A dermatology focused healthcare app.
Amy Bennett
PROBLEM STATEMENT
How can we better integrate skin health into a busy lifestyle?
In a practice like Dermatology, being proactive about skin concerns can mean the difference between a non-invasive procedure or surgery. One of the biggest challenges I faced during my time as a medical assistant was collaborating with patients to track each of their skin concerns. This experience taught me that people need a way to stay on top of their skin health, but so often the stresses of life get in the way. There is a disconnect between meeting our personal goals versus our healthcare goals. Which leads to the question; how can we better integrate skin health into a busy lifestyle?
THE SOLUTION
Habit building is KEY
Cues are the triggers for the three step neurological pattern that is the basis on psychological human habit building, known as the habit loop.
Habits are powerful, 45% of our every day behaviors are solely habitual*
*Quinn & Wood, 2005; Wood, Quinn, & Kashy, 2002
Have a consistent cue
Activate notifications to use as a cue.
Get that PUSH from an outside force
Focus on your health- same time, every day.
Avoid the consequences of not being proactive.
Learn from the rewards
Feel more prepared than ever for your next visit with your dermatologist.
Ease any lingering health anxiety.
Bask in the ACCOMPLISHMENT of putting your health first.
Build a positive routine
Log a photo diary of skin concerns you may have.
Manage your medication lists with ease.
Document your visits with your provider.
Learn from the latest dermatology news.
MARKET RESEARCH + THE GAP
The competition had NO HABIT BUILDING aspect.
While keeping this research in mind I analyzed competitor health care apps that focused specifically on Dermatology and skincare. I found that none of these apps had elements of habit building or routine forming. This is where I began the journey to bridge this gap.
USER INTERVIEWS: TALKING TO PATIENTS
The healthcare apps interviewees used in the past NEVER became a daily routine.
I interviewed participants who have used healthcare apps in the past. Many of these participants were patients at the dermatologists office where I was a Medical Assistant. I asked the following questions to track certain trends as to why these other apps never became habitual.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1) What did you enjoy about healthcare apps that you have used in the past?
2) How often would you find yourself opening up these healthcare apps?
3) What did you dislike about these healthcare apps?
4) Tell me about a time when you set a goal for yourself and accomplished it.
5) What steps did you take to motivate yourself to accomplish this goal? Did you have any help from others?
THE MAIN INSIGHT: GETTING FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY
The other apps interviewees used did not work because they were a CHORE rather than a ROUTINE.
After going through the process of interviewing and affinity mapping, it's apparent that apps that did not make themselves known regularly, are often neglected. It's clear that actions turn into habits when they are done at the same time daily.
AFFINITY MAPPING
USER JOURNEY MAPS
In order to continue to understand the behaviors of users as the navigate through DermaPal, I created this user journey map below.
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
The user journey map as well as participant data served as a guideline for the following site map.
TESTING + IMPROVEMENTS
Notable Improvements to my design
In order to properly test my design I conducted usability tests with six participants, being sure to make careful note of their comments while running through my clickable prototype. In addition to this test, an A/B test was also being conducted for two versions of UI elements of the app.
Removal of the term "case"
Based on the testing, there was confusion surrounding the term case. This was deemed to be a high priority fix with the suggested change being to replace the term case with something more accessible like skin concern.
Seeing progress is rewarding
When presented with tangible evidence of progress that was represented quantitatively, interviewees were more likely to stay motivated to reach goals they set for themselves.
THE FINAL DESIGNS
STYLE GUIDE
CONCLUSIONS + LESSONS
Some Main Takeaways
Here marks the end of my very own UX/UI project! I am grateful to have had the opportunity to complete this process, which has in turn solidified my passion for product design as a career. With that, here's a few main takeaways.
Failure is part of the success. It took me some time to not fear mistakes during this process. Despite spending weeks constructing the "perfect" iteration in my mind, my initial homepage was met with confusion during my usability tests. This in turn pushed me to make improvements to finally create a page I could be proud of. Reinforcing the idea that negative feedback is not failure, but rather a piece of the overall puzzle.
Iterate, Iterate, Iterate. While finding a singular solution to the problem sounds tempting, it's just not realistic. Pushing myself to make alternative pathways are what pushed my design to be the best possible version.
Multitasking is a practiced skill. A lot of my data collection was done at work during my time as a medical assistant at a busy dermatology office. Below is a glimpse into my life during that time! I am grateful for the opportunity to connect with my patients. They gave me a chance to receive valuable feedback on my design project while I got to live out my childhood dreams of being a healthcare worker.
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Posted May 18, 2023
Users fail to integrate skin health into their daily routines.
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