Kansas Child & Family Well-Being Pathway
October 21, 2025
Helping Kansans see and strengthen what well-being means in their communities
What does well-being mean to you? For the Kansas Children's Cabinet and Trust Fund, answering that question meant more than collecting data points. It meant creating a tool that could help Kansans understand how their communities are doing, and where they can take action to improve the lives of children and families.
Together, we designed and built the Kansas Child & Family Well-Being Pathway, a statewide dashboard that translates complex data into a clear, approachable experience for every county in Kansas.
Turning complex data into approachable insights
The Well-Being Pathway compiles publicly available data into six key dimensions of well-being: Health, Community, Environment, Financial, Learning & Development, and Family & Household. Each Kansas county receives a rating on a nine-point scale, grouped into three categories:
- Getting Started (levels 1–3) - early stages of addressing family needs and building foundational support.
- Strengthening (levels 4–6) - making progress, with strong efforts and areas for continued growth
- Excelling (levels 7–9) - demonstrating strong outcomes and meeting family needs consistently
Users see a simple tag on each dimension: Getting Started, Strengthening, or Excelling, to provide a quick snapshot of the county’s standing. When they click deeper into a dimension, they can explore exactly where on the scale each score lands, giving a more nuanced understanding of progress.
For those who want to explore how the scores are calculated, a “How do we measure this?” link leads to a transparent explanation of the data sources, indicators, and methodology.
Designing a clear, friendly interface
We started with a landing page that introduces users to the concept of a well-being index: what it measures, why it matters, and how it’s built. From there, users can immediately select a county or scroll down to explore the six dimensions.
Each dimension is represented by a distinct, friendly icon to help users recognize and navigate them quickly. Once a county is selected, those same icons now include the county’s score tags. The familiar layout helps users orient themselves and encourages further exploration without overwhelming them.
At every stage, our goal was to make data feel inviting and understandable; not abstract or technical.
Encouraging action, not just awareness
Clicking into a dimension reveals its indicators - the data points that make up that dimension’s score. Each indicator includes:
- A title and description that explain what’s being measured
- A score showing how the selected county performs
- A “Take Action” section offering ideas for how communities, organizations, and decision-makers can strengthen well-being
By combining scores with local “Community Bright Spots”, the dashboard connects data to real stories and provides inspiration for communities ready to make change.
Tested and refined for Kansans
We conducted several rounds of usability testing with Kansans to ensure the dashboard felt intuitive, transparent, and approachable.
Early testing showed that while participants easily navigated between counties and dimensions, the score tags weren’t standing out enough. We refined the colors and language to make them more noticeable, and later testing confirmed that users immediately recognized the hierarchy between Getting Started, Strengthening, and Excelling.
Participants also appreciated the clear “How do we measure this?” explanations, which built trust and understanding. Small adjustments like improving the visibility of the exit button, further streamlined the experience.
Through this iterative process, the dashboard evolved into a tool that’s accessible, easy to use, and trusted by its audience.
Seeing the full picture
The Kansas Child & Family Well-Being Pathway helps communities see themselves through data, and act on what they learn.
By combining transparent data visualization, inclusive design, and actionable guidance, the dashboard turns insight into action and data into a shared vision of progress for families across Kansas.
