L2W Learning Hub
Designed a self-serve onboarding experience for Link Workers and volunteers, reducing training barriers and improving social prescribing workflows.
TIMELINE
2 weeks
TEAM
4 designers
1 project manager
SKILLS
Service Blueprint
Storyboarding
Co-design
UX Design
CONTEXT
A social prescribing project connecting older adults to community to bridge the gap between health and social care.
Our client OACAO (Older Adult Centres’ Association of Ontario), approached us with a brief for the Links2Wellbeing (L2W) Project, a social prescribing initiative operating across 100+ Seniors' Active Living Centres (SALCs) in Ontario. It aims to the gap between health and social care by connecting older adults to community programs that reduce isolation, build skills, and ease pressure on the healthcare system. But behind every older adult supported is a Link Worker or volunteer who needs the right knowledge, at the right moment, to do their job well.
IMPACT
Why is social prescribing important?
STATS FROM HTTPS://WWW.CRCHC.ON.CA/PROGRAMS-AND-SERVICES/SOCIAL-PRESCRIBING
Enables healthcare efficiencies: Healthcare providers able to use time more effectively by directing patients to community resources for addressing non-medical needs.
14%
DECREASE IN ER VISITS
21%
DECREASE IN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM COSTS
Empower older adults and reduces isolation: Help older adults connect with what matters most to them, fostering social inclusion and reducing isolation through expanded peer networks.
12%
INCREASE IN MENTAL HEALTH
49%
DECREASE IN LONELINESS
PROBLEM
100+ sites. No shared way to learn.
Each SALC site onboards independently, with no centralized training infrastructure. Link Workers and volunteers navigate a sprawling Google Drive — scattered folders, version-controlled documents, no front door. Practical tools exist, but finding them mid-workflow means digging through nested folders or waiting on OACAO. At the moment staff most need clarity, the system asks them to figure it out alone.
CHALLENGE
How might we centralize knowledge so staff can focus on people, not paperwork?
SALCs identified knowledge management as a top priority: centralizing tools and resources to enable consistent training and improve service delivery across the social prescribing pathway. The solution had to be self-serve, simple enough to sustain with minimal support, and built on tools OACAO already owned — no new platforms, no technical overhead.
DISCOVERY
01
KNOWLEDGE IS SCATTERED
Practical tools and resources exist in a Partner Google Drive — but they're buried across multiple folders with no consistent structure, version control issues, and no guided entry point for new staff.
02
ONBOARDING DOESN'T STICK
Training consists of just 3 live virtual sessions — dense, unrecorded, and role-dependent. Once the session ends, there's no way to revisit content. New staff are left to retain everything from a single exposure.
03
STAFF CAN'T GET ANSWERS FAST
Mid-workflow, Link Workers need quick answers to support clients in real time. Searching Drive is slow, asking OACAO takes time neither side has. The gap between needing information and finding it creates friction exactly where confidence matters most.
SOLUTION
A self-serve learning hub built on tools OACAO already owns — simple enough to sustain, useful enough to matter.
The L2W Learning Hub is a role-based knowledge platform built on Google Sites — already within OACAO's ecosystem, requiring zero technical overhead to maintain. Staff are routed to their own path based on role: Volunteer, Link Worker, or Manager. Content is organized around real workflows, not file types, with short self-paced modules, flashcards, and knowledge checks. Every resource is one or two clicks away, and the hub is designed to grow — built so AI-assisted features can be layered in without rebuilding from scratch.
KEY FEATURES
FEATURE 01
Organized around the actual job
Content structured by workflow and role stage — not file type. What do I do during intake? One click away. Each role has its own set of modules built for what you actually do.
FEATURE 02
Self-learning at any pace
Short modules, flashcards, and quizzes staff can revisit anytime — no scheduling required, no login, no pressure. Each module is a short, focused page covering one topic.
FEATURE 03
Fast access mid-workflow
Search bar and quick-access resource cards. Type two words and land on the right resource in seconds. Every module links directly to the tools, forms, and templates you need.
REFLECTION
01
THE BEST SOLUTION FITS THE ORGANIZATION
We explored LMS platforms like Teachable and Moodle — appealing features, but too expensive and complex for OACAO's scale. Google Sites was low cost, already in their ecosystem, and required zero technical expertise. That's what made it the right foundation.
02
IMPLEMENTATION MATTERS AS MUCH AS THE IDEA
Service design is not just about the visible experience — it's about internal processes, staff responsibilities, and realistic next steps. A great feature inside an unfinished system is still an unfinished system. We pivoted to a standalone MVP so our work could ship independently.
View the live prototype