Tonight was one of those long website sessions where many small decisions finally became one clearer experience.

I worked across the homepage, directory maintenance, mobile controls, saved plans, public status pages, site design, and project credits. The goal was not to add noise. It was to make YEG Support easier to understand when someone is stressed and more dependable when I am maintaining it.

A new guided homepage

The biggest visible change is the homepage navigator. Instead of dropping people into a large wall of services, it can now ask a short series of practical questions and build a smaller starting set.

The flow considers what kind of help someone needs, how urgent it is, and which Edmonton-area region is realistic for them. It then presents a few ranked options, plain-language next steps, and an optional map when location matters.

This is still a directory, not an automated caseworker. The navigator does not diagnose anyone or promise that a service has space. It helps reduce the first search into something a person can act on and reminds people to confirm details directly.

A practical Referral Builder for people helping someone

I also built a dedicated Referral Builder for social workers, therapists, counsellors, outreach workers, peer workers, and others helping someone find Edmonton-area support.

It answers a practical question: given what a person needs and the barriers they face, which services are realistic places to start? Workers can search in ordinary language, choose an access requirement, and review a short set of explainable results showing why each service may fit, who it helps, how to start, known limitations, cost, referral information, hours, and verification date.

The matching is deterministic, not generative AI. It uses directory information, explicit related search terms, geography, access details, and known limitations. The worker still reviews the options and makes the referral decision.

Up to three services can be selected: one place to start and two backups. The handoff can be printed, copied as plain text, shared as a link, or opened with a QR code. Shared plans contain service identifiers only, and the tool does not ask for names, diagnoses, case notes, or contact information.

The Referral Builder is now a main page in the site navigation. It is meant to produce a small, practical handoff rather than another giant directory list.

Better regional and mobile controls

I improved the Edmonton-area region controls so they are easier to use on smaller screens. The homepage now does a better job of distinguishing Edmonton from nearby communities without making people fight a crowded interface.

I also tightened contact-page readability, expanded the rotating reassurance messages, and restored the Edmonton skyline to the rotating homepage hero. Those details are visual, but they serve a practical purpose: the site should feel local, calm, and readable instead of generic or clinical.

Saved plans that are easier to carry

The guided flow can help someone prepare a small plan instead of reopening the whole directory every time. I fixed the plan QR code so scanning it opens the saved plan itself. That makes it more useful for moving a plan between devices or sharing it with someone who is helping.

I also removed unnecessary helper wording around search. Search can be forgiving without making the interface explain its machinery to the person using it.

A more consistent site

The navigator design now carries through the wider public site. Shared colours, surfaces, spacing, headings, and controls were brought into better alignment across service pages, the map, blog, policies, health information, contact pages, and other public routes.

This was not meant to make every page identical. It was meant to make moving between pages feel like staying inside the same trusted tool.

Fresher directory information

Behind the scenes, I improved how the directory checks trusted official sources for routine changes.

Ordinary updates to existing services can be checked more regularly, while new services and unusual changes are still set aside for a closer look. The public Directory Status page now gives a simple summary of when that work last ran.

Cleaner maps

I removed hidden map options that no longer served a real purpose. Directions continue to open live tools such as Google Maps and Edmonton Transit Service, where people can get current route information.

Giving the tools proper credit

I expanded the Colophon to name the open-source tools now helping power the homepage, including Fuse.js, D3, SVG.js, Motion One, and Lucide. I also clarified project licensing and the sources of the SVG interface graphics.

Open-source software makes a small public-interest project like this possible. Naming those projects, their licences, and what they contribute is part of maintaining the site responsibly.

What comes next

I will keep checking the new experience on different screens, correcting service details, and smoothing out anything that still feels harder than it should.

YEG Support should not only look better after a long night. It should be easier to trust, easier to use, and less likely to fail the person who arrives needing one realistic next step.