When a parent receives an impromptu call from school or daycare about their child being sick, a common challenge arises in finding a spot for a walk -in appointment. This is due to the fact that all available appointment slots at their family clinic for that day are fully booked. Knowing which clinics have walk-in appointments can be difficult. Quickly finding walk-in clinics with availability can be very stressful and time-consuming.
After consulting with a doctor, another challenge emerges in obtaining the prescribed medications conveniently and timely. The prescription has to be physically dropped off at the pharmacy, leading to a lenghty wait time before it becomes available for pick up. Due to this extended wait at the pharmacies, many individuals opt to return later for pickup.
If only there is a convenient way to manage this process. Personally, I have faced this challenge. It's also a widespread issue in the province of Alberta, Canada, affecting parents, young adults, and workers alike. How can this process be streamlined and made efficient for everyone?
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
POTENTIAL SOLUTION:
Healthity, a scheduling system used to conveniently find and book appointments with nearby clinics, taking location into account and to conveniently submit prescriptions, track progress and pick up drugs at pharmacies.
SCOPE DEFINITION:
In the process of determining the requirements for developing a seamless scheduling and prescription monitoring system, it became evident that I needed to create a user side to enable users to search and book appointments for clinics, as well as submit prescriptions to pharmacies. Additionally, an administrator side is necessary for medical professionals to receive, enter and forward information.
Consequently the decision to break down the product development into 2 phases was reached:
Phase 1 : focuses on the user side, Phase 2 : addresses the administrator side.
This case study centers on the development of Phase 1, which I prioritized to validate my design idea. Meeting the needs, expectations, and preferences of the intended users is crucial for the successful adoption of the product.
THE PROCESS:
QUALITATIVE INTERVIEW:
I started by conducting interviews with 5 participants, consisting of 2 in-person interviews and 3 using Zoom. Each interview lasted 30 minutes. The questions asked included: Inquiries about the ease of securing an appointment with a family doctor, especially in urgent situations. In cases, where securing an appointment with a family doctor was not possible, participants were asked about the ease of obtaining an appointment with other clinics in the vicinity. Another set of questions addressed the difficulties or challenges encountered in obtaining a prescribed medication from a pharmacy. Additionally, participants shared insights on aspects they would prefer to see enhanced or improved.
2 out of 5 participants mentioned they encountered challenges when attempting to schedule an immediate appointment with their family doctor.
All 5 participants encountered challenges in the process of booking appointments with other clinics nearby when unable to secure one at their preferred clinic, as not all clinics accommodate walk-ins.
All 5 participants mentioned that the process of obtaining a prescription from the pharmacy is time -consuming.
A participant expressed a preference for a female doctor during consultations.
GATHERING INSIGHTS:
Distinct patterns became evident as I synthesized the insights gathered from the interviews through the application of empathy mapping. I went on to create a consolidated empathy map, highlighting the shared needs and challenges of the users.
USER PERSONAS
The insights gathered guided the development of two personas:
The design decisions were tailored with Inaya as the primary focus/persona. By addressing Inaya's needs comprehensively, the solution could effectively cater to a diverse user base. Inaya's persona guided the design process, ensuring that her requirements were consistently prioritized and referenced through out.
DEFINING THE PROBLEM STATEMENT:
Following the collection of insights and findings, the product manager and I collaborated to formulate a problem statement:
"Individuals express frustration with the lengthy process involved with securing appointments with clinics. Additionally, they face challenges in searching and booking appointments at nearby walk - in clinics that align with specific preferences, especially when their clinics have no availability. Moreover the process of obtaining prescriptions at pharmacies is perceived as excessively time-consuming".
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS:
The next step involved exploring existing applications addressing the problem. This was essential to grasp the current market trends and aid in identifying potential gaps or opportunities.
I identified three direct competitors and conducted a thorough evaluation of these competitors based on the requirements outlined for the primary persona.
I pinpointed market gaps. Armed with this insight, i crafted solutions that directly addressed the users' challenges associated with these gaps:
An option to filter the search for clinics based on the choice of the doctor's gender.
A seamless method for submitting prescriptions and picking up medications at pharmacies.
My plan involved integrating features designed with the identified gaps in mind, ensuring a targeted and effective response to the needs uncovered during the analysis.
PRODUCT GOAL: Use cases
Prior to embarking on the design phase, the product manger and I worked together to define a product goal for this phase (1). This played a vital role in establishing a solid ground work for the project. It guarantees that our design solution created would be purposeful to the requirements of the target audience.
The goal was to create a platform that simplifies the appointment scheduling process with clinics while considering gender preference and to simplify the process of obtaining medications from pharmacies. We envisioned creating seamless health connections within a single application - our scheduling application.
In order to achieve the above we had to create 2 use cases:
Use case 1: Users can schedule appointments with clinics online while considering preferences, as well as have the opportunity to manage (edit/cancel) the appointments.
Use case 2: Users can forward prescriptions to a pharmacies and can also track the progress of the prescription.
SITEMAP:
In designing the solution, I initiated the process by visually mapping out the hierarchy of the content, pages and features. In the course of this, I recognized the need to establish a method for safe-guarding user details during login, ensuring the protection of their medical information and personal data.
With the collaboration of a back -end engineer, we decided that the users could protect their account using a 2 factor authentication, providing additional security step when users log in.
EARLY SKETCHES:
With the site map as a guide, I initiated the visualization of my design concepts through sketches. Below is an iterative sketch crafted for the home page.
After completing iterative sketches for the various pages based on the site map, I transitioned to the development of digital wireframes and prototype.
WIREFRAMES AND PROTOTYPES:
CONCEPT VALIDATION (1):
I validated the design concept using the low-fidelity prototype with participants who had been involved in the initial user interviews. This process enabled me gather feedback on the design concept and ensured that the design prioritized the user's experiences and addressed the user pain points.
5 out of 5 participants acknowledged the app's ability to address their scheduling challenges with clinics. They unanimously highlighted the app's uniqueness, specifically highlighting the prescription transmission feature
3 out of 5 participants expressed a desire for the app to be usable on the move.
MOCK- UP:
After validating the concept, I proceeded to create mockups. Several iteration went into this phase, refining it before arriving at the final design encapsulated in a high-fidelity prototype.
ITERATION 1: Opting for a minimal design and layout for the welcome page, I chose to streamline the homepage layout to effectively showcase the applications functionality in a concise and visually appealing manner, with the aim of minimizing clutter. This design allows users, even those unfamiliar with the app, to quickly understand its core functionalities and value proposition. By catering to low-intent users, the design fosters a positive initial experience, encouraging further exploration. Additionally, I refined the app's logo through iteration.
ITERATION 2: I enhanced the layout of the homepage to consolidate all the app's functionalities onto a single page ensuring ease of navigation and clarity . Understanding the significance of addressing both high and low user intent, I integrated clear and intuitive navigation elements to seamlessly guide users through the app's features.
ITERATION 3: Implemented icons alongside their meanings on the transmitted prescription page for easy tracking, allowing users to quickly understand their prescription status.
ITERATION 4: I initially developed the design as a desktop application to evaluate feasibility and gauge user acceptance, acknowledging the significance of user adoption. Addressing feedback for an application on the go, I optimized the solution for responsiveness across desktop, mobile and tablet devices.
Enclosed is a brief video showcasing the application's responsiveness.
Displayed below are also mockups showcasing the welcome and homepage screens across various devices (desktop, tablet and mobile, respectively). These mockups highlight the responsiveness of the design, ensuring optimal user experience across different screen sizes.
INTERACTIVE PROTOTYPE - DESKTOP
INTERACTIVE PROTOTYPE - MOBILE
CHALLENGES:
Designing the application to be responsive across different devices and screen sizes, considering the constraints.
Designing an optimized booking flow that minimizes the number of steps to get things done within the application.
KEY TAKEAWAY:
During this project, I honed my skills in auto layout and responsive design. While I've made significant progress, I acknowledge there's more to explore, and I'm dedicated to continual learning and growth in these domains.
WHAT'S NEXT:
Concept Validation II : Given time constraint, this additional step has not been conducted at the time of compiling this case study. It will involve gathering feedback from the same participants from the user interviews, as well as healthcare providers to verify that the proposed design solutions effectively addresses the identified issues and meets the expectations of users.
Upon receiving feedback, I will meticulously iterate on the design, incorporating suggestions and address any concerns raised during the validation process.
