Haven
A CAPSTONE PROJECT
Redefining Childhood Cancer Support for Parents in New Zealand
Problem Statement
Each year, around 150 children are diagnosed with cancer in New Zealand, leaving hundreds of parents devastated as they navigate this life-changing journey. From the moment of diagnosis, parents are overwhelmed with information and resources, one of which is the new patient folder, designed to be a reliable guide. However, while the information parents desperately need is already available in this folder, it’s simply not accessible when they need it most. Its one-size-fits-all approach, covering every diagnosis and treatment type, makes it too confronting to navigate at a time when “everything feels like a blur.” Lacking the mental capacity to take it all in, parents instead turn to their medical teams for reassurance, placing extra pressure on staff already managing heavy workloads, particularly as families begin treatment at home for the first time.
The Solution
Haven
Haven is New Zealand’s first personalised companion app, designed to bring trusted, hospital-verified information to parents navigating their child’s cancer journey. Through an empathetic AI companion, parents can ask any question and receive supportive, reassuring answers whenever they need them, alongside daily medical resources tailored to where they are in their journey. Whether it’s 2 a.m. and they’re worried about their child’s temperature, or they’re feeling anxious about an upcoming procedure, Haven provides immediate, compassionate guidance that helps ease the uncertainty of the unknown.
Research Phase
Understanding both user and business needs.
The creation of Haven was guided by two close friends of mine who had lived through this experience, along with insights from an oncology nurse and a support worker who witness these challenges every day. Through listening to their stories and understanding needs from multiple perspectives, it became clear that constant questions between appointments, uncertainty about what comes next, and fear of making mistakes during home care all pointed to a gap in support. The oncology nurse confirmed she often spends valuable time answering non-emergency questions that could be resolved instantly if the right information were available when parents needed it.
Ideation & Strategy
The exploration of how AI could uniquely bridge that gap.
My insights led me to explore a method that would help bring more personalised support to parents, as well as redesign the way in which they received information, to make diagnosis education feel a lot less confronting. AI provides instant availability when medical staff aren’t accessible, delivers personalised responses based on each family’s diagnosis and treatment plan, and offers a judgment-free space where parents can ask the same question more than once without feeling like a burden. Unlike static resources, AI can adapt to context, provide reassurance, and maintain up-to-date medical responses.
Design Development & Testing
Building the prototype through rapid prototyping and testing.
Design Process
- Site Mapping
- Rapid Prototyping using Cursor
- Wireframes
- Lo-fi Prototype
- Hi-fi prototype
Design Tools
Figma
Cursor
Report
A deeper dive into the process of making Haven.
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Reflection & Learnings
Key takeaways and future considerations
Haven has been a huge passion project of mine and I am truly proud of the outcome I was able to achieve. This project is a true representation of where I aspire to grow in the design industry, and I hope one day this is an app that could support so many parents in New Zealand and around the world who are all experiencing this life changing journey.
