Cards with Hearts
Role
Product Designer & Developer
Duration
Sep 2025 – Jan 2026
Tools
Figma, React
A platform connecting people worldwide with children in Sri Lankan hospitals through handmade cards filled with hope. I designed and built a platform where anyone can send encouraging messages to children in hospitals.
Impact
500+
cards sent to children in hospitals
1+
hospitals partnered across Sri Lanka
4+
countries contributing cards worldwide
Context
Spreading Hope, One Card at a Time
Children in hospitals often feel isolated. Cards with Hearts bridges that gap by allowing anyone, anywhere to send encouraging messages, bringing comfort and connection to families when they need it most.
Overview
What is Cards with Hearts?
Cards with Hearts is a platform connecting people worldwide with children in Sri Lankan hospitals through handmade cards filled with hope. Contributors of all ages write kid-friendly cards that bring comfort to children facing difficult times.
My Role
Designed and built end-to-end
I designed and built the entire platform as the sole designer and developer. Working with a small team of 2 PM, 1 content writer, and myself, I led the product design, user experience, and implementation from concept to launch.
Problem #1
Children in hospitals felt isolated.
Without a way to receive encouragement from the outside world, hospitalized children couldn't feel connected to their communities, leaving families and kids without the emotional support they needed.
Problem #2
Getting physical cards to hospitals was fragmented.
There was no coordinated way to collect messages from contributors and deliver them as physical cards to hospitalized children, leaving well-wishers with no clear path from intention to impact.
Problem #3
People wanted to help but had no channel.
There was no simple, accessible way for contributors worldwide to send encouraging messages, missing an opportunity to connect global goodwill with local impact.
Research
Understanding the hospital experience.
We contacted Colombo Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital and spoke with staff and reviewed existing programs to understand how children experience isolation and what kind of support would be most meaningful, informing the platform's design and card delivery flow.
Design Approach
From Research to Design
To address the isolation and fragmentation we learned from Colombo Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital, I designed a platform that puts card selection and message writing front and center, making it easy for anyone to contribute without friction.
Validating Through Iteration
Through validation with the team and hospital partners, I iterated on 4 key areas based on feedback:
Card Selection
Simplified the card picker so contributors can browse and choose a design in seconds, reducing drop-off.
Kid-Friendly Guidelines
Added clear prompts and examples to ensure messages are age-appropriate and uplifting for hospitalized children.
Submission Flow
Streamlined the submit step with minimal fields (name and message only) to keep the barrier to contribution low.
Hospital Delivery
Designed the backend flow to match hospital intake, ensuring physical cards reach the right wards and children.
Solutions
Solution #1: Direct Connection
A platform that brings encouragement directly to hospitalized children.
Cards with Hearts connects contributors with children in hospitals, delivering physical cards with personalized messages so kids feel connected to their communities.
Solution #2: Coordinated Delivery
One coordinated flow from contributor to child.
The platform collects and prints messages, then partners with hospitals like Colombo Lady Ridgeway to deliver cards, reducing the delivery process from multiple steps to one streamlined flow.
Solution #3: Accessible Web Interface
A simple interface for anyone, anywhere.
cardswhearts.com lets contributors worldwide send a card in under 2 minutes, from choosing a design to writing a message, removing barriers from intention to impact.
Reflection
What I learned
Building Cards with Hearts reinforced that small acts of kindness scale when the path is simple. Partnering directly with Colombo Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital taught me how important it is to design for real constraints: hospital workflows, printing logistics, and the emotional weight of each card. If I were to do it again, I'd invest earlier in user testing with contributors to refine the card selection flow and reduce friction even further.
Live Site
cardswhearts.com
Visit the live site to send a card and bring a smile to a child's face.