Links2Wellbeing · OACAO · 2025
Knowledge Hub
Access ≠ Readiness.
A staff-facing web platform designed to take new Link Workers from information overload
to confident client action — through structured onboarding, scenario practice,
and just-in-time guidance across Ontario's Senior Active Living Centres.
01 — Context
The onboarding gap.
"I know this work matters, but I'm not sure what I should learn first."
— New Link Worker, research interview
Link Workers at Senior Active Living Centres (SALCs) across Ontario connect older adults to community programs as part of the provincial social prescribing model. But onboarding was inconsistent — training depended on who was available, knowledge lived in individuals rather than systems, and new staff went from receiving information directly into real client contact with no rehearsal.
Access ≠ Readiness
New Link Workers could access the Knowledge Hub's resources, but had no structured path to translate that learning into confident action. The core problem was not information — it was preparation.
Key Research Insights
- Training depended entirely on who happened to be available — no system, no consistency
- Knowledge lived in individuals; when key staff left, it left with them
- New hires moved from information directly to real client contact — no rehearsal phase
- Role boundaries and escalation points were unclear across SALC sites
- A participant's experience of social prescribing varied based on where their Link Worker was trained
02 — Problem & Solution
Reframing the brief.
The Problem
- No rehearsal before first real client phone call
- Inconsistent onboarding across SALC sites — quality depended on who was available
- No single owner of onboarding across the network
- Knowledge lived in individuals; when staff left, it left with them
- Standardization risked dismissing local practices under OACAO's soft governance
Our Solution
- Structured training path organized by real service delivery stages
- Practice scenarios using Do/Don't cards before first client contact
- Google Drive-synced resource library — Drive stays source of truth
- Manager readiness sign-off before live client interactions
- Modular design — adoptable at any pace, any organization size
03 — Platform Design
Six core touchpoints.
The Hub was designed around the actual workflow of a Link Worker's day — not an ideal information architecture invented in isolation.
📋
Structured Training Path
Seven modules mapped to real service delivery stages, each short, scenario-based, and immediately applicable.
🗂
Synced Resource Library
Google Drive as backend — the Hub is the front door. Forms and templates one click away, always version-current.
🧪
Practice Scenarios
Do/Don't scenario cards built from real Link Worker transcripts. Pass before touching a real client.
📊
Referral Dashboard
Personalized caseload view — referral status, client progress, and outstanding tasks surfaced on login.
💬
Community Forum
Cross-SALC peer connection — Link Workers share what works, resolve edge cases without escalation.
✅
Readiness Check
Manager sign-off before first client interaction. Completion tracked, gaps flagged, supplementary modules assigned.
04 — Interactive Prototype
Try the prototype.
A full high-fidelity HTML prototype built to simulate the real product experience — not static screens. Explore the dashboard, walk through a training module, and navigate the resource library.
Links2Wellbeing Knowledge Hub — Interactive Prototype
05 — Process
How we got there.
1
Research & Discovery
Stakeholder interviews, transcript analysis, workflow audits, and gap identification across SALC sites.
2
Concept Ideation
Service blueprints and storyboards to map the Link Worker journey and identify design opportunities.
3
Sprint Planning
Risk mapping, future-state outcomes, and prioritized task definitions before any wireframing.
4
Prototyping
Lo-fi → mid-fi → hi-fi HTML prototype with continuous iteration based on feedback and testing.
5
Usability Testing
Tasks with participants outside the UX field — task completion, navigation errors, trust signal effectiveness.
Research Methods
Stakeholder interviews
Transcript analysis
Service blueprinting
Storyboarding
Usability testing
Lo-fi / mid-fi / hi-fi iteration
06 — Visual Design
Brand system.
The Hub's visual language was derived directly from OACAO's official brand: extracted from the logo and translated into a consistent UI token system across the prototype. The teal/mint primary palette balances the organization's warm orange and crimson without competing with them.
Hub Teal (primary)#03998D
Design System Principles
- Reusable components — cards, buttons, input fields, modals built once, used everywhere
- Defined interaction states for hover, active, and disabled across all components
- Consistent spacing and typography scales (Poppins display + Open Sans body)
- Accessibility-conscious — WCAG contrast, readable touch targets, clear hierarchy
07 — Challenges & Learning
What the project taught us.
Challenges
- Initial prototype over-designed features OACAO already handled through existing tools
- Content ownership is a design problem — without governance, platforms go stale
- Several features required database infrastructure not yet justified for Phase 1
- Balancing modular ambition with operational reality for a small nonprofit team
What We Learned
- Design around existing infrastructure — don't replace what works
- Ask "does this need to exist on day one?" before every feature decision
- Simpler is more sustainable when there's no dedicated IT support
- Standardizing onboarding is a direct equity intervention across SALC sites
Key Takeaways
Service design thinking
Nonprofit constraints
Content governance
Infrastructure-aware design
End-to-end UX
Feature prioritization
08 — Next Steps
If this went to production.
- Expand trust and identity mechanisms — ID verification, manager provisioning workflows
- Test long-term retention: do Link Workers return to modules after 30 days?
- Explore incentive structures for community forum participation across SALCs
- Build a content governance dashboard so OACAO staff can own updates without developer support
- Measure onboarding consistency across sites as the primary equity metric