When the Data Matters, the Work Feels Different

Some projects challenge your creativity. Others challenge your patience. But every once in a while, a project challenges your perspective.

Working on the CHSSN mapping app was one of those. CHSSN (Community Health and Social Services Network) works to improve access to health and social services for English-speaking communities across Quebec, Canada.

Bringing Visibility to Community Needs

Together with the CHSSN, we developed a custom-built mapping web application that helps community service providers, nonprofits, and public health networks understand where services are available—and where they’re missing—by visualizing data on demographics, service locations, and gaps in care. It’s a tool designed not just to inform, but to empower.

It reminded me that when the data is connected to real people—their stories, their struggles, their needs—you feel the weight of the work differently. And honestly? That weight is welcome. Because it grounds you. It reminds you that what you’re building isn’t just software. It’s something people will use to make decisions that matter.

If you're curious to see the project in action, we documented the full journey in our case study of the CHSSN Mapping App.

Designing Tools with Community Impact in Mind

When CHSSN approached us, they weren’t just looking for a development partner. They were looking for someone who understood the sensitivity of their mission: helping English-speaking communities in Quebec access better health and social services.

We listened. We asked a lot of questions. And we showed up with keen interest—and a genuine excitement about what this could do for the communities it was meant to serve.

Over time, we co-created an application that allows service providers to visualize where services exist, where they don’t, and where communities are being left behind. We designed it for clarity, for accessibility, and above all—for the people using it on the frontlines.

Measuring What Matters: Real-World Outcomes

Something shifts when you're building for impact.

You sweat the small stuff more. You push harder to get it right. Not because a client asked—but because you care about what it unlocks for them.

And when you start to hear how the tool is helping people apply for funding, collaborate with new partners, or rethink the way they deliver services—everything clicks into place.

That’s the good kind of pressure. That’s the stuff that makes you proud.

A Purpose-Driven Approach to Digital Strategy

People talk a lot about purpose in tech. But purpose isn’t a slogan. It’s a posture.

For me, it means being intentional about what we build, who we build it for, and why it matters. It means not settling for "functional" when we know something can be transformational.

And it means choosing clients like CHSSN—organizations that are doing the real, meaningful work of making people's lives better.

That kind of work changes you. And I’m grateful for it.

Final Thoughts

When you know your work is going to make a real difference, the pressure doesn’t feel like a burden—it feels like a privilege.

This project reminded me that the best tech doesn’t shout. It listens. It adapts. It serves.

We need more of that.

And I’m proud Third Wunder gets to be part of building it.