Role: UX Researcher / UX Designer (Team of one)
Status: Ongoing project
Client: Homage Senior Services Aging and Disability team
Tools: Microsoft form, Microsoft SharePoint, Outlook, Miro, Figma
Homage Senior Services is a non-profit serving older adults and people with disabilities in Snohomish County, WA, connecting them with community resources to support independent living.
As a resource database curator, I manage 800+ partner agency listings and conduct annual outreach to verify service information via email. Through this work, I noticed low verification rates from partner agencies.
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To understand why, I conducted a mixed-methods study.
Key finding: 52% of respondents (15/29) said "No" or "Maybe" when asked if they'd ever received the verification email.
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Next steps include follow-up interviews and design exploration.
The Problem
Over 12 months of outreach to 500+ partner agencies, the average verification completion rate was only 25%. When partners don't verify directly, accuracy depends on secondary sources like agency websites, which may be outdated or incomplete. For community members seeking critical services, inaccurate information can mean missed connections to care.
Improve partner agency verification completion rate while maintaining information accuracy for community members.
Improving verification rates isn't just an operational efficiency problem, it's about ensuring vulnerable community members get connected to the right resources when they need them.
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The resource database I maintain feeds directly into Washington Community Living Connections, a public portal that older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers use to find services supporting independent living.
When agency information is outdated, wrong phone numbers, discontinued programs, incorrect hours, real people hit dead ends while seeking help. For someone navigating care options for an aging parent or trying to access meal delivery, a bad referral isn't just frustrating. It can delay critical support.
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Survey
Key insight: Agencies are willing to respond, but the current email is easy to overlook, forget, or deprioritize. A clearer, faster, and more memorable experience could reduce these barriers.
​To understand why , I surveyed 379 partner agency contacts and received 27 responses (~7%).
Findings
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​Many don't recall the email 17 of 27 respondents said "No" or "Maybe" when asked if they'd received the annual review email, suggesting the current emails aren't memorable or are being overlooked.
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Lack of time is the top barrier Among those who recognized the email, "lack of time" was the most common reason for not responding.
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People simply forget Several respondents admitted they forgot about the email, pointing to a need for better follow-up or more attention-grabbing design.
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Motivation isn't the problem Most respondents said they want to keep information accurate for the community. The issue is friction, not apathy.
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Technical confusion exists Some mentioned being unsure how to update or experiencing link issues.
Interview
I had 15-minute follow-up interviews with two survey respondents who agreed to speak with me.
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Key findings:
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"Short and sweet" is critical: Participant emphasized visual appearance matters as much as actual length.
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Context matters more than you think: Participant revealed that even partners who know Homage Senior Service need reminders of the connection.
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Trust is fragile: both participants hesitate at links despite trusting Homage Senior Service, because of phishing training.
User Persona
Based on behavioral patterns from your survey + interviews, I developed three personas: