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DocHunt

Design a mobile application for online health care that helps people find the right doctor, assess doctor quality, and book appointments all in one place.

Project Context

Overview

DOCHUNT is a mobile application to help people find the right doctor, assess doctor quality, book appointments, and fill out a digital health history form. It allows patients to message or chat with their doctor all from the convenience of their phone.

Problem

Searching for the right doctor should be easy. When it's time to find a doctor, whether you need primary care or a specialist, finding a quality doctor near you who is in your insurance network and is accepting new patients can be a frustrating experience.

Challenge

The challenge was to design a mobile application that is convenient to use and that allows customers to browse through all products and easily filter by relevant data.

MY ROLE

Solo

UX/UI Designer/

Researcher

DURATION

12 weeks

​

DELIVABLES

  • User Research

  • IA & Task Flows

  • Wireframes

  • Logo & Branding

  • Prototype

  • Usability Testing

TOOLS

  • Figma

  • Miro

  • Marvel POP

  • Illustrator

  • Photoshop

Process

Discovery

Understanding the Users

I began the design process by creating a research plan for both primary and secondary research. The research goals were to:

  • Determine how people choose their doctors and specialists.

  • Uncover the issues users face when they’re making an appointment.

  • Learn how users feel about searching for a new doctor.


  • Understand the industry standard for searching for doctors online and how they could be improved.

User Interviews

I chose 4 participants aged 28-54, who were covered under different health insurance plans and were comfortable with their technological devices.

Screen Surveys

I created a questionnaire and found participants by posting it to Survey Swap and other network platforms. I got 17 responses, and they were all a good mix of ages and Insurance plans.

Insights

  • 54% of respondents said the main factor in choosing their doctor was that they were in their Insurance network, and 39% said it was based on a referral.


  • 46% responded that they had a negative experience making a doctor's appointment and 30% were neutral.

  • 80% of participants searched online or reviews before making an appointment with a new doctor.

  • The most desired features were relevant reviews, active doctors lists in their area, and matching with users’ insurance plans. 

Define

The second stage began with consolidating my research findings through an affinity map and empathy map to define a user persona that would represent the target audience of users followed by firming up the plans for the Information Architecture and flows of the application.

USER NEEDS

• To make sure acceptance of new patients/

   insurance plan.
• To know the doctor’s availability.
• To be able to communicate digitally.
 

USER GOALS

• To navigate all the information at a time.
• To schedule and cancel easily.
• To share their thoughts/communicate digitally.
 

Meet the User

Based on user research, I was able to confirm my assumption of the main persona when choosing a doctor almost with Time. With that confirmation, along with the business goals to reach a busy working audience, The Busy Bee archetype was chosen as the main persona.
 

How might we create a fast track of doctors for users
to find the right doctors for them and digital forms?

The Opportunity

After synthesizing the research, I set up 6 potential solutions which helped me generate focused ideas that directly addressed the user’s needs:

  • Create a saved health history form/patient info that can be sent out to the office immediately. 

  • Create more relevant reviews of doctors/clinics for users to give them more options to choose from.

  • Shows users -- new patient acceptance/Insurance coverage so that users can sort by relevant information.

  • Create a calendar that shows the doctor’s availability.


  • Create a page of the Primary Doctor’s profile that can be sent out to the specialists
 upon request.

  • Create a message or live chat for fast communication and for those who have a social anxiety disorder can ask some quick questions without calling them.

Ideation

Site Map

A sitemap was created to envision the layout and hierarchy of the content and the various product groups. It also began to form the beginnings of the user flow through the site, and whether they’d take the optional task or just end the task at the main red route.

Task Flow

A task flow was created to explore the main red routes and actions our persona could take to complete the task of finding the right doctors for her and making an appointment. This shows her landing on the DocHunt App with her phone. The black route assumes Liz knows exactly what she wants, the black dotted line is a scenario where Liz has options to take.
 

Lo-Fi Sketches

Based on the research findings, I prioritized  three main objectives:

  • Provide a platform that allows users to find the right doctors quickly and easily.

  • Provide a platform where users can minimize their physical work and finish up digitally and efficiently.

  • Provide a platform where users can find doctors from anywhere they are.

Branding

I wanted my product to be trustworthy, reliable, and caring because the research shows that users are more likely to engage with an app if it conveys those characteristics. Finding the right doctor can be overwhelming, so users' experience must be effortless. I chose the name “DocHunt'' because I wanted it to convey the concept of “Determinedly Search” for a Doctor. 

 

* Check out the design system created in Figma: 

Prototype

During this phase, I iterated my design based on Lo-Fi validation findings. I learned that there was still some confusion around confirmation and primary/ temporary location searches. Therefore, I focused on improving the above while finalizing my UI design.
 

First Round of User Testing (Mid-Fi)

MAIN ISSUES: 

#1. 2 out of 5 users expressed confusion when encountering icons without accompanying text.

#2. 3 out of 5  users desired additional date/time options.

#3. 1 out of 5 users requested more comprehensive information on locating suitable doctors.

#4. 4 out of 5 users found the statement "What can we help you with today?" to be confusing.

FIRST ITERATION TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM:

#1. I have added clear labels to each icon for easier identification.

#2. The calendar feature has been incorporated to provide users with a broader range of date/time options.

#3. A filter option has been introduced to assist users in refining their choices.

#4. I eliminated the greeting on the main page to avoid any potential confusion.

#5. I revamped the initial page, streamlining the user journey by removing unnecessary steps and presenting

       categories of doctors right away.

FINAL DESIGN — Key screens for booking an appointment

Second Round of User Testing (Hi-Fi)

MAIN ISSUES:

  • Users were confused with the confirmation page with the confirm button.

  • Users were confused with the primary location/ temporary location setup.

  • Users liked the review pages, but they wish to see the name of the reviewer.

  • Users were not sure what upcoming/past appointment was on the send form page. 

  • Users wishing to see Sunday openings as well.

FINAL ITERATIONS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS:

  • I removed the confirm button since it’s already confirmed-- another action was not needed.

  • I added a subheading on top of each location so that users can recognize them easily.

  • I added names to each review section.

  • I changed to the weekend instead of Saturday for more options.

  • I removed the upcoming/past to eliminate any confusion.

Validation

After conducting usability testing and undergoing several rounds of iterations, I arrived at a successful solution. To validate the assumptions and changes I implemented, I engaged with 5 new participants, and the results are as follows:

  • Appointment Scheduling: All 5 users were able to complete this task with ease.

  • Doctor Discovery: All 5 users found it straightforward to search for their specific needs.

  • Filter Functionality: 4 out of 5 users had no questions or concerns regarding the filter.

  • Confirmation Process: All 5 users found the confirmation process to be clear.

  • Messaging: All 5 users were able to send messages quickly and efficiently.

  • Location Change: All 5 users successfully changed their location and located doctors in their new area.

Reflection

This project was my first end-to-end user experience project, allowing me to dive into the entire process — from research and design to iteration.

My choice of topic stemmed from personal observations of a prevalent issue and the frustrations expressed by members of my community. I sought to challenge myself by tackling a brief that didn't immediately reveal its solutions.

 

One of the central challenges of this project was crafting a seamless and dependable platform within the context of a disconnect between insurance companies and healthcare providers. I also had to consider the existing competition in the healthcare website landscape and how my solution could provide added value. My strategy revolved around prioritizing efficiency and offering robust choices to users, setting my platform apart from others.

 

Throughout this journey, I recognized the vital role of user research and testing in the success of the project. Each phase of user testing presented an invaluable opportunity to pinpoint issues and refine the user experience, ultimately leading to a more refined and effective solution.

Next Step

To enhance future iterations, I plan to allocate more time to refining the filter system and conducting comprehensive competitor research. This will enable us to develop a more comprehensive product. Subsequently, we will carry out thorough testing to ensure its effectiveness.

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