Discovery UX Research Study: Researching youth, healing, and unity for a national service-oriented nonprofit

Executive Summary

Project Goal:

A national service-oriented nonprofit aims to understand how practicing empathy is prioritized in families and how we could create and foster an empathy movement.

Research Objectives:

• How do we engage youth? [DISCOVERY PHASE]

• What contributes to healing and unity? [DISCOVERY PHASE]

Summarized Approach:

The research sample included five adults of mixed gender, age, and employment backgrounds who engage with youth often, educate others, socialize with people, and believe in being part of a community. The study was held out-of-context through remote, in-depth, hour-long video interviews with one researcher in a semi-structured format. I chose the participants through a “friends and family” recruit. I aimed to capture each participant’s story as they reflected on the open-ended nature of the discovery questions.

Summarized Findings:

This research study led to four key themes vital to this nonprofit’s goal of fostering an empathy movement. First, the findings revealed a foundational framework that addresses barriers and influencers to youth engagement. Next, the findings showed youth share common characteristics that aid in their engagement level. Further, the findings clarified that belonging and connection drive strong communities toward healing and unity. Finally, the research outlined barriers that need to be addressed to reach unity and healing.