An amalgamation of the best features of 2 variants would be the best way forward. The users liked the simplicity of one of the variants and the structure of another. The result is shown below:
A lot of work went on behind-the-scenes from our user researcher to surface the absolutely key needs for our users. The design was stripped from elements that did not meet any of the user needs.
Until further research is conducted, the prototype and the .NET app that follows will use this design.