Dawnfield
Designing Better Waitlist Experiences in Health and Mental Health Services
Overview
Dawnfield is a Service Design project focused on improving the waitlist experience for youth and young adults seeking mental health support.
Duration
10 months
Role
Service Designer
Tools
Figma
Problem Statement
In British Columbia, the average wait time for young adults over the age of 24 seeking for mental health support is 34 days. For many, it is much longer. During the wait time, symptoms can get worse. And often, people are left to wait alone, with no guidance and no one checking in. This could lead to motivation fading, or even self harming behaviour developing.
Secondary Research
The research began with an analysis of three major mental health services in BC: Foundry, Here2Talk, and PeerConnect BC. Two government reports from BC's A Pathway to Hope initiative, a 10-year strategy to improve mental health services, were also reviewed.
Several patterns emerged:
1
Adults over 24 often face longer waits and fewer free resources
2
Many young adults wait 30–120+ days for counselling, depending on region
3
The waitlist period carries high emotional risk, including symptom worsening and a decline in motivation.
Primary Research (Interviews)
To understand the lived experience behind the data, a multi-group research plan was developed involving three participant groups:
Mental Health
Professionals
- 3 Interviews
Peer Supporters &
Volunteers
2 interviews
Individuals With Waitlist Experience
2 Interviews
Things that often mentioned during the interviews & co-design workshops…
Mental Health Professionals
- "Your idea is great, but it also feels a bit utopian."
- "How will you ensure this system can run realistically and sustainably?"
Peer Supporters & Volunteers
- "You need to make sure volunteers are properly trained."
- "This sounds like it requires me to be very professional. Who would train us?"
Individuals with Lived Experience
- "I'm not sure I could trust someone who isn't a mental health professional."
- "What if some people prefer not to interact in person?"
Research Insight and Synthesis
Across all interviews, five core needs surfaced:
Early contact and emotional check-ins
A trained peer-support team supervised by clinicians
Guided wellness practices (breathing, grounding, reframing, boundary setting)
Hybrid modes: in-person, digital, and low-pressure options
A service model that fills the “support gap” without replacing therapy
A structured, professionally guided interim-care system designed specifically for the waitlist experience.
Conceptual Development & Validation
The vision took shape as an ecosystem where mental health professionals provide the foundation, and trained peer supporters build on it to create a safe, accessible space for individuals.
Not a replacement for free couselling./ therapy. A bridge to it.
Prototype Phase
1. Concept Storyboarding
By creating these storyboards, I was able to visualize the full emotional arc of both journeys within the Dawnfield ecosystem.
2. Service Blueprints
Click to expend
These two service blueprints demonstrate how Dawnfield operates as a two-sided ecosystem. The first traces the individual's journey from discovering the service through to participating in wellness activities and eventually transitioning to formal care. The second traces the peer supporter's journey from volunteering through training, certification, and deployment. Together, they reveal how every moment of human connection on the surface is supported by layers of coordination, professional oversight, and operational infrastructure underneath.
3. Simulation Testing
To validate the spatial design and service flow, I conducted simulation testing with mental health professionals using a printed village map, illustrated stakeholder figurines, and the Vanier Park site plan. Each figurine represented a role within the Dawnfield ecosystem: Mental Health Professional, Peer Support, Individual, Program Support, and Security. By physically moving the characters through the spaces, we traced both service journeys step by step, identifying missing touchpoints, testing how transitions between zones felt, and evaluating whether the layout supported the sensory gradient from active to calm. This hands-on approach surfaced operational insights that blueprints alone could not reveal, including the need for a reception area, gender-neutral washrooms, sound separation between spaces, and clear sightlines for supervision.
4. Mobile Website Prototyping
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The mobile prototype demonstrates the complete sign-up experience for individuals seeking support through Dawnfield.
5. Final Concept Video
At a field where a new dawn is on the way, we continue to move forward, shaping systems that care for people more gently. We fight for brighter days, and for a future where no one has to wait alone.
To be continued…