the client’s needs.
JMD Intern catered primarily to the social work aspect, focusing on counselor tasks rather than the client’s needs.
These insights informed our approach, leading us to incorporate JMD4U’s relevant functions, combining features from both the client (JMD4You) and employee (JMD Intern) perspectives. This formed the basis for creating a more client-centered tool that addressed both the accessibility of language and the streamlined distribution of client requests. For instance, the client dashboard and language support were core features that became central to our prototype, ensuring client needs were prioritized but not at the expense of the counselors.
Insights from JMD’s existing digitals tools’ trials for clients & employees
2nd Testing Round
Feedback summary
❓Desire for a streamlined dashboard and fewer navigation steps
❓Some questioned the purpose of a JMD networking forum, preferring established social platforms.
❓Concerns about document security within chat.
❓Introductory text felt lengthy for many users.
Feedback from 2nd testing round
2nd iteration
Iterations followiing 2nd testng round
Wireframes
The final high-fidelity prototypes were designed to integrate insights from our testing, including the challenges with JMD4U. Our proposed solution merges useful elements of JMD4U (client’s end) and JMD Intern (employee’s end) into one comprehensive platform. To present our results and validate the potential and feasibility of implementing this solution, we also developed a showreel to pitch the concept to JMD’s management during our interim presentation. This helped us gather critical feedback, especially on the scope of restructuring JMD’s resource pooling.
High fidelity prototypes
Feedback from JMD’s leadership and stakeholders confirmed the project's high value and potential, as shown through the high-fidelity prototypes leading to its integration into JMD’s service strategy. Once my program term concluded, we handed over the project and PRD to JMD’s internal product team to further develop the foundation we established.
In addition to the user-oriented design, we developed a detailed Implementation Guide, outlining the solution’s use cases and a step-by-step plan for integration. Though the prototypes primarily focused on the user side, we included a blueprint in the PRD for how the interface should appear from the employee’s perspective, supporting JMD’s future developments.
Final presentation video
Visual design system
In reworking the UI and UX for Councelopedia, I aimed to create a scalable visual design system due to the anticipated expansion of the platform’s functionality. Originally, the prototype was based solely on the specific features developed during our initial project phase, which focused on user-facing needs. However, with the expansion of new counselors being onboarded across the country—a high-friction, operations-intensive activity—the design needed to evolve.
A scalable design system became essential for JMD’s internal product team to maintain consistency while translating the user-facing prototype into a fully cohesive employee interface. This updated design approach would simplify onboarding for new counselors, reduce operational friction, and ensure a unified experience across all touchpoints on the platform.
Learnings & reflections
Our journey on this project was shaped by key enablers, challenges, risks, and lessons that left us with invaluable insights:
What moved us forward
Trusting the process and our coaches' guidance helped us navigate through uncertainties. We embraced letting go of unworkable ideas, staying prepared with clear agendas, and leveraging critical questioning within the team to refine our approach.
What held us back
At times, over-discussing ideas, stress over deadlines, and distractions hindered progress. We occasionally strayed off course, which underscored the importance of focus and balance.
Potential risks
Risks like misalignment, reluctance to let go of beloved ideas, losing focus on tasks, and hesitations in communication reminded us of the value of adaptability and open dialogue.
Lessons learned
Regular team check-ins, energy level assessments, clear role assignments, and mindful communication were key preventive measures that emerged as strategies to maintain alignment and efficiency.
What made it memorable
Humour and camaraderie were the heart of this project. From sharing memes and Denis' kindness to Nadine's optimism and shared laughter during a rehearsal gone wrong, these moments reminded us to enjoy the journey alongside the work.
