Redesigning Opportunity: Creating Visual Tools for Low-Income Parents to Understand Socioeconomic Mobility

Abstract

This thesis addresses declining socioeconomic mobility in America by developing a user-centered visualization tool for low-income families. Despite research showing how geography impacts children’s outcomes, existing tools like the Opportunity Atlas primarily serve researchers rather than families making critical decisions. Through a six-phase approach—need-finding interviews, thematic analysis, prototype development, co-design, enhancement, and testing—we created OpportunityViz, a web application translating mobility data into accessible guidance. Through interviews with first-generation, low-income parent-child pairs, we identified ten themes shaping mobility experiences and developed corresponding features. Usability testing showed features providing personalized recommendations, cultural considerations, and concrete action steps were highly effective. Findings reveal effective mobility tools must offer personalization, cultural sensitivity, actionable guidance, multiple pathways, and language accessibility. This research demonstrates how technology can bridge academic knowledge and practical application for vulnerable populations. By making mobility information accessible, OpportunityViz can empower disadvantaged families to make informed decisions about their children’s futures, contributing to greater educational equity. A demo of the tool is available at https://opportunity-ai-omega.vercel.app/