Full stack UX designer, from conception to delivery
Research, interviews, ideating, wireframing and prototyping, usability testing, interface design.
January 2022 - June 2022
Dental customer service app for a global market. A teledentistry app that let users stay in touch with dentists and keep track of the curing process. App targets working adults, upper-mid-income tech lovers. App has to change the way the patients and clinics communicate.
Patients need better and faster way to get a dental service at fast running time. They suffer from slow classic offline service.
Create app that allows to book appointments, get dental help online, track curing process. Bring dental customer service online.
Before starting the user interviews, I spoked with experts - a dentist and an experienced dental clinic administrator. The details I gathered through this approach were very valuable in the future and allowed me to run subsequent user interviews properly. I've conducted interviews with 7 potential users of the dental app. The pool of respondents was very diverse, but the team defined the main group of users - young people with extra money in their bank account. The second group of users we focus on - working mothers who have emergency issues with their baby teeth.
All participants reported they want contact a doctor easier in emergency or post-treatment issues. People ought to know the time of appointment to adjust their schedule ahead. Our hypothesis about the necessity of recommendations and a treatment plan on hand was confirmed. As a result of this activity, I formed personas, empathy maps and user journey maps. Here are the major pain points:
Users need to see open hours to plan their schedule ahead or catch the next available time for a visit.
People want to know at least the approximate cost of the service and have an online price list.
Users suffering from toothache or other dental issues and need to reach a doctor urgently.
Patients need to have instructions on hand, info about preventive care. Progress track is nice to have.
Anna is working mom who needs to get appointment ASAP in affordable price because her kids have teeth issues very often.
Nicolas is busy software developer who needs to stay in touch with dentist because he wants to have control of treatment process.
At this stage I've run a ton of ideation techniques: competitive audit, ideation workshops, brainstormings, "how might we?" and "crazy 8's" activities. All stakeholders were actively involved into the process. Ideation activities caused a massive outcome - we came up with a big bunch of ideas and solutions. All generated ideas kicked off the IA and flowcharts composition.
After the workshops I've created storyboards in two variations - general and close up look. I made it using storyboarding kit from Figma community. This technique really helps us to empathize the user and was very helpful to keep all team members on the same page. My clients printed it and hold in the office so they will not lose sight of user path.
Information Architecture is a core part of documenting design decisions. I started to prioritize features and constructed an information architecture in close collaboration with the software architect and product owner. I made a lot of iterations here till it had been agreed upon by all stakeholders. In the end, I came up with flowcharts for the general user flows.
I started with paper prototypes, which I absolutely love - it's a quick and inexpensive way to iterate on designs. Then I drive to digital wireframe of the home screen, and made sure it met all user needs based on the feedback I collected during the research phase. I tried to place access to all key product features here. Also I created a teeth scheme screen that serves as navigator of patient care plan - to make sure users may keep track on treatment process. Next I created interactive low fidelity prototype that covers main user flows. This prototype will be used for the first usability study.
The purpose of testing is to validate the hypotheses and avoid errors in the future. We need to determine if the user experience we created is suitable for dental clinic customers. Determine if users can complete core tasks within the prototype of the dental service app. Find out if it convenient and understandable. We were trying to recruit both relatively healthy people and those with current toothaches, since I realized that people in pain may experience difficulty using interfaces. I've run two usability studies: the first moderated and the other one - unmoderated usability study at userzoom.com. Study results will affect the next iterations of the prototype.
Moderated usability study
7 participants
Worldwide, remote
I understood I should redesign dentist widget. I also added a huge button for creating new appointment. At this stage I've made significant redesign of user interaction flows.
Unmoderated usability study
20 participants
Worldwide, remote
I decided to place onboarding messages on our notification panel. I've refined a lot of details - changed copy and hirerarchy. Here I applied hestalt principle of focal point to empathise an emergency button. People have been absolutely in love with care plan, so we have a good feeling about the future of this app.
At the prototyping stage I provided a UI sticker sheet for Figma and started creating design documentation in Zeplin. I had accessibility considerations in mind - supported all icons by text, provided altext, made good visual and color contrast, and set up a calming color scheme for people who may be in pain.
Dental care may cause a lot of struggle and be triggered by pain and I believe this app will make it easier. I learn a lot about patience behaviour. It’s interesting, that people have a lot of common issues no matter what place in Earth they live. Can't wait to take a look on data after app launch.
In conclusion, the redesign of the dental app was a success, resulting in increased user engagement and satisfaction. The key takeaways from this project include the importance of incorporating user feedback into the design process and the value of a clean and intuitive interface. By making these updates, businesses can improve the user experience of their app and provide their customers with a more efficient and enjoyable experience. Additionally, implementing new features such as appointment reminders and virtual consultations can enhance the functionality of the app and provide added value to users. Overall, the redesign of the dental app has successfully modernized and improved the experience for both patients and dental practitioners.
