José Arias

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José Arias
José Arias

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Advocacy App

Simplifying Healthcare Advocacy for Accessible Engagement

Deprioritized

Deprioritized

Deprioritized

Recreating the app experience to make healthcare advocacy more simple and engaging.

Note: Per a non-disclosure agreement signed by both parties, the name of the client was changed. Elements of the work produced for this project have been modified or omitted in their entirety.

Tools

Sketch
Paper sketching

Industries

Healthcare
Employment

Work

  • Strategy

  • Mobile Design

  • Web Design

  • Accessibility

  • Information Architecture

Team

  • Founder

  • Developer

  • Caregiver Specialists

  • UX Design Contractor (me)

Project Status

Shipped 2018

Industries

Healthcare
Advocacy

Tools

Google Docs
Figma

Focus Areas

  • Strategy

  • Mobile Design

  • Accessibility

  • Information Architecture

Team

  • Product Manager

  • Freelance UX/ UI Designer (me)

Insight

Turned research and feedback into clear, accessible design priorities

Insight

Turned research and feedback into clear, accessible design priorities

Action

Unified events, updates, and podcasts into one seamless hub

Action

Unified events, updates, and podcasts into one seamless hub

Context

Designed for mid-50s to 70s users navigating advocacy tools

Context

Designed for mid-50s to 70s users navigating advocacy tools

Insight

Turned research and feedback into clear, accessible design priorities

Action

Unified events, updates, and podcasts into one seamless hub

Context

Designed for mid-50s to 70s users navigating advocacy tools

Overview

Designing for Advocacy and Accessibility

Advocacy App aimed to engage constituents in healthcare advocacy through legislative updates, community events, and educational content. With a user base primarily in their 50s–70s, I focused on:


  • Simplifying navigation.


  • Improving accessibility.


  • Creating high-fidelity Android and iOS prototypes.


Though the project was deprioritized before launch, the redesign laid the groundwork for clearer, more inclusive engagement.

Advocacy App aimed to engage constituents in healthcare advocacy through legislative updates, community events, and educational content. With a user base primarily in their 50s–70s, I focused on:


  • Simplifying navigation.


  • Improving accessibility.


  • Creating high-fidelity Android and iOS prototypes.


Though the project was deprioritized before launch, the redesign laid the groundwork for clearer, more inclusive engagement.

Overview

Designing for Advocacy and Accessibility

Advocacy App aimed to engage constituents in healthcare advocacy through legislative updates, community events, and educational content. With a user base primarily in their 50s–70s, I focused on:


  • Simplifying navigation.


  • Improving accessibility.


  • Creating high-fidelity Android and iOS prototypes.


Though the project was deprioritized before launch, the redesign laid the groundwork for clearer, more inclusive engagement.

Context and Opportunity

Creating Clarity Where It Mattered Most

The app’s structure buried key features, reduced discoverability, and created barriers for accessibility. For users seeking to stay informed, join events, or engage with advocacy efforts, the experience felt more complex than it needed to be.


This presented the opportunity to streamline navigation, surface meaningful actions, and design an experience that encouraged participation.

The app’s structure buried key features, reduced discoverability, and created barriers for accessibility. For users seeking to stay informed, join events, or engage with advocacy efforts, the experience felt more complex than it needed to be.


This presented the opportunity to streamline navigation, surface meaningful actions, and design an experience that encouraged participation.

The Challenge

Balancing Accessibility and Shifting Priorities

The app’s existing information architecture created unnecessary complexity for its primary audience (adults in their mid-50s to 70s) who needed a straightforward way to access legislative updates, community events, and educational content. Low feature discoverability and accessibility barriers risked alienating the very users the app was meant to empower.


At the same time, stakeholder priorities were shifting throughout the project. Features were added, re-scoped, or deprioritized midstream, creating a moving target for design decisions. The challenge was twofold:


  • For users: Simplify navigation and improve accessibility to foster engagement.


  • For stakeholders: Adapt the design process to evolving requirements without losing sight of core advocacy goals.

The app’s existing information architecture created unnecessary complexity for its primary audience (adults in their mid-50s to 70s) who needed a straightforward way to access legislative updates, community events, and educational content. Low feature discoverability and accessibility barriers risked alienating the very users the app was meant to empower.


At the same time, stakeholder priorities were shifting throughout the project. Features were added, re-scoped, or deprioritized midstream, creating a moving target for design decisions. The challenge was twofold:


  • For users: Simplify navigation and improve accessibility to foster engagement.


  • For stakeholders: Adapt the design process to evolving requirements without losing sight of core advocacy goals.

The app’s existing information architecture created unnecessary complexity for its primary audience (adults in their mid-50s to 70s) who needed a straightforward way to access legislative updates, community events, and educational content. Low feature discoverability and accessibility barriers risked alienating the very users the app was meant to empower.


At the same time, stakeholder priorities were shifting throughout the project. Features were added, re-scoped, or deprioritized midstream, creating a moving target for design decisions. The challenge was twofold:


  • For users: Simplify navigation and improve accessibility to foster engagement.


  • For stakeholders: Adapt the design process to evolving requirements without losing sight of core advocacy goals.

Problem Statement

Complex information architecture and accessibility barriers hindered engagement for an older user base, while shifting stakeholder priorities complicated delivery.

Problem Statement

Complex information architecture and accessibility barriers hindered engagement for an older user base, while shifting stakeholder priorities complicated delivery.

Problem Statement

Complex information architecture and accessibility barriers hindered engagement for an older user base, while shifting stakeholder priorities complicated delivery.

Process and Approach

From Research to Accessible Prototypes

To address both user and stakeholder needs, I followed a structured, iterative design process:

To address both user and stakeholder needs, I followed a structured, iterative design process:

To address both user and stakeholder needs, I followed a structured, iterative design process:

01_Research and Insight
01_Research and Insights: Identifying the Gaps

Reviewed prior research, conducted stakeholder interviews, and explored domain-specific resources to identify accessibility and engagement barriers.

Reviewed prior research, conducted stakeholder interviews, and explored domain-specific resources to identify accessibility and engagement barriers.

Reviewed prior research, conducted stakeholder interviews, and explored domain-specific resources to identify accessibility and engagement barriers.

02_Simplifying the IA

Reorganized content into clearer pathways, improving feature discoverability and navigation flow.

03_Iterative Design

Sketched and prototyped multiple options, incorporating feedback to refine Android and iOS flows.

04_Accessibility First

Prioritized WCAG contrast, larger touch targets, and simplified copy to support the app’s older primary audience.

05_Adaptability

Managed evolving stakeholder requirements by aligning features with advocacy goals and deferring lower-priority requests.

This approach ensured the final designs were grounded in research, responsive to stakeholder dynamics, and tailored to the needs of the community.

This approach ensured the final designs were grounded in research, responsive to stakeholder dynamics, and tailored to the needs of the community.

This approach ensured the final designs were grounded in research, responsive to stakeholder dynamics, and tailored to the needs of the community.

Proposed Solution

Prototyping Clearer Pathways for Advocacy

The redesigned app focused on making advocacy participation intuitive and accessible. High-fidelity Android and iOS prototypes introduced:


  • Simplified navigation: Clearer information hierarchy guiding users to legislative updates, events, and educational content.


  • Accessibility improvements: Larger touch targets, stronger contrast, and concise copy tailored to the app’s older primary audience.


  • Community engagement tools: Easy access to podcasts and advocacy events to encourage ongoing participation.


  • Deferred donation flow: A streamlined giving experience was planned but deprioritized before implementation.


These prototypes demonstrated how improved structure and accessibility could empower more constituents to stay connected and take action.

The redesigned app focused on making advocacy participation intuitive and accessible. High-fidelity Android and iOS prototypes introduced:


  • Simplified navigation: Clearer information hierarchy guiding users to legislative updates, events, and educational content.


  • Accessibility improvements: Larger touch targets, stronger contrast, and concise copy tailored to the app’s older primary audience.


  • Community engagement tools: Easy access to podcasts and advocacy events to encourage ongoing participation.


  • Deferred donation flow: A streamlined giving experience was planned but deprioritized before implementation.


These prototypes demonstrated how improved structure and accessibility could empower more constituents to stay connected and take action.

The redesigned app focused on making advocacy participation intuitive and accessible. High-fidelity Android and iOS prototypes introduced:


  • Simplified navigation: Clearer information hierarchy guiding users to legislative updates, events, and educational content.


  • Accessibility improvements: Larger touch targets, stronger contrast, and concise copy tailored to the app’s older primary audience.


  • Community engagement tools: Easy access to podcasts and advocacy events to encourage ongoing participation.


  • Deferred donation flow: A streamlined giving experience was planned but deprioritized before implementation.


These prototypes demonstrated how improved structure and accessibility could empower more constituents to stay connected and take action.

Results and Impact

Setting Benchmarks Despite Deprioritization

Although the project was deprioritized before implementation, the final prototypes directly addressed critical usability and accessibility gaps. The designs established clear benchmarks for what success could look like:


  • Reduced churn through clearer navigation and improved discoverability.


  • Higher task completion enabled by simplified workflows and stronger IA.


  • Greater satisfaction for the app’s target audience through accessible, intuitive interaction patterns.


While these outcomes were not validated in production, the prototypes demonstrated how targeted design decisions could resolve longstanding barriers and create a more engaging advocacy experience.

Although the project was deprioritized before implementation, the final prototypes directly addressed critical usability and accessibility gaps. The designs established clear benchmarks for what success could look like:


  • Reduced churn through clearer navigation and improved discoverability.


  • Higher task completion enabled by simplified workflows and stronger IA.


  • Greater satisfaction for the app’s target audience through accessible, intuitive interaction patterns.


While these outcomes were not validated in production, the prototypes demonstrated how targeted design decisions could resolve longstanding barriers and create a more engaging advocacy experience.

Although the project was deprioritized before implementation, the final prototypes directly addressed critical usability and accessibility gaps. The designs established clear benchmarks for what success could look like:


  • Reduced churn through clearer navigation and improved discoverability.


  • Higher task completion enabled by simplified workflows and stronger IA.


  • Greater satisfaction for the app’s target audience through accessible, intuitive interaction patterns.


While these outcomes were not validated in production, the prototypes demonstrated how targeted design decisions could resolve longstanding barriers and create a more engaging advocacy experience.

Lessons Learned

Key Takeaways

Accessibility first

Designing with accessibility in mind from the start reduces barriers and prevents costly rework.

Accessibility first

Designing with accessibility in mind from the start reduces barriers and prevents costly rework.

Accessibility first

Designing with accessibility in mind from the start reduces barriers and prevents costly rework.

Simplicity drives engagement

Clear, streamlined workflows help communities interact with confidence and purpose.

Simplicity drives engagement

Clear, streamlined workflows help communities interact with confidence and purpose.

Simplicity drives engagement

Clear, streamlined workflows help communities interact with confidence and purpose.

Adaptability matters

Navigating shifting priorities ensures designs stay aligned with core goals.

Adaptability matters

Navigating shifting priorities ensures designs stay aligned with core goals.

Adaptability matters

Navigating shifting priorities ensures designs stay aligned with core goals.

Value beyond launch

Even when projects don’t roll out, design work can provide lasting clarity and direction.

Value beyond launch

Even when projects don’t roll out, design work can provide lasting clarity and direction.

Value beyond launch

Even when projects don’t roll out, design work can provide lasting clarity and direction.

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Helping mission-driven orgs design and maintain scalable products.

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Helping mission-driven orgs design and maintain scalable products.

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Copyright © 2025 Jose Arias. All rights reserved.