ASK ALEX
2x Your Grant Application Speed with Cutting-Edge AI
INTRODUCTION
Role
UX Consultant
Timeline
Jan 2024 - May 2024
Tools
Figma, Miro, Gitlab, HeyGen, Flowise
Client
Highland Rivers Behavior Health (HRBH), one of Georgia's largest behavioral healthcare providers
Our Team
Saurabh, CEO
Rakesh, UX Director
Problem
How might we enable Highland Rivers Behavior Health (HRBH) employees
to access, manage, and track grant application tasks and policies
using AI-driven solutions?
Results
This project is currently in progress and has moved into the implementation phase. We are collaborating closely with HRBH staff and the IT team to ensure seamless integration and effective deployment of the AI-driven solutions.
Once fully deployed, the project is expected to significantly impact over 1,000 staff members at HRBH in the following ways.
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50% less time spent on grant applications
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75% reduction of the staff workload on grant application
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$1.2 million saved per year approximately
Approach
1 Research
Stakeholder Workshops
User Interviews
Diagram & Affinity Mapping
Pain Point
Problem Statement
2 Design
Brainstorming
Solutions
Use Cases
Mid-fi Designs
3 Prototyping
Early Prototypes
Product Story
Stakeholder Feedback
My Contribution
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Set design strategy with CEO and UX Director to align project vision with business goals
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Created tailored AI solutions for internal staff at HRBH
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Designed conversational flows and interfaces from zero
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Crafted product stories to communicate product goal with engineers and UX director using GitLab
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Facilitated client workshops to dissect workflow inefficiencies and identify pain points
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Managed client communications, delivering regular status and feasibility updates
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Developed marketing materials to expand our company's market position
My role:
-
UX Consultant at The Generative AI Company LLC (TGAIC), a design & consultancy startup, specializing in integrating SaaS AI solutions to organizations. I worked with Saurabh, the CEO and Rakesh, the UX Director.
01 RESEARCH
Context
Highland Rivers Behavioral Health (HRBH) is one of Georgia's largest behavioral healthcare providers, serving over 25,000 clients annually across a 13-county region.
As the UX Consultant for this project, I played a pivotal role in shaping the design strategy and influencing key decision-making processes. By facilitating client workshops, conducting in-depth user research, and developing AI-driven solutions, I ensured our approach was aligned with HRBH's goals and needs, ultimately streamlining their grant application process.
Problem Finding
HRBH relies on grants for major funding, necessitating a streamlined and efficient application process. Yet, the existing process is cumbersome, with difficulties in accessing relevant information, tracking task statuses, adhering to policies and regulations, and cross-department communication.
For A Small Grant Application
45-60 days
For A Large Grant Application
Over 3 months
Research Constraints & Approaches
Conducting user interviews with frontline staff at Highland Rivers Behavioral Health (HRBH) posed several challenges. Their busy schedules made it difficult to coordinate interviews without disrupting their essential work. Additionally, management preferred to limit frontline staff's awareness of potential changes at this early stage, opting to first evaluate our proposed solutions.
To overcome these constraints, I adopted the following two approaches: in-depth research and conducting workshops with the management team to gain deep insights into their operational challenges.
Approach 1:
In-Depth Research
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Website and Annual Reports: I conducted thorough research using HRBH’s website, annual reports, and other publicly available documents to gather comprehensive insights into their operations and challenges.
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Funding Materials: I reviewed materials related to their major funding application for the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) program, gaining a deeper understanding of their financial priorities and strategic goals.
Approach 2:
Workshops With The Management Team
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I organized 2 workshops with management team members to identify their most pressing concerns. These sessions enabled us to dive deep into each problem and dissect the current workflow, providing a clear picture of their operational landscape without involving frontline staff at this stage.
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I also gathered indirect frontline feedback by asking the management team specific questions about their observations and challenges of frontline staff.
Below is a screenshot of the workshop plan that I prepared and organized, targeting management members to efficiently identify and address HRBH's key operational challenges within a limited timeframe.
Insights - Current Workflow
From the research and workshops, I created the following diagram illustrating the current workflow of HRBH applying for a government-issued grant, their major type of funding.
Pain Points in Grant Application
During the workshops, I documented the challenges shared by the management team at each step of the current workflow. Based on that, I organized these into key aspects and presented them to the CEO and UX Director for discussion. Here are the major issues we agreed on to prioritize.
1. Challenges in understanding specific grant requirements.
2. High dependency on specific personnel - Alex, The Secretary.
3. Difficulty in writing to meet grant-specific criteria.
4. Managing strict timelines and budgeting expectations.
Problem Statement
How might we enable HRBH employees to access, manage, and track
grant application tasks and policies using AI-driven solutions?
02 Solution & Design
Initial Development & Workflow Diagram
I worked with our CEO and UX Director on conceptualizing how AI could streamline HRBH's grant application workflow. We identified key areas where AI could improve in their current workflow.
Based on that, I developed the following detailed diagram illustrating how AI would integrate into the existing workflow. This visual representation highlighted how AI could enhance efficiency at each step, from eligibility checks to final submission.
Scenario Creation:
Based on the workflow diagram, I crafted detailed scenarios showcasing how AI could be implemented after a discussion with my CEO and UX Director. These scenarios are created to better communicate the capability of our AI solutions to the HRBH management team, which includes dialogue examples as shown below, demonstrating the practical applications of AI in their everyday tasks.
Below are the 4 scenarios.
This scenario demonstrates how AI can provide staff with up-to-date information on static CCBHC staffing requirements efficiently. CCBHC is the largest and the most complicated grant HRBH is currently applying for.
03 Prototyping
AI Early Prototype Development
To demonstrate AI's capabilities to the HRBH management team, I helped create a low-fidelity chatbot named "Ask Alex" using Flowise. This interface mimics the HRBH’s current staff portal and is populated with CCBHC-related materials, providing a tangible example of how AI could assist with their workflow.
Detailed Solution Outline - Product Stories
After developing the designs and the AI prototype "Ask Alex," we presented our solutions to the HRBH management team. The presentation received positive feedback and approval, validating our AI-driven approach to streamline the grant application workflow. This endorsement allowed us to confidently proceed to the next phase.
With the approval secured, our CEO and I outlined the detailed solutions necessary for development. I crafted comprehensive product stories to ensure clear communication with the UX Director, engineers, and the client. These stories detailed the functionality and user interactions required for each AI component. This documentation provided a clear roadmap for implementation, showcasing my ability to lead and communicate complex projects effectively. One example is shown below.
04 Results & Impact
Stakeholder Feedback
The HRBH management team provided overwhelmingly positive feedback on our prototypes, praising both the innovative designs and our clear, consistent communication throughout the project. They highlighted how our proactive attitude and collaborative approach significantly contributed to the project's success. My efforts in facilitating workshops, conducting thorough research, and developing user-centric AI solutions were instrumental in achieving this positive reception.
These enhancements are expected to improve overall staff efficiency and satisfaction, setting a new standard for how AI can optimize critical workflows in the healthcare industry.
The estimated impact...
on grant application process
1/2 less time spent
in staff workload on grant application
75% reduction
in annual saving
$1.2 million
Next Step
User Research with Frontline Staff
Conduct more in-depth user research sessions with frontline staff to gather insights on their specific needs and challenges. This will ensure that our solutions are finely tuned to their day-to-day operations and improve overall adoption and effectiveness.
High-Fidelity Prototype
Design a high-fidelity prototype based on the feedback and insights gained from the user research. This prototype will provide a more realistic representation of the final product, enabling more precise testing and validation.
Development Integration
Develop and integrate the AI solution within HRBH’s current staff system. This step involves close collaboration with their IT department to ensure seamless integration and minimal disruption to their existing workflows.
Impact: Expanding Our AI Market Position
Building on our success with HRBH, I refined our pitch deck to highlight our AI consulting services with our CEO. By humanizing AI agents and creating their images, I made their functions more relatable and understandable for clients. My efforts have positioned us to attract and engage new clients, demonstrating our expertise in delivering impactful AI-driven transformations tailored to each organization's unique needs. Click here to view the AI agents.