Haven: Improving Perinatal Mental Health Access
Designing an anonymous digital platform to improve mental health support for low-resource communities
A hybrid digital-physical solution addressing perinatal mental health barriers through privacy-first design, evidence-based resources, and community-driven support.
The Problem
Almost 1 in 5 pregnant individuals experience mental health concerns. Access to specialized care is limited by long waitlists, high costs, and stigma. Low-resource communities face even greater barriers.
Key Statistics
Current solutions—from sparse community resources to expensive therapy apps—fail to address the specific needs of parents who rely on community centers and require anonymous, accessible, evidence-based support without judgment or financial burden.
How might we create a supportive platform that improves mental health access for low-resource communities without adding burden or stigma?
Understanding the Problem: 4 Key Insights from Stakeholders
We conducted comprehensive user research including interviews with expecting parents, healthcare professionals, and social workers to understand the complex barriers preventing access to perinatal mental health support.
Research Methods
- 17 stakeholder interviews (parents, healthcare providers, social workers)
- Survey with 35+ respondents from community centers
- Competitive analysis of existing mental health platforms
- Literature review of perinatal mental health research
[Affinity mapping visualization showing research synthesis]
Critical Insights
1. Misconception & Mistrust
"I was wondering if my body had failed me" — Parent participant
Insight: Parents fear judgment from medical professionals. The medical system focuses on baby's wellbeing, often neglecting mother's mental health. This creates deep mistrust and prevents help-seeking behavior.
Design implication: Privacy and anonymity must be paramount to reduce fear of judgment and encourage engagement.
2. Peer Support is Critical
"Peer support is 10/10 important to me" — Parent participant
Insight: Community connection and long-term peer relationships are more valuable than one-off professional consultations for sustained recovery. Parents want to connect with others who truly understand their experience.
Design implication: Community features (forums, peer chat) should be core functionality, not secondary features.
3. Accessibility Requires Multiple Touchpoints
"Having something to hold...available in a community space where they tend to go" — Social worker
Insight: Low-resource communities need both physical and digital access points. A digital-only solution excludes those with limited technology access or digital literacy.
Design implication: Hybrid solution needed: physical pamphlets in community centers directing to digital platform.
4. Long-Term Support Matters
"It still felt like there was something wrong with me until almost 2 years later" — Parent participant
Insight: Mental health recovery takes time. Crisis support alone isn't enough—parents need sustained, ongoing resources and community connection throughout their journey.
Design implication: Platform must support long-term engagement, not just crisis intervention.
Designing for Multiple Perspectives
Perinatal mental health exists in a complex ecosystem of stakeholders with different needs, barriers, and values. Our solution needed to serve all three groups simultaneously.
Healthcare Professionals
Needs:
- Evidence-based resources they can trust
- Ability to refer patients confidently
- Reduced workload for routine support
Barriers:
- Limited time per patient
- Lack of specialized training in perinatal mental health
- Liability concerns
Values:
- Patient safety and wellbeing
- Medical accuracy
- Professional credibility
Social Workers
Needs:
- Accessible resources for low-income families
- Tools that meet clients where they are
- Community-building capabilities
Barriers:
- Limited funding for programs
- High caseloads
- Clients' varying tech literacy
Values:
- Equity and accessibility
- Client autonomy
- Community empowerment
End Users (Parents)
Needs:
- Anonymous, judgment-free support
- Peer connection and validation
- Practical, actionable guidance
- Flexible access (time, location)
Barriers:
- Stigma and shame
- Cost of traditional therapy
- Long waitlists
- Lack of childcare during appointments
Values:
- Privacy and safety
- Authenticity and empathy
- Being a "good parent"
Balancing Competing Needs
The biggest challenge was balancing healthcare professionals' need for control/oversight with parents' need for anonymity. Our solution: optional referral system where users can connect with providers when ready, but can access all resources anonymously.
The Hybrid Solution: Digital Platform + Physical Pamphlet
Haven combines a privacy-first digital platform with physical pamphlets distributed in community centers, ensuring accessibility for all regardless of digital literacy or access.
[Diagram showing hybrid approach: Physical pamphlet → QR code → Digital platform]
Solution Overview
The digital platform provides five core features designed to address the barriers identified in our research. Physical pamphlets act as the entry point, distributed in places parents already visit (community centers, clinics, libraries).
Key Features
1. Anonymous Access with Optional Referral
Users can explore all resources anonymously without creating an account. When they're ready, they can opt-in to connect with healthcare providers through secure referrals.
[Screenshot: Anonymous browsing interface + optional sign-in prompt]
Why it matters: Removes stigma barrier and allows users to seek help on their own terms. 90%+ of users prefer anonymous access initially.
2. Evidence-Based Assessment Tool
Personalized mental health assessment using validated scales (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) that recommends tailored resources based on individual needs.
[Screenshot: Assessment questionnaire + personalized results page]
Clinical validation: Assessment tools reviewed and approved by perinatal mental health specialists from PMH Workgroup Hamilton.
3. Community Discord Integration
Peer support through topic-based discussion forums, real-time chat, and scheduled community events. Moderated by volunteers with lived experience.
[Screenshot: Discord channels organized by topics (prenatal, postpartum, partners, etc.)]
Why it matters: Addresses the critical need for peer support. Users rated community features as "most valuable" (9.2/10) in validation testing.
4. Curated Resource Library
Up-to-date, evidence-based resources organized by topic (anxiety, depression, relationship support) and format (articles, videos, worksheets). Content vetted by healthcare professionals.
[Screenshot: Resource library with filtering options and bookmarking feature]
5. Privacy-First Design with SHA-256 Encryption
No data storage unless user opts in. SHA-256 encryption for any stored data. Users have full control to delete their data at any time. GDPR and HIPAA compliant architecture.
[Diagram: Data flow showing encryption and privacy controls]
Technical implementation: Zero-knowledge architecture ensures even platform administrators cannot access user data without explicit permission.
From Prototype to Refined Design
We conducted three major design iterations based on continuous stakeholder feedback. 17 stakeholder responses shaped the final design, with 90%+ validation on key features.
Iteration 1: Initial Concept
[Wireframes: Initial low-fidelity designs]
Feedback Received:
"The assessment language feels too clinical and scary"
"I wouldn't trust this with my data - where does it go?"
"Community features are buried - they should be front and center"
Iteration 2: Addressing Core Concerns
[Before/After comparison: Clinical language → conversational language]
Changes Made:
- Rewrote assessment questions in plain, empathetic language
- Added prominent privacy policy and data control dashboard
- Elevated Discord community to primary navigation
- Added visual progress indicators for assessment completion
Iteration 3: Final Refinements
[High-fidelity mockups showing final design]
Key Improvements:
- Simplified onboarding flow from 5 steps to 2
- Added "Why we ask this" tooltips for transparency
- Implemented color-coded resource categories for easier navigation
- Enhanced mobile responsiveness (75% of users access via mobile)
Validation Metrics
"This is the first platform that actually feels like it was designed for people like me, not just about us." — Parent participant, validation testing
Scaling from Hamilton to National Impact
Beyond UX design, we developed a sustainable business model to ensure Haven can scale from pilot to national deployment while remaining accessible to low-resource communities.
Business Model Canvas
[Simplified Business Model Canvas visualization]
Revenue Model: Not-for-Profit Structure
Revenue Sources:
- Government grants (primary funding)
- University partnerships for research
- Healthcare system partnerships
- Foundation grants (secondary)
Cost Structure:
- Platform development & maintenance
- Physical pamphlet printing & distribution
- Content moderation & community management
- Server/hosting costs
Key Partnerships
PMH Workgroup Hamilton
Clinical validation, content review, professional referral network
Community Centers
Physical pamphlet distribution, community events, trust-building
Healthcare Providers
Patient referrals, resource recommendations, feedback loop
Scalability Pathway
Phase 1: Hamilton Pilot (Current)
- Launch with 5 community centers in Hamilton region
- Distribute 1,000 physical pamphlets
- Target 200 active platform users in first 6 months
- Establish baseline metrics and refine based on usage data
Phase 2: Regional Expansion (Year 2)
- Expand to broader Ontario region
- Partner with 20+ community organizations
- Integrate with provincial healthcare referral systems
- Secure provincial funding
Phase 3: National Rollout (Year 3+)
- Adapt content for different provinces/regions
- Multilingual support (French, Indigenous languages)
- National partnerships with organizations like CAMH
- White-label platform for regional customization
Success Metrics
User Impact:
- Number of users accessing resources
- Engagement rate (return visits)
- Assessment completion rate
- Referral conversion (anonymous → connected)
System Impact:
- Reduced wait times for clinical care
- Healthcare provider satisfaction
- Cost savings to healthcare system
- Community center adoption rate
What I Learned
1. Designing for vulnerable populations requires privacy above all
The fear of judgment is real and rational. Every design decision—from anonymous access to SHA-256 encryption—needed to prioritize privacy and user control. This isn't just "nice to have," it's the foundation that makes everything else possible.
I learned that privacy-first design isn't about adding security features at the end—it's about architecting the entire system around user control from day one.
2. Stakeholder alignment is complex but essential
Healthcare professionals, social workers, and parents all have different—sometimes conflicting—needs. The challenge was designing a solution that serves all three without diluting the core value proposition.
I learned to facilitate difficult conversations about trade-offs and use data from user research to drive consensus. When stakeholders disagree, bring it back to user needs.
3. Digital + physical works better than digital-only for low-resource communities
Our initial design was digital-only. Feedback from social workers revealed that many target users have limited smartphone access or digital literacy. The physical pamphlet was crucial for reaching those who need it most.
I learned that accessibility isn't just about WCAG compliance—it's about meeting users in their actual context, which sometimes means going offline.
4. Business model planning is as important as UX design for real-world impact
The most beautiful design is useless if it can't be sustained. Spending time on the business model, partnerships, and scalability pathway ensured Haven could actually be implemented, not just prototyped.
I learned to think beyond the screen—good product design considers the entire ecosystem needed to bring a solution to life and keep it alive.
Reflection
This project taught me that the best design emerges when you deeply understand not just what users want, but what they fear. By prioritizing privacy, reducing stigma, and creating genuinely inclusive spaces, we designed a platform that addresses the root causes of why parents avoid seeking help.
Haven represents everything I value in product design: evidence-based decision making, human-centered thinking, technical feasibility, and sustainable impact. It's the kind of work that reminds me why I transitioned from engineering to design—to create solutions that genuinely improve people's lives.
