Case Study
Connect
U
The Product
The ConnectU app is dedicated to fulfil the gap between technology and medical professionals. Young or old, we all find ourselves in a situation where we are in need of medication, but some are unable to visit a clinic or pharmacy to receive medical attention. This app has been designed to solve that problem.
Project Duration
June 6th, 2022 to June 9th, 2022
Project Overview
The Problem
South Africa's biggest problem is that the health needs of its people exceeds capacity, and the vast majority of people actually don't know their health status which delays access to care. This app is intended to act as the bridge between health care professionals and South Africans,
The Goal
Create an app that is able to track user's location, display a wide range of medications available from nearby pharmacies, consult with a health care professional, purchase products online, and check out securely. This platform will be made available on mobile and on web - to enchance the app's accessibility (specifically the 'Next Billion Users').
My Role
When developing ConnectU, my roles included:
-
Product Manager
-
UX Researcher
-
UX Designer
-
Interaction Designer
-
Visual Designer
Responsibilities
My responsibilities included: conducting user research (foundational research and design research), conducted usuabilitiy studies, developing wireframes, designing prototypes (lo-fi and hi-fi), measure accessibility, and iterating design
Understanding The User
A recent study found that 82 out of 100 South Africans do not have access to medical aid, therefore reply on public health care. And as the population continue to rise, a total of 71% of the population do not have access to adequate medical assistance.
The aim of this app is to provide users of all ages or temporary situations, a platform to connect to their local health professionals.
Whether it's the working mom of two or grandad living in the outskirts of the city - they can all utilise ConnectU to improve their health situation by purchasing their medication online, or chatting to a health care professional.
After conducting interviews and creating empathy maps, I found that this was exactly the case - people needed a peace of mind, a safety net to know that no matter what situation they're in, they can rely on an app that will provide them access to health care immediately.
User Research:
Pain Points
1. No 'quick' method of attaining medication
2. Public Pharmacies and clinics are usually congested
3, Travelling to a clinic or pharmacy during seasons when illnesses are common is a struggle
'Working class' and elder participants expressed that they do not have the time and cannot travel to a clinic or pharmacy when they need to.
Participants expressed that if/when they are able to travel to pharmacies and clinics, they usually have to wait in long queues which is time consuming.
Participants felt concerned when travelling to a congested pharmacy or clinic as it is highly likely that they will 'catch the flu'.
User Persona:
Nadia
Problem Statement
Nadia is a recently single mother of two who wants to be able to assist her daughters if they fall ill while she's at work because her job is extremely demanding, and she works over 70 hours per week.
User Journey
Map
Problem Statement
Nadia's user journey will be as follows:
1. Download the ConnectU app
2. Speak to a medical professional about her daughter's symptoms
3. Medical professional creates a cart and Nadia continues to the checkout
4. Nadia alerts her doorman to receive the order and deliver them to her daughers.
Design Process
Paper Wireframes
Digital Wireframes
Low Fidelity Designs
Usability Test:
Findings
Two round of usability studies were conducted with 7 participants per study. During the first round of studies, all participants completed the user journey successfully, but pains point were found when attempting to return to the shop page after viewing the cart.
During the second round of usability studies, all participants managed to complete the user journey, but pain points were found when users were asked to either call or make a booking after viewing the list of pharmacies.
Round 1 Finidings
Round 2 Finidings
-
Users wanted the range of medications on the home page.
-
Users expressed concern about the location feature and wants the ability to change their location upon app entry.
-
Users expressed a dislike of the colour white as it reminded them of a clinic.
-
Users wished the call feature was listed more often around the app.
-
Majority of users choose the colour purple as the primary colour for the app.
Mock Ups
Before & After
Before usability Test
After usability Test
Home Page
When originally designing the search feature on the home page, it was place in the upper portion of the screen, but users mentioned that they would prefer if it was readily available throughout their journey through the app. I then increased the size of the header - now the search feature is always on display.
Find A Pharmacy
Originally, users were only given the option to scroll and browse through available pharmacies near them - now users can define the pharmacy they are looking for.
Before usability Test
After usability Test
Mock Ups
Mobile App
Medicine Categories
Product Page
Available Pharmacies
Home Page
Create A Profile
Payment Screen
Splash Screen
View The High Fidelity Prototype Of The Mobile App Here
Mock Ups
Responsive Website
Splash Screen
Product Display Screen
Login Screen
Pharmacy Information Screen
Home Screen
Pharmacies Available
View The High Fidelity Prototype Of Responsive Website Here
Accessibility
Considerationa
Accessibility Consideration 1
The chat feature includes a voice-to-text feature to accommodate users with mobility disabilities. Whether it is permanent, temporary or situational, users can send texts more easily.
Accessibility Consideration 2
The icons used within the app are able to guide people across the app and improves navigation.
Accessibility Consideration 3
The primary colors’ ratio chosen for the app were first tested on WEBAIM to accommodate users who are sensitive to light.
Takeaways
Impact
The app allows for people of all walks of life to gain access to medication and medical consultations.
One quote from peer feedback:
“This app will allow me to be there for the people I love, when I can't”.
What I Learnt
Designing this app was not a one journey fits all approach. When designing an app for the medical industry, it is important to reach out and research users of all demographics, ages, and situations. Then, to make the app accessible to all, every screen and detail should be designed with the user in mind, and also predict the user journey if they are permanently, temporary or situationally disabled.
End
Thank You For Your Time.
To read more Case Studies, Click Here
