Product Designer
My Role
UX Research
UX Design
Usability Testing
Prototyping
Team
Individual
Duration
8 Weeks
Time
Spring 2024
Overview
Health concerns are gaining attention, yet our demanding lives often deplete our well-being, leading to significant health issues. Many have dealt with severe illnesses in their families, caused by various factors. The overwhelming costs, complex hospital procedures, and medication uncertainties add to the stress.
To address this, I created the WarmSun App, a platform for patients and families to connect, exchange support, and manage caregiving needs, including sharing medical supplies and group-buying medications.
393,0000
11.3%
7.5/min
Number of new major disease cases in 2023
Growth rate of major disease types
Number of major disease diagnoses per minute on average
There are many patients with serious illnesses
Family members worry and feel downhearted
Second-hand caregiving supplies are hoarded
Some medicines are scarce or expensive
Rarely do they band together to help each other
They want to help but often don't know how to begin
They want to sell but have no outlet
Unsure where to buy the needed medication
Background
In today's rapidly advancing society, with an ever-accelerating pace of life, the number of individuals suffering from serious illnesses continues to rise. Facing such adversity, families often feel isolated and unsupported. My aim for this project is to build a platform to serve for these marginalized communities to come together, offering mutual support and encouragement.
Current Existing Problem
Although there are a large number of patients with serious illnesses, it is difficult to find others with the same afflictions due to the vast geographical areas, and it is also challenging to address common issues among patients. Family members without experience also find it difficult to take better care of the patients.
Constraints
Based on the user interviews, several significant constraints impacting the community of serious illness patients and their families have emerged:
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Mark, patience's family member
Brad, one of our interviewee
Deep Dive Into Researches
March 1 - March 8
2024
168
Research Articles Reviewed
52
Participants
Reached
5
Conclusion
Drawn
Caregiver Burden and Mental Health
Mental and Emotional Strain
Adverse effect of Caregiving on Mental Health, including elevated stress, depression, stigmatization...
On the protective and risk factors
Isolation and Labeling
risk impact of mental disorders on the risk of developing medical conditions.
Understand Our Users
I found the initial user research has shown a pressing need for pre- and post-operative psychological support to manage emotional health. It also pointed out the vital need to equip patients and their families with comprehensive medical information, strategies to lower hospital expenses, and a community platform for the exchange of resources and used caregiving supplies.
The majority of Warm Sun app users are comprised of two primary groups: patients with chronic diseases in need of daily medical care and their primary caregivers. The app is intended for these users as the target audience:
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Patient managing cardiovascular conditions with family support
Caregiver balancing hospital logistics and works
User Flow
The user flow diagram highlights three key functionalities of the app: facilitating second-hand trade of caregiving supplies, connecting patients with supportive communities, and navigating hospital procedures.
Second-hand caregiving supplies trading
The platform facilitates a second-hand trade service for caregiving supplies, aiding families to sell and reuse items like caregiver beds and thermoses, easing the economic burden and ensuring safe, worry-free transactions
1
Patients and families unite for warmth (support)
WarmSun app connects patients and relatives with peers nationwide for mutual encouragement and support. Recovered patients contribute advice and recommendations, easing both emotional and practical challenges, fostering meaningful exchanges and mutual support.
2
Detailed explanation of hospital procedures
The WarmSun app streamlines access to hospital procedures like scheduling, payments, admissions, and discharges, alongside reimbursement and subsidy details. It simplifies the healthcare experience, reducing complications and stress for patients and caregivers.
3
User Testing - Wireframe
For this round of user testing, I wanted to assess the usability of our prototype in a natural setting. To do so, I asked 5 individuals to navigate the prototype without any guidance. My focus was on three primary areas:
Intuitiveness of the navigation system
Identifying any missing features
Observing
emotional response
Jason, one of our participants
Milla, one of our participants
Final Design
After receiving positive feedback from all our users, I decided to advance to a high-fidelity prototype:
Get Warm
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Connects users with nearby patients and caregivers to share resources, solve treatment challenges, and offer support
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Setting
Before users connect, they're directed to settings to filter or block search content and precisely find individuals or existing groups
Chat Page
Click to chat instantly with users, discuss conditions, gain insights, share medical resources, and offer mutual encouragement and support
Contact
Upon opening the app, view recent and frequent contacts for quick access to chats, check online status, and search for less frequent contacts
User Info
Click a map icon to view user details, interaction trends, and communication history, with an option to explore their homepage
Marketplace
Page for buying and reusing second-hand, safe medical supplies, featuring recommended and popular items.
User Info
Click a profile picture on the feed to access their page, chat instantly, and view their latest activity for more insights
Traditional profile settings enhanced with new memo and medical guide features to help users navigate hospital procedures easily
Personal Page
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Thoughts
Post insights, seek advice, and explore shared experiences here.
Guide pages provide information on medical treatments and hospital facilities to help users avoid peak times.
Guide Details
Login/On Boarding
The login features a rising sun theme, reflecting the app’s name and using warm hues for an uplifting feel. The sign-up uses tags to connect users with similar groups quickly
Contacts/Chat
Provide detailed patient profiles within the contact list, users can chat with those who share similar medical situations, exchange feedback, and get "warm"
Map Feature
Users can locate and connect with nearby community members for convenient access to local resources and information exchange
Personal Homepage
The personal page features settings, notepad for activity tracking, guides for hospital traffic, and benefits, insurance reimbursement, and more.
Design System
Reflection
Capitalizing on Constraints
Viewing constraints as opportunities, I crafted innovative solutions like the second-hand trade feature and comprehensive guides, directly addressing user needs.
Validation Through User Testing
The user testing phase refined the final design, I should not only focus on feature completeness but also emotional response to ensure the app was functional and responsive to user needs.
Enhancing Usability Through Thoughtful Simplicity
Simplicity was about making things less complicated, not cutting down on features. If adding a step made the app easier to use and less prone to mistakes, it was worth the extra work.
