NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH (NIH) + SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
EMPOWERING DOCTORS, RESEARCHERS & YOU
THE ANSwERS ARE IN ALL OF US
Researchers around the world are looking for tools to help them transform the way we think about health. The All of Us Research Program is a program that helps medical researchers battle disease by understanding it and helping researchers achieve that goal. The program is designed to invite people across the U.S. to help build one of the most diverse health databases in history. At the moment, health care is often one-size-fits-all. But imagine a future where your health care is tailored to you.
The objective of the program is to make a future where this future is possible. How? By creating a resource that allows researchers to conduct thousands of studies on health and disease. Researchers will use the data to learn how our biology, lifestyle, and environment affect health. This could help them develop better treatments and ways to prevent different diseases.
DESIGN GOALS
- Design an iOS and Android mobile app that helps users submit and monitor health information that will be used in health research studies for scientists and medical professionals
- Design new social features within the current platform for iOS and Android devices.
- Increase number of participants sign up
EXPERIENCE STRATEGY
Problem Statement
My strategy was aimed to focus on the user experience surrounding how users percieve the current model of data health tracking. Identifying this opportunity, we proposed developing a community that centralizes and drives onboarding efforts, helping redefine the approach to product education and brand engagement.
The entire platform is built to educate as well as engage, feeling less like a task and more like play. Users have the opportunity to digest interesting content and learn about the brand through a visually rich curriculum.
UNDERSTANDING THE AUDIENCE AND THE OPPORTUNITY
As my knowledge within the realms of scientist research and health management was insufficient enough to redesign an app, I created a research strategy to help me understand, the ways through which participants manage their conditions; identify their needs, pains, and their approach towards self-management practices.
- How researchers monitor participant's progress; what vitals need to be recorded to chart progress.
- The type of information that would bring value to the participants.
I started out by conducting research using online resources to understand the importance of health data management; why monitoring health issues are essential for an effective treatment plan. I proceeded to conduct a competitor analysis of some of the direct and indirect players in the industry by reviewing their solutions, app features, interface design, customization functionalities, accessibility.
With the knowledge from my preliminary research, I did research by speaking with participants to understand their struggles from a personal standpoint.
My Key Findings
From research findings, I found that different participants have different levels of illness severity, and the usage of devices that acquire health information can be unique to their condition. The app along with aggregating health data should also cater to participants who do not use wearables by assisting and helping them develop a sustainable self-management practice.
Once these problems had been identified, I set about to establish the premise of the project by creating a UX strategy to define the guiding principles, challenges, aspirations, focus areas, activities, and measurements for success.
DEFINE KEY PROBLEM AREAS
I created persona profiles based on collective analysis of participants inputs from user interviews and secondary research data. I identified two primary personas:
Furthermore, I created a customer journey maps depicting the typical experience of the identified personas to align product services with business goals. This helped define what a typical participant user would want to achieve at each stage of the decision-making process, their goals, and expectations, actions, thoughts, and feelings.
Based on the needs of the personas, I came up with POV statements that led to the creation of an action-oriented user story which acted as a guide in establishing the MVP's and help ideate the best possible solution for each design challenge that would come out of design exercises with the team.
IDEATE
My first step in the ideation phase was to create an application map with high priority features for important task flows in the app which will be used by all participants.
Prototype iterations
INTERFACE DESIGN
The app was designed around showing, not telling. The experience had to be not only immersive but also easy to navigate. It was foremost a tool to help submit and contribute data to the program but also a repository of helpful information, communities, and resources, so it had to inspire as well as educate.
