Project overview
The product
The third and final project in my Google UX Design course is a project that I made based on my own first- and second-hand experience with medical appointments. I have decided to design a dedicated mobile / tablet / desktop app that records medical appointments and reminders using various input methods and thanks to AI it keeps track of the calendar and gives the user timely and unmissable reminders based on their own settings and preferences.
The problem
People often tend to forget their medical appointments and regular medications, and usual calendar reminders and notifications are easy to miss.
The goal
The goal is to provide a way to remind people reliably in a timely manner to when and where their appointments take place.
This project has been a part of my Google UX Design Course, therefore I have taken on all the UX / UI roles needed to walk through the steps. My responsibilities were:
Goal definition
User research
Storyboarding
Wireframing
Lo-Fi design
Usability Studies
Mockups
Hi-Fi design
Understanding the user
I have created a multiple choice and open-ended questions in a questionnaire exploring the general doctor-going experience of people with various gender, age and social background.
It was surprising to find out that over the half of respondents actually do tend to forget their appointments or get the dates wrong. It's especially true for the older generations (60+).
During the initial user research, the following pain points have been identified:
Typing things down
Most users find it tedious to type appointments down on their devices, therefore they tend not to do it which results in forgetting or getting the wrong date.
Bad memory
Keeping track of all appointments, especially if there are many, is tough and might become a surprisingly overwhelming thing to do.
Paper notes
Many older people prefer writing things down on post-its and paper notes. However, as these can get lost (and they do), it's not the most reliable solution.
Persona example
During the competitive audit I have discovered that to date, there is no such app available in my country. Therefore, I have mapped the closest things available that I have identified as indirect competition:
moje EUC Lékař online & Erecept
uLékaře.cz
MyTherapy Pill Reminder
How Might We?
For the ideation phase I have used the How Might We approach:
Regular phone calls from children and grandchildren
Repeating notifications
Smart devices with reminders
AI technology sending texts and making calls
Increased volume of ringtones and alerts
Interactive calendar
Integrated microphone
Integrated magnifying glass
Starting the design process
Throughout the wireframing process I have aimed to create an app that would offer the following:
Easily record a notification
Provide clear navigation
Be accessible
Plus a complementary responsive website that would offer the same qualities with additional informational value.
Digital wireframes
Usability testing
2 rounds of usability study have been conducted. The first round using the low-fidelity prototype, the second round using the high-fidelity prototype.
During the usability research, I have been interviewing 5 people (3 women, 2 men) between the ages 40 - 75. The research was unmoderated and took approximately 5 - 10 minutes per session.
Research questions:
Can you create an appointment notification?
Was the process clear and easy to follow?
Can you view the appointment and make changes?
How do you find the ways to record the data?
How do you find the notification options?
Would this app be useful to you / someone you know?
Round 1
Emergency contact removed
Appointment overview in bullet points
Sat + Sun added to calendar
Round 2
Buttons on front page need redesign for better understandability
Better color distinction of buttons
Affinity diagram
Lo-fi prototype before & after usability testing
Refining the design
During the hi-fi designing process the ultimate goal was to make a clear and simple dedicated mobile app with an easy user flow and advanced accessibility options. Then I have designed a complementary responsive website that served a) as an informational padding increasing trust for the brand and b) as a platform for itself where the app can be run and set up as well.
The main goals were:
Easy navigation and clear communication every step of the way
Bright and distinctive colors that don't disturb the overall design
Accessibility options for people with various impairments
Mockups - dedicated app
Desktop - tablet - mobile responsive website mockups
Sticker sheet
High-fidelity prototype
The high-fidelity prototypes have been made using Figma.
Accessibility considerations
The color palette has been chosen based on the WCAG standards for easy readability and good contrast even for users with visual impairments.
The text size is adjusted so that it's easily readable for everyone, input doesn't rely on typing but also allows speech and photo reading.
The app allows the setting of a highly increased notification tone for people with hearing difficulties
Takeaways
For this project I have aimed to receive as much feedback as I can from people who would actually make use of this product, and it has paid off greatly. I have received lots of valuable feedback about the visual and functional aspects of the tool, which made me iterate on the app as well as the website several times (although the app was generally harder to make accessible than the quite simple and straightforward website). Ultimately, it led me to design a product that the people I have requested feedback on found very helpful.
This time around, I really tried to focus on accessibility and designing for a good purpose, rather than trying to make a neat gadget. It was a refreshing experience that made me think about new ways to look at technology and accessibility thereof.
It was also great to see that the experience I've gained during the previous two project has sublimed into the groundworks of this project, giving me a lot to build on and work with, although there is still a lot to explore and expand.
Thank you for taking the time to browse my case study!