Addiction Intake Form

This project started with a simple ask: design a self-service intake form to help prequalify users before they reached our call center. But once I got into the details, I saw an opportunity to do more than just capture leads. This could be a friendlier, more accessible first step into treatment – especially for users who weren’t sure where to begin.

I led the design from MVP to launch to iteration, partnering closely with dev, product, and content. The result was a tool that didn’t just collect data – it built trust, improved lead quality, and offered a more respectful experience for users in a vulnerable moment.

Our primary calls to action – phone calls and insurance verifications – worked great for users who were ready to act. But we were leaving behind a huge segment: people who were overwhelmed, unsure, or just starting to look into treatment.

We needed something gentler. A soft entry point that could educate, support, and help users move forward at their own pace. That’s where the intake form came in – a lightweight alternative that didn’t compete with our main CTAs but complemented them.

The form would serve dual purposes:

• Help our call center and Salesforce team by collecting detailed info upfront
• Help users by guiding them through their options without pressure

We planned to surface it on high-traffic pages – ideally above the fold, or just after the first scroll – as a way to offer help before getting too in the weeds.

I started by prototyping a quick MVP in Figma using components from our design library. The goal: move fast, learn fast.

Working with our developer, PM, SEO/content lead, and product director, we defined what fields mattered most – from whether the user was seeking help for themselves or a loved one, to insurance status, substance type, and contact details.

Tone was a huge focus. With input from our SEO/content lead, we leaned into a warm, helpful voice – less “admissions form,” more “we’ve got you.” It needed to feel safe and approachable for people who may have never looked into treatment before.

The MVP got us to launch quickly – but that speed came with some design debt. After release, we noticed a few friction points:

• Inconsistent form containers meant some questions pushed users off-screen
• Sensitive questions like birthday and phone number showed up too early, leading to higher drop-off
• Two full-width nav buttons at the top and bottom added clutter
• Unintuitive groupings (like ZIP code paired with birthday) disrupted flow
• Sub-steps falling under numbered steps could be overwhelming
• Lack of visual branding made the form feel generic and disconnected from the rest of the site
• No graceful exits for users who were underage or not ready for treatment
• “Call Now” CTA under every question took up space and made the form feel pushy
• Full-width answer buttons stacked vertically made some steps feel endless

We had a good foundation, but it needed polish – and empathy.

I went back to the drawing board, this time with more user empathy and competitor research. I looked at companies like Lemonade and Typeform – brands that made complex forms feel simple – and applied their best practices to our redesign.

• Mobile-first layout with fixed-height containers kept content tidy and prevented scroll jumps
• Moved personal info fields to the end, giving users time to feel safe before sharing
• Simplified navigation with chevron back buttons and a disabled “Next” for smoother flow
• Reorganized question groupings to reduce friction and better match user expectations
• Subtle linear progress bar replaced the bulky numbered steps
• Branded styling (colors, borders, microcopy) made the form feel familiar and reassuring
• Exit paths were added for edge cases, like minors – who were gently redirected to SAMHSA resources
• Repositioned the “Call Us” CTA to appear only after the form was submitted
• Radio buttons replaced full-width answer buttons, helping users scan and select faster

And just as importantly, I gave the language a full refresh. Every piece of microcopy was rewritten to feel human. Instead of “Do You Have Insurance?”, we asked, “Help us verify your insurance coverage.” It was less about interrogation – more about guidance.

The redesigned form saw an immediate lift:

• 31% lift in completed, qualified submissions vs. past forms
• Over 2,000 monthly submissions, yielding 70+ strong leads per day
• Drop-off decreased significantly on early steps after moving sensitive questions
• Improved lead quality gave our call center better data – and a faster path to conversions

The form also proved reusable – we deployed it as a shortcode across multiple sites and landing pages, giving it a long shelf life and stronger ROI.

What started as a “fast follow” project became a thoughtful experience that served users in tough moments – and helped the business grow at the same time.

• Empathizing with users, those that are hesitant to take the next step towards treatment, and designing for them, unlocked a whole new segment of qualified leads.
• Intentional and strategic MVPs make new iterations easy and fast.
• Tone done correctly can be transformational by changing barriers into guides, and reducing drop-off.
• Using inspiration from competitors can instantly improve usability and reduce friction.
• Forms can be more than data capture – they’re an experience that can build trust, educate users, and drive real business outcomes.