Olive Health

UX Research

I sat down with three moms of kids with special needs to talk about health apps. These interviews were very informative and helpful, and these moms are full of great ideas for how technology could be improving their lives but often, it is making their lives more difficult. To see the full presentation of insights gained through this research, click here.

User Personas

In order to demonstrate my premise, that edge-case-focused design can create apps that serve everyone well, I used the above research to create three distinct user personas. I believe that solving the problems for the persona with the most roadblocks will naturally create an easy and joyful experience for the user with the least roadblocks.

User Journeys

Each user has their own journey while using Olive Health. I based these journeys and scenarios on the goals and needs of each user while demonstrating how Olive Health can reduce frustrations and pain points.

User Flows

Next, I imagined a task for each user based on their needs and goals. These tasks also demonstrate some of the core features of Olive Health. Users can upload files, create custom permissions and security for each family member, and enter information into custom fields that are pinned to their dashboard.

Designing a Solution

After gaining a deep understanding of the issues these moms (and my personas) were facing, I was ready to start coming up with solutions. The early iterations were bare, but I was able to test them and start making improvements. Throughout multiple iterations that grew in fidelity, and with input from peers and real-world test subjects, Olive Health became easier to use, more accessible, and a real candidate to address these moms' needs.

A Baked-In Accessibility Feature

Olive Health was designed from the start with moms in mind, and I designed the primary functions of the app to be easily used with only one hand, allowing moms holding fussy babies the ability to access their information easily.

This also allows disabled and temporarily disabled people to use the app easily.

Future iterations will include a setting that allows users to choose between left-hand and right-hand modes, which would switch the orientation of the menu buttons.

Testing the Solution

Beginning with paper prototypes, and all the way through the high-fidelity digital prototypes, every step of the design went through extensive testing, peer review, and critique from experienced professionals. The primary screens went through 3 rounds of user testing, as well as peer review from fellow UX students and from fellow UX Designers in the User Experience Design group on LinkedIn. The Onboarding screens were preference tested on UsabilityHub. Every screen has been critiqued by my mentor and tutor at CareerFoundry.

Proving the Solution

Before we move on and start evaluating the wireframes and prototypes, let's remind ourselves that we are trying to solve the real problems that real users have (as represented by our personas). If we haven't solved those problems, there's no need to keep moving forward until we do.

I think we're on to something here. It looks like Olive Health does solve the problems of our personas, and it appears that my hypothesis about edge-case-first design is proving to be true.

Revising the Solution

I used both Adobe XD and Figma to design Olive Health before combining the artboards into Figma for the final prototype. Learning two different programs took longer than just learning one, but I feel more confident that I can find the right tool for any of the design tasks I will face in the future.

The Final Prototype

The final prototype, which features all of the needed revisions brought to light by the extensive testing, reviews, and critiques can be found below, and it looks gorgeous on the mobile Figma app. Click here for the direct link to the file.

Style Guide

I have always had strong opinions about things like UI Design and typography, but I have never felt particularly good at either (at least to my picky satisfaction), so this part of designing Olive Health was difficult for me. But, I know enough about Adobe Photoshop to be dangerous, and so little about Illustrator that I'm really dangerous, so I made my best attempt.

Conclusion

The final round of user testing led to some very disappointed moms who were wishing this app was going into development. It is rare that moms of kids with special needs feel heard or catered to in any meaningful way, and I am certain that if a company were to develop a product like this, they would have desperately loyal customers who get to reclaim their most valuable resource... time.

Takeaways

I have learned so much more than I anticipated I would through this process. I had to overcome fears of doing interviews via video, and being on camera, and I became proficient in new software with a steep learning curve. These are significant steps that prepare me to do UX Design in the real world.

Struggles

• Perfectionism - I often forget that done is better than perfect (and not finished)

• I'm still learning to not internalize critiques of my work, but it's easier every day

Joys

• Creating something that I am truly proud of

• Finishing a massive project despite the obstacles this year threw at me

• Achieving clarity about what I want to focus my UX career on

Surprises

• As an introvert, connecting with users was surprisingly rewarding

• I really enjoy the tedium and minutiae of editing wireframes and the text/content of the project