The Royal Guard Hospital App was designed to make things easier for the user by implementing a more efficient way of locating and creating appointments with doctor that are better suited for the users needs, medically and financially. This app was made for the young and old, man or woman, rich or poor and anything in between.
Time Spent on the Royal Guard Hospital App, 10 months.
One of the problems that i saw in most apps or websites that the doctors that hospitals provided were deep inside the design and not accessible. The other problem the came about in my research, was that there wasn't much flexibility when it came to appointments.
The goal of this app is to ensure that a user not only has a great user experience will using the app locating a doctor for there needs but that they are satisfied with the final product which is there health.
I was wearing many hats for this project, from Lead UX designer to UX researcher, at times it was challenging but in the end i feel the app became very user friendly.
In the beginning my role as research lead to interviewing several people about their frustration on current hospital app/website, which lead to me designing the wireframe, mock-up, and finally the prototype.
During my user research study that i was conducting for this app, i found a great deal of discrepancy when locating a doctor and ultimately setting an appointment with that doctor. In the beginning i assumed that all hospital website and/or apps would have a great and easy system for these functions but to my surprise this form of information was less than adequate for any user to use. So i began with a made up personas then the research evolved to real life people when i began conducting interviews to better understand the users needs. In the end i realized that there is always room for improvement in anything, even with the technology the medical industry uses to inform people of their product.
One of the pain points I encountered was the difficulty navigating through any hospital app. This was why i made everything large as possible with key wording for less confusion.
Another pain point surfaced when choosing a doctor, many sites are very impersonal making it hard to choose the right fit. I believe a good rating system conducted by the users themselves helps significantly.
Within the 2 pain point exists a financial disparity were many do not put how much they charge for a simple visit, making it hard to choose the right doctor for the user.
Finally in several user interviews I found as a pain point that there was no flexibility when it came to appointments. So I added a virtual appointment section, giving users more than one option to see a doctor.
John Wick is a man who is always on the go at work who needs a great deal a medical attention because his job is very volatile.
The goal for the Royal Guard Hospital App is to ensure easy access to information needed for the user to make wise decisions when concerning about their health. My thought process was to make the app simplistic enough for anyone to use but elegant enough to keep the users attention.
My goals when drawing my first wireframes was to keep it clear and simple, but also with the need to have certain components that i believed would be beneficial to the user while using the app, such as a search bar and a section for medical newsletters for the latest information.
When designing the home page, the idea was to put the most important on top so as to keep everything above the fold. That way there would be little to no confusion about the main function of the app, which is to select a doctor near the users residence.
The goal for this page was to put as much information as well as visuals, so that when the user is ready to commit to an appointment they have a good understanding on who the doctor is.
The Main user flow to this app starts at the home page were you select the city that is near you, following the they type of specialist that you need for your injury, then you choose a doctor that fits your criteria. Once that has been decided the appointment page appears with payment info (if you are not a member). Finally this page proceeds with the appointment information and confirmation page.
Unmoderated Usability Study
Remote (each participant will complete the study in their own home)
Participants are people who have major to minor injuries, that have a set income, and are not technology savvy. They don't need to have immediate medical attention
Each session will last 5-10 minutes, based on a list of doctors.
The first findings from the wireframe was that i needed to make the selection at the top of the homepage more bold
Second was that there was no clear information for the user to read from the doctor’s description
Lastly when choosing the appointment, that there had to be one clear dominate button not two
For this example there was two significant details that I changed. First I add a map finder so it would be easier for the user to find the doctor. Second I made the office appointment more dominant than the virtual one, users seemed to like this format better.
The main change i made to this page is the drop down menu at the top. Users found the drop down menu easier to use. Also I made the button bigger for better access.
The one accessibility consideration I implemented to this design is the ability to select the language of their choice. Users will be able to understand what they are reading in the language they are most comfortable with.
The other accessibility consideration I applied was an audio function. This will help the visually impaired navigate swiftly through the app.
Lastly, the accessibility consideration that is part of the design is large buttons and visuals. This was added for people with physical impairments ( such as shaking). This will help the elderly use the Royal Guard Hospital App.
When designing the Royal Guard Hospital App I took into consideration all who would need to use the app. This unfortunately consists off the ill and the misfortuned ones who struggle more than most in the real world. The visually impaired, hearing deficiency, the elderly to name a few. This is why it was important for me to design this app with the highest impact to those who need it the most.
My takeaway from this experience is one that will stay with me far past this course. The one that stands out the most is the insight one receives when interviewing possible users for this app.
At this point with the app design, i would re submit it for testing again by participants that would use the app to work out the flow better.
Go back to the research and find newer, better ways to integrate assistive technology into the app.
Keep adding more information to the app, that way people will be better informed to make great decisions that will make their lives better.