In Article written by Martina Gyoffy and Fruzsi Fejes they speak about the latest healthcare trends we can expect to see this year. In 2022(this year), we can expect to see the use of the folowing technologies being used to bring exciting opporunties and improvements to the healthcare industry.

Currently their are many challenges in the healthcare industry, the introduction of these technolgies if used currently can help provide pateints with better, more comfortable and safety service.

It’s important to have products which enhance the everyday lifes of doctors and patients. Below are 10 trends which improve the user’s experience.

1. Medical Wearables
2. Telehealth
3. Digital Therapeutics
4. Vocal Biomarkers
5. Virtual and Augmented Reality
6. Al and Chatbots
7. Voice User Interfaces
8. Digital products for mental health and telepsychology
9. Non-Emergency Medical Transportation
10. Digital Health tools for Pets

Future of UX IN healthcare

The future of UX in healthcare is bright. At the moment their is so many trends. The use of technonolgy is continuing to increase and play an important role in the healthcare industry to help look after our mental and health health.

When producing a product and service in particular area it’s very important to focus on the user’s experience and how it can be used to improve peoples lifes in order for it to be successful.

In this ever-changing world it’s essential to keep up to date on the latest trends/technolgies around you. Therefore keeping people safe is the main target. When coming up with your own product think of ideas and service thart needs improved and design a product which will make a difference to everyday lives.

Reflection

I really enjoyed finding out about difference technologies I can expect to see and how much of difference they will make to everyday lives. I think it’s very interesting read and I want to take this into my own project to help me produce a healthful app which can make a difference to everyday lifes of my users.

According to design researcher Silvia Vergani and research scientist Danielle Schlosser, In the world of healthcare there are many challenges and opportunities. There is need for healthcare experts should apply a more human-centered approach to their everyday work. Through design thinking method in healthcare, they lead to open discussed and allow them to run tests in order to come up with the best, most innovative solutions to help the healthcare crisis.

Applying Design Thinking to schizophrenia

Through her experience and passion for working with individuals with schizophrenia, Danielle Scholosser wanted to change the way people think about this treatment. At university, she become curious about the design thinking approach and how IDEO May be able to help.

After speaking with Silva and her team at IDEO, it made her think differently about a problem and loved her she was challenged with new ideas thinking she was already expert in.

In collaboration with UCSF and IDEO, Danielle and Silva’s team created an app called “Prime” which helps individuals with schizophrenia achieve their goals and engage with others for support. The aim of the app was to help improve the quality of life for the people suffering with this condition. So far, the results are very promising.

Mindshift’s in Healthcare

Danielle and Silvia have helped change the mindsets of people and are moving the healthcare in the right direction to become more human-centered.

1. Shifts to Value-based Care
2. Shift from being reactive to Proactive
3. Balance High Regulation with Experimentation

Key Points when designing your own healthcare app

• Define the problem you’re trying to solve.
• Get a greater understanding of your clients/users’ needs
• Find inspiration
• Brainstorm Ideas for solutions
• Experiment with different ideas
• Learn

Reflection

I thought this was an inspirational article and shows how a simple idea can grow. It makes me want to create a product or service by understanding the users’ needs which will make a difference to people’s life’s. It’s good to hear that the healthcare sector is moving in the right direction. I think there is a lot more ways which we can help healthcare.

Below you can find submission links to my prototype healthcare app, brand guidelines and my Discovery & research.

My Final verision Healthcare App

https://www.figma.com/proto/S9eV51KDerOxH0LaETX0uM/Final-Healthcare-App?node-id=108%3A801&scaling=scale-down&page-id=0%3A1&starting-point-node-id=108%3A801

Brand Guidelines

Brand Guidelines-IXD303 (1)

Discovery & research

https://blogs.ulster.ac.uk/sean123/?s=IXD303&submit=Search

Updating my Healthcare App

https://www.figma.com/proto/S9eV51KDerOxH0LaETX0uM/Final-Healthcare-App?node-id=108%3A801&scaling=scale-down&page-id=0%3A1&starting-point-node-id=108%3A801

Since the Critique session in week 11 I made some updated and changes to my Healthapp following on the feedback I recieved from Paul and my classes mates. I think these changes have enhanced the app in it’s overall layout and style. It looks more professional and makes it easy to read for the users.

When designing this I made sure I used an appriotate font choice and colour, the colour scheme fitted with my theme. I wanted to make sure my buttons and content were kept consistent throughout my whole app.

I updated my logo and wordmark on the loading screen to a white text with a heart above the letter I. I also had a heart coming out of the chimney. which was suggested by someone in my class. I am pleased with how my loading screen looks.

Someone also suggested making the footer section and logo icon smaller to the same size as footer which I did and I agree it worked well.

I also corrected any spelling and sizing errors i made had and I also wanted to keep the layout and content aligned so I took time to do this.

I have taken onboard what the carer suggested and changed the word patient on each screen to service user.

I wanted to change to add some extra screens as well in the app. I took on what the carer has suggested an extra screen after the carer logs in. This screen is only avilable to the carers. It enables them to click on the name of service user they are visiting. So they can find their information quickly and carry out their caring duties.

I have added a comment box at the bottom of the tick box caring duties screen. This enable the carer to record observations they may is important to know.

I have also included a comment box for the family member to comment on. “For example to let the carer know they have appointment with diabetic nurse on Thursday”

Reflection

Overall I am happy with my updated app and I hope this app will be useful for carers, the patient and their family members to use and meets their requirements.

As family member said “I think it is a great idea to set up an app whcih shows a great model of carer for the service use. A paternership between family and Communicty Care for the benfit of family member-(my mum). How great is that!!”

Sketches

Before designing my Healthcare app on Figma I brainstormed my ideas on Paper. Doing this allows me to come up with idea for my app.

I made some rough Wireframe sketches on Paper of my original idea of how I wanted my 6 main screens in my app to look.

I tried to out on Figma.

I updated my orginally sketches and made a couple for main screens.

I sketches out my buttons and compotents for my app of how I wanted to look. Below you can see an image.

Reflection

Overall I am happy with my sketches and how they helped me create the basis of my own healthcare app design on figma. I wanted to keep my sketches easy for my clients and users to understand. I wanted to make them as detailed as possible. I feel my wireframes show the main screens the users will need to access  the app.

Usability Testing

In order to make sure my Healthcare App meet the needs of clients, I wanted to test my app out on 2 Users. My Frist user was a carer and the second was a family member.

I wanted to find out if they could easily navigate their way around my app and really find out their overall user experience when using this app. So I showed them the my prototype on the laptop and ask them both specific questions which I recorded and later typed up their responses in blue text and uploaded them as a PDF document which you can view below.

Feedback on Community Care App Family Member

Feedback on Community Care App Carer

Both the carer and family member were able to find information easily and both were happy with the size of text and the information was presented clearly.

The carer particularly liked the tick boxes for caring duties as she reported to me they have a certain amount of time with each services user and using the tick box method of recording would save time having to record these on the sheet of paper. The carer told me they use the word service user instead of patient so I’ll go back and change the wording.

The carer has suggested that I included a screen for carers so they can select the patient whos record and care plans they want access to. This screen and records is only avilable to carers. So when a carer visits a service users home all they have to do is scroll down and select the name so they have access to all the information needed for the service user at a touch of a button.  This means the carer has more time to spend time chatting with the service user.

On further comments. The carer felt a comment box would be useful to recording extra information on the service user. The family member also liked the idea of the comment box so they can let the carer know with they have an appointment or info.

The carer wasn’t sure how to get back to the previous screen. She she just pressed the home button.

Following on from the user testing I got some postive and helpful feedback from the clients. I listened to what they had to say and will use this to make the final updates and improvements that are nesscary.

Reflection

This was very important I completed the Usability testing from the users as I was able to find out their overall thoughts and opinions. I wanted to make sure it user friendly and they had a pleasent user experience. I was happy to take on this feedback as I wanted to further improve my app and make sure my final verision is the best verision I could produce.

Change by Design: How design thinking transforms organizations and inspires Innovation

I was recommended to read this book written by Tim Brown which was published in 2009.  Tim Brown who works as CEO of IDEO, a leading design firm talks through different techniques and strategies of design that can be used at every level.

Change by Design explains the importance of design thinking and collaborating to produce ideas which meets the users needs. Design thinking is a great technique to help designers solve everyday problems and become more innovative and creatives. Tim gives a clear visual guide to explain his points which is very helpful to understand.

Although has been written in 2009, this book is still very useful today for new designers in college/ university. Not only designers but for creative leaders wanting to incorporate design thinking into a company, produce, or service to come up with alternatives for business and society.

Reflection

I enjoyed reading this book and learned a lot of helpful tips which I can take away from this. I hope from the knowledge I gained, that I will be able to use this in my everyday University work. This book explains the use of design thinking and how it can be used in the real world. I like the informative approach Tim uses in this book and how he shows his wealth of experience throughout with examples.

Overall it’s a great book and hopefully find more ones out there.

 How I became a better designer through writing by Rizwan Javaid?

This article goes through the authors experience of how he discovered the importance of writing which helped him become a better designer. In article he also included resources such as books, podcasts, and apps which he used to help him improve his own writing skills.

Writing is designing with words. It is a tool for designers to express themselves and help inspire people. It’s important to clearly communicate the intended message to audience to be to explain what is happening before in the development and designing stages. If the writing is rushed or careless then it confuses the client.

Good writing is the key and will create a better impact.

A quote from E.L Doctorow is “Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.”

Designers write daily to communicate and influence. It’s essential that your write clearly and concisely to get your message across and develop your ideas. Not only is it good to have an idea but you need to sell your ideas through written communication.

This could be through:

• Email Communication
• Blog Posts
• UX Writing
• Design Research
• Design Presentations
• Documentation

These opportunities can help improve your writing. He explains different ways writing has helped him become a better designer.

• Writing helps me clear my mind for better ideas

Clear your mind of thoughts and try make room for new ideas.

Make a list of tasks you need to get done

Spend 10 minutes to do this on paper

• Writing helps my think

Write down rough ideas

Organize and supporter your main idea

• Writing helps me understand

When learning a topic writing is good way of increasing the understanding.

• Writing helps me communicate

Writing can allow you share ideas and provides updates. Important to craft my emails and listen to other ideas.

• Writing improves my mental health

He says it has helped reduce my anxiety and stress. By being able to express your thoughts on paper can be therpeutic

Writing means sharing. It’s part of the human condition to want to share things — thoughts, ideas, opinions. — Paulo Coelho.

List of Resources

Books

The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition — Strunk and White

Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer — Roy Peter Clarke

On Writing Well — William Zissner

App

Ulysses App

Grammarly

Hemingway App

Podcasts

Death of 1000 Cuts — Couch to 80K Bootcamp by Tim Clare

Practice, Practice, Practice

The more you write the better you can become. Keep is consistent and use the opportunities to write weather it be emails, blogs posts, documents, presentations or share your designs this is all good ways of improving your writing.

Writing is powerful. The difference between good and great designers is that great designers not only produce ideas but can sell them.  By adding writing to your design toolbox, it can make you communicate your work clearly and become more successful.

Reflection

From reading this article I learned how important writing is and how much an impact writing can have as designer. I like the designers’ examples and techniques. He has give me room for thought and how this can be used in to improve my own designs and how I communicate across to my clients clearly.

Google Sprint Design

What’s a Design Sprint

The Design Sprint is a proven method for solving everyday problems through designing, prototyping, and testing idea with users. Design Sprints assign you teams under a shared visions with clear goals and deliverables. This involves little investment. It allows you to test and trial a product with your users.

Where does it Comes?

The Design Sprint is a technique creator by Google to help develop the UX Culture and the practice of design leadership across the company. Many teams within Google have taken time to try out different methods from traditional UX practice, IDEO, the Stanford dSchool, business strategy, etc. to encourage unique and innovated thinking with teams. This design sprint is a flexible models process, and teams are adapting to these different approaches.

Hopefully this method can help produce better products and services in the future. By doing the design sprints this can lead to a clearer outcome and seeing the success grow.

The design sprints can range from 1 to 5-day period. Plan and prepare fully to ensure you use your time wisely. It’s important to plan for every day what you will do. Google recommend you try the design sprint to see what ideas you can come up with.

The 6 main phases to the design sprint are:

• Understand
• Define
• Sketch
• Decide
• Prototype
• Validate

It’s important to follow these steps to help you to come up with solution to a problem which meets the user’s requirements.

7 Steps to Benchmark Your products UX

UX Benchmarking is a simple process of evaluating/ reviewing a product or services user experience by using metrics. These metrics are commonly collected using usability testing, surveys, or analytics.

You should consider the benchmark method if you want to:
• Track your product or Service.
• Review an earlier version of your design, Research Competitor analysis or other companies.
• Demonstrate the value of the UX efforts and your work

“Benchmarking is a method to evaluate the overall performance of a product” Therefore it happens at the end of one design cycle rather than before.

Benching is a very important part of many companies to collect data and enable them to compare their product with others out there.

The Process
Benchmarking can be broken down into a seven-step process. This can take a bit longer when you first start to figure out what measure and how. Once you get the hang out it, it can be straight forward process as it starts getting repetitive.

UX Benchmarking:
The process of evaluating a product or service’s user experience by using metrics to measure the relative performance against a meaningful standard.

This process is broken down into 7 steps. By following this process, you can’t go wrong.
Step 1: Choose What to Measure
Step 2: Choose how to measure
Step 3: Collect first Measurement
Step 4: Redesign the product
Step 5: Collect more measurements
Step 6: Interpret findings
Step 7: Calculate Roi (optional)

Before conducting this benchmarking study, decide what you’re going to measure and which research method you’ll use to collect those data. Next, collect your first measurements, redesign the product, and collect additional measurements. Then compare your findings and at the decide to calculate ROI. When you completed this process, you can go back to Step 4 and redesign the product to make further improvements in the future.

Reflection

Benchmarking is great method for UX designers to use during their design process to determine the quality of your product/service. Remember to focus on important tasks and features when designing your product and determine how you can measure them. Select an appropriate research method and collect your first measurement. Then collect your first measurement, redesign your product, and repeat the process.

Once you get the hang of it you can easily repeat the whole process again and again.

I will do my best to use this process when benching products and services. This may also help me in my work.