An omnichannel digital experience designed for a Global Health-Tech Leader to transition from a fragmented and frustrating user experience to a seamless, personalized, and consistent one.

Industry
Health Care

Role
UX & ServiceDesigner

Contribution
Stakeholders management
Conducting user research
Analyzing results to inform design decisions
Facilitating co-creation workshops
Mapping service blueprints and user journeys
Ideation, wireframing, and prototyping solutions

Adopting User-Centricity in a Complex Digital Landscape

As a Service & UX designer, I worked for a major player in the Health-Tech industry to harmonise its digital experience from a customer perspective. The goal was to transition from a fragmented and frustrating user experience to a seamless and consistent one. However, the project faced difficulties moving from concept to implementation, highlighting the need for better alignment between the Service Design and UX Design teams’ collaboration.

Challenges in User Experience and Organisation Alignment

Before I joined the company, a team of service designers identified issues with the end-to-end digital experience of clinical users. In recent years, the company had acquired several software applications from third parties, resulting in a cluttered digital landscape with an inconsistent user experience. They began the project by mapping user journeys and breaking apps into smaller pieces for specific tasks. The goal was to fix the digital experience by pushing stakeholders to rethink how their apps fit into the larger customer's journey.

The challenges at hand can be categorised into two distinct areas:

User Experience Perspective

The project focused on biomeds, also known as clinical engineers, who have a crucial role in looking after and handling medical devices in hospitals. They're responsible for making sure everything works smoothly, carrying out maintenance, and solving problems. The issues they faced ranged from apps not connecting well and poor communication with the company to a variety of user experiences causing frustration. This was the original challenge the projec tried to solve.

Team Dynamics and UX Maturity

On the other hand, there were the internal challenges I found when I joined the team: struggles linked to the absence of well-defined design and development processes. As a new designer on the team, I had to figure out my role while dealing with a clear misalaignment between the business, IT, and design groups.

Establishing User-Centered Foundations

When I joined the project the product team was already developing a platform based on the service design team's concept. However, this concept hadn't been thoroughly tested, and the product team hadn't broken it down into clear functionalities. There was no Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in place, and the role of design was being treated more as a service rather than being fully integrated within the team at the same level as business or IT. To add complexity, the business team wanted to present the new platform during a major medical fair just a few months away, setting timelines that would be difficult to meet.

Identifying the Challenge

My journey started by deciphering the existing project landscape, understanding user needs, business goals, and the team's dynamics. Dealing with two years of previous work would be an uphill battle. Early on, I observed a disconnect between the service design team's deliverables and the product team's execution. The project lacked a solid foundation, and the shift from concept to implementation had been driven only by use cases and stories, lacking a holistic view. The absence of crucial design components like flows, system maps, and information architecture further complicated matters.

Shaping a New Way of Collaboration

Realising that a shift in how the team tackled the project was needed, I started talking things over with the product owner and my manager. I convinced them that a fully functional product for the imminent medical fair wasn't doable. Instead, I proposed showcasing a mockup prototype to communicate our future omnichannel vision. In my view, slowing down and addressing critical foundational work before moving forward would lead to better results.

Therefore, I devised a new plan to take a few steps back and concentrate on the work that had been overlooked:

Step 1: Framing the Vision

I urged the product owner to collaborate with all stakeholders in articulating a comprehensive product vision. This was aimed at reshaping the product's purpose, functionalities, and expected impact.

Step 2: Mapping the System

Given the complexity of the project, I emphasised the importance of creating a system map. This map helped us understand how different platforms interconnected and how users would navigate through them. Creating an Information Architecture for the platform was also key in this step.

Step 3: Defining the MVP with User Stories

To address the project's extensive scope, I proposed using a User Story Map. This approach grouped user stories into functional categories, providing a comprehensive view of the new application while aiding to plan the development phase.

Step 4: Balancing User-Centric Business Requirements

To ensure that business objectives were aligned with user needs, I introduced a framework to gather business requirements from a user-centric perspective and instructed the development team on how to use it. This step enhanced and enriched the product backlog by incorporating a user-centric angle.

Defining the New Experience

At this point, I began crafting the definition for a few new functionalities. I initiated and led co-creation workshops involving a diverse group of stakeholders. Our focus was on defining, among other things, the requirements for the new notifications center experience. I then translated these requirements into user flows and visual concepts, continuously iterating based on feedback collected during follow-up meetings.

Achievements and Impact

With the company going through a complex reorganisation, I made the decision to step back and pursue new challenges, confident that I'd balanced the initial tech-driven focus, guided decisions with user insights, and aligned development, business, and design teams

My efforts were acknowledged by both the business and design teams, who appreciated my role in bringing clarity, structure, and a persevering commitment to a people-centered approach. This contribution played a significant role in fostering a robust design culture within the project.

Given the company's ongoing intricate transformation and the challenges it presents, while these positive outcomes are encouraging, the team still needs to demonstrate its ability to collaborate effectively and truly champion our users.