Health Chat
"Get the health information you need, the moment you need it."
OVERVIEW
The Challenge
For the UX Design course with CareerFoundry, I was challenged to find a way to connect anyone, anywhere with an expert in any field. I chose to focus on health and wellness fields.
The Background
There are many ways to obtain information about health related topics... a doctor, websites, self-proclaimed experts. However, some of those resources can be misleading or inaccurate and it can be difficult to know when that is the case. Sometimes what we need is a verified expert to provide us with accurate advice, but there isn't always time to make an appointment or search endlessly for a provider. In order to help fill this gap in health care, Health Chat was conceived. The goal of this app is to create an easy, intuitive way for people with busy schedules to get reliable answers to their health questions, whenever they need it.
My Role
I was responsible for the entire design process: research, developing user personas and user flows, wireframing, user testing and building a high fidelity prototype. The project duration was May - November 2019.
MY APPROACH:
DESIGN THINKING
I utilized the design thinking process because it puts the user at the forefront. It helps designers frame solutions to design problems around what is most important to users. It allows us to find new and unique ways to meet user needs via conducting research, prototyping, testing, and iterations.
Understanding the Problem
I began by delving deep into the problem space by conducting user research. This helped me see the problem from the user's perspective. I used affinity mapping to analyze the results of my user research. I also completed a competitive analysis to gauge what products are already on the market and what they have to offer. From this I formulated a problem statement and hypothesis for this project.
Competitor Analysis
In order to learn about the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of similar apps on the market, I conducted a SWOT analysis of two expert advice applications from the App Store: JustAnswer and WellConnection.
#1 JustAnswer
SWOT Analysis of Just Answer
#2 Well Connection
SWOT Analysis of Well Connection
User Interviews
Conducting user interviews helped identify attitudes and behaviors around seeking a health expert, methods used in searching for an expert, and pain points throughout the process. I used affinity mapping to analyze my results and identify key insights to guide the designing of Health Chat.
Key Insights
1) People are busy and need to find information quickly. Therefore all relevant expert information should be in one place and organized logically.
2) In order for users to feel confident, experts should have appropriate credentials for their field and a baseline number of years of experience.
3) People need to find general care experts as well as specialists with current updated information, on both routine and urgent timelines
4) No single app or search method has perfected a way of having concise, complete and targeted information, with minimized clutter, that can be navigated intuitively to prevent user mistakes
Developing a Point of View
User Personas
In order to bring my users to life, I created user personas based on the information I gathered in my user research. The personas help empathize with the user and understand what she/he will need the application to do.
Dianne: The Career Changer
Scenario
After completing treatment for her disease, Dianne would like to find a knowledgeable provider to schedule follow up appointments with to discuss prevention strategies. She is looking to make lifestyle changes that will improve her overall health and specifically help to prevent recurrence of her disease. Virtual visits are covered by her insurance, so she is hoping to use Health Chat to first compare potential providers, then to schedule calls.
User Flow: Comparing Experts
Lisa: The Young Professional
Scenario
Lisa just got a new job with new insurance. She has not been to a dentist for a cleaning in a couple of years due to a lapse in dental insurance, and is therefore looking to get one soon. Lisa needs to find a local dentist with a flexible schedule who is taking new
patients, as well as her type of insurance. A friend told her about Health Chat, and after checking with her insurance, it is covered. She hopes to use Health Chat to search for a provider, make video calls, and leave reviews.
User Flow: Booking a Call
Building the Design:
Wireframes and Prototypes
The Sitemap
In order to layout the organization and hierarchy of the app, I created a basic sitemap.
Low Fidelity Paper Wireframes
I began my design work with simple pen and paper wireframes. I sketched out the basic layouts of how I wanted the screens to be set up.
Medium Fidelity Wireframes
Using Adobe XD, I then translated the paper designs into mid fidelity wireframes.
High Fidelity Mockups
I continued to iterate on the design of the mid fidelity wireframes, as well as adding an initial color palette to create my high fidelity mockups.
Usability Testing
I then conducted usability testing using the moderated in person method to achieve these specific goals and objectives:
Research Goals
- To assess usability and learnability of Health Chat mobile app for first time users.
- To observe and measure if users understand the app and can complete basic functions, such as searching for, comparing and booking a call with an expert.
- To identify areas to improve to make the app intuitive and satisfying to use
Objectives
1) To determine if users can easily sign up and complete onboarding
2) To determine if users can identify and utilize the search feature to find an expert
3) To determine if users can easily use the comparison feature to compare experts’ qualifications
4) To determine if users can book a call with an expert
Usability Test Analysis
While analyzing results of the user testing and feedback, I identified some key issues that needed to be addressed. The primary issues included: difficulty finding the create account function on the login screen, unclear compare experts function, poor navigation in the tutorial, and lack of clarity regarding if an account was created.
Preference Testing
I then conducted some preference testing on a few different screens to gauge which design styles are most appealing to potential users. I determined that people preferred the tutorial to have a full color background, steps that were not numbered, and navigation buttons that had text describing the action of the button. I also determined that the opening navigation screen is more pleasing when the background is a solid color, instead of white.
Redefining the Design
Final Mockups
After taking into consideration the results of the user testing, preference testing, as well as a round of peer review feedback, and the guidelines to improve accessibility, I made some final updates to the interface.
Final Prototype
The final version of the prototype can be viewed here:
