Ride Reminder

Service Design/MHMR of Tarrant County/2018

The Problem

In 2017, the National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM) awarded grants to seven communities organizations in the U.S. to improve transportation access to healthcare through design thinking. My Health My Resources (MHMR) of Tarrant County in Texas was one of these organizations. Through their RISE program, MHMR provided behavioral health treatment and consultation to women recently released from incarceration. However, transportation constraints precluded many clients from meeting a myriad of new appointments in their daily schedule.

The Project

I and a peer designer, Eric Zimmerman, were hired as design strategists to assist the MHMR design team through the often nebulous and ambiguous creative stages of design thinking. Our task was to assist the directors of the program and the assembled team to visualize potential ideas, converge on possible solutions, and create a testable prototype for their clients.

Responsibilities

  • Co-facilitated brainstorming session with MHMR team.
  • Worked closely with Federal grant and grantee directors, as well as MHMR team, on vision and concept.
  • Interviewed case workers and clients to understand day-to-day transportation challenges throughout the program.
  • Created speculative design solutions and visual storytelling for the MHMR team.
  • Prototyped a service design package with former clients of the program
  • Developed and pitched speculative concept and final business plan to Federal Transit Administration officials in Washington D.C.
ride reminder

The Solution

Ride Reminder is an online and text-based transportation management, reminder, and reward service. Utilizing an online calendaring system, clients newly released from incarceration can enter meeting dates by text and receive credits for transportation. It proposes to partner with local ride-hailing and bike-sharing companies to provide more options for first- and last-mile commutes, and makes communication between client and caseworker easier and more transparent.

The Results

We presented Ride Reminder and its accompanying business plan along-side other grantee communities to Federal Transit Authority officials in D.C. The idea received favorable feedback, and was eyed for further grants to develop and implement a working application. The project was documented and shared through the NCMM website.

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