Chronic Health Condition Management Tool

Assisting Seattle’s aging and disabled communities to work with health care providers and take charge of their health.

 

Project Overview

Duration

20 Weeks

Team

1 Designer
2 Developers
1 Project Manager

My Role

UX Designer
UX Researcher

Tools

Figma
Adobe Photoshop

Responsibilites

Conducting interviews
Conducting usability studies
Wireframing
Low and high-fidelity prototyping

Context

This project was sponsored by City of Seattle - Aging and Disability Services (ADS)

Over the course of 20 weeks our team would meet with ADS stakeholders to discuss requirements, provide updates, set up interview and testing environments, and arrange project hand off.

Design Challenge

ADS tasked the team with converting their paper-based Chronic Illness Self-Management plans into a digital product that could be implemented into their website.

Design Opportunity

Design an application for users of ADS' self-management system that provides them the ability to assess their chronic health condition and share results with health care providers.

Solution

An accessibility focused web application where users can answer questions about their chronic health condition, receive feedback on how well they're managing, and be provided with a report that can be shared with health care providers.

 
 

Understanding the user

I worked with ADS staff to set up and conduct interviews with their patients which allowed me to better understand user needs and how my designs would meet them. The primary user group identified through research was aging adults with chronic health conditions that experience impaired eyesight and motor function.

This user group confirmed several challenges faced when using the paper-based system and provided insight into overcoming those challenges in my design.

 
 

Findings

1. Confusion

Seniors were overwhelmed and confused by the amount of text, question fields, and icons on the page. This would cause them to read over the document several times.

 

2. Accessibility

Small font size combined with small entry fields and checkboxes caused seniors to struggle with readability and accuracy when providing answers.

 

3. Information Architecture

The documents featured heavy amounts of text combined with poor typography, resulting in poor readability. Seniors viewing the document found it difficult to separate the sections.

User Persona & Problem Statement

Alice is a senior adult who needs to assess her chronic health condition and work with her health care provider to form an appropriate management plan.

 
 

User Journey Map

Scenario: Alice wants to assess how well she is managing her Parkinson’s Disease. She begins at the ADS website landing page:

Starting the design

Digital Wireframes

As I moved into the digital design phase, I made sure to base my screen designs on initial user research and stakeholder feedback.

 

Usability Study Findings

I conducted two rounds of usability studies and in each round key performance indicators were measured:

  • Task Success Rate (Generating a health status report)

  • System Usability Scale (Provided after completing the task)

The usability study helped guide and refine the designs as I moved from wireframes to mockups.

Round 2 Findings

  • Users wanted language options

  • Users were comfortable using the application without technical assistance

Round 1 Findings

  • Users wanted a search option

  • Users were unsure how to proceed if they didn’t have an answer

  • Users wanted text size adjustment

Improving the design

 Mockups

After conducting the usability studies, I focused on navigation, reducing error potential, and readability. Using larger-sized buttons with high contrast allowed users to successfully identify and select the appropriate chronic condition. I also added a search option and accessibility functions that would remain static throughout the user’s journey.

 
 
 

Accessibility Considerations

1. Contrast

Using contrast that meets WCAG guidelines for text and user interface components provides access to users with low vision.

2. Icons

Recognizable icons combined with text are used to help users identify available actions.

3. Button Sizing

Buttons were sized for ease of identification and click/tap actions to help users with impaired vision and motor function.

 

Refined Designs

 

High fidelity Prototype

The final high fidelity prototype provides the user flow for completing the chronic disease self-assessment.

View the ADS Chronic Disease Management Tool High Fidelity Prototype.

Takeaways

 

Impact

The Chronic Disease Management Tool affords users to assess the management of their chronic condition and feel in control of their health. Furthermore, the ability to generate a health status report allows the user to include themselves in the conversation with their health care providers.

 

Growth

This project allowed me to utilize and further develop my skills and take ownership of the designer role. The challenging nature offered insight into the strengths and weaknesses of my design process and where I can direct my focus on improvement.

 

What I learned

While designing the Chronic Disease Management Tool, I learned the importance of utilizing usability studies and feedback to guide the iteration process of my designs and making sure user needs are met.

 

Professional Development

As a real-world project, I had the opportunity to meet and work with ADS stakeholders in their Seattle office. Engaging with product owners, developers, and users provided valuable insight and learning opportunities.

Next

Prospectus