The Team
Product Designer
Me
Brand Designer
Nevada State Grant Manager
Director of Software Development
Software Developer
The Client
The Nevada Department of Education
The Tools
Figma
Drupal
Lucid
Jira
BACKGROUND
connecting homeless youth with services they need
In Nevada, public school data indicates there are over 15,000 children and youth experiencing homelessness. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act eliminates obstacles for youth getting enrolled in school, such as proof of residency or immunization records. It also allows them to stay enrolled in their school of origin regardless of their housing situation. Being enrolled in school and having access to meals, activities, and caring adults allows children some consistency in a highly stressful situation.
The Nevada Department of Education received Mckinney-Vento funds to create an app that connects youth experiencing homeless in Nevada to services that can help them. They partnered with over 100 service providers to list their program details on the app. Portland Webworks was proud to be tasked with the design and development of an app with a meaningful goal and mission.
users
service seekers and service providers
The users of this project are split into two buckets: app users and support services. App users are searching the app to find services because they are experiencing homelessness or use the app on behalf of a youth who needs help. Support services are community partners and non-profits that offer services for homeless youth.
App User
Parents or guardians
These are adults who are taking care of homeless children or youth. They are searching for services to connect them with help quickly.
App User
person experiencing homelessness
This is a young person who is experiencing homelessness. They are stressed, resilient, and need help as soon as possible.
Support Service
providers
Homeless shelters, therapists, food banks, after school programs, early intervention programs, non-profits, and more. They provide program information to be searchable on the app.
App User
professionals who work with children
People who work with homeless children or youth and want to connect them with services that can help them. The Mckinney-Vento Act sponsors school liaisons in each school district who help get homeless youth enrolled in school.
Support Service
app administrators
The Nevada Department of Education staff that maintains and updates the app.
workflow
how to update the app with provider information
We recognized that a streamlined workflow was needed for how providers submit program details and how those details are updated in the app. We designed a process using Drupal where providers enter their program information through a structured intake form to ensure that all necessary details are captured consistently. From there, the program information is reviewed and approved by The Nevada Department of Education to maintain accuracy before it is published live to the app.
We prioritized creating the provider submission form early on so we could send it out to providers and start collecting data. The data received helped us understand what data we will have available.
goals
Problem
Goal
Seeking help
Users need assistance finding shelter, food, clothing, healthcare, school enrollment, transportation, and more
Find Services
Match users with relevant services
Urgency
Children and youth experiencing homelessness are in time sensitive situations and need help fast
Nearby and Open Services
Present users with services that are close by and available
Inconsistency
Children and youth experiencing homelessness are in stressful and uncertain situations
School Enrollment
Schools provide a familiar routine, resources, mentors, and meals
wireframes
Find Services
Nearby and Open Services
onboarding
We designed an onboarding experience that caters to each user type. We asked the most pertinent information to present the user with accurate and relevant search results.
Find Services
Nearby and Open Services
search and filter
Users have the ability to zoom in and out of the map area to narrow down their search results.
Find Services
Nearby and Open Services
School Enrollment
home
The Home section has dedicated sections for Search, School Enrollment, and featured Nevada Resouces.
high fidelity
Nevada Compass will be available for download in the App Store and Google Play December 2025
