Project overview
The product:
The Medshift app was created in efforts to help give work-life balance to shift workers in the demanding medical industry. Users will be able to clock in and out of shifts, view their weekly schedules, pickup and trade open shifts, and even message their co-workers.
Project duration:
2021-2022
The problem:
Healthcare workers lack the flexibility to easily adjust their work schedule.
The goal:
Design an app for healthcare workers that allow users to easily view/change/manage their weekly work schedule.
My role:
UX designer designing the MedShift App from conception to delivery.
Responsibilities:
Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, and iterating on designs.
Understanding the user
- User research
- Personas
- Problem statements
- User journey maps
User research: summary
I conducted interviews and created empathy maps to understand the users I’m designing for and their needs. A primary user group identified through research was medical workers who need more shift flexibility in their lives.
User research: pain points
1
Work Life Balance
Working adult’s social plans are always changing and its hard to shuffle your work schedule to keep up
2
Accessibility
Current scheduling methods are antiquated and not equipped with modern conveniences
3
Social Connectivity
In larger staffed hospitals its hard to get to know everyone in order to find shift coverage
Persona: Anthony
Problem statement:
Anthony is a grad student who needs an easy way to manage his demanding work schedule to keep up with his active social life.
User journey map
Mapping Anthony’s user journey revealed how helpful it would be for users to have a single app manage their weekly work schedules
Starting the design
- Digital wireframes
- Low-fidelity prototype
- Usability studies
Digital wireframes
As the initial design phase continued, I made sure to base screen designs on feedback and findings from the user research.
This button at the bottom of the screen makes it easy for users to clock in/out of their shifts
This display provides an easy overview of everyone who on working today
Low-fidelity prototype
Using the completed set of digital wireframes, I created a low-fidelity prototype. The primary user flow I connected was clocking in and picking up an open shift, so the prototype could be used in a usability study
Usability study: findings
I conducted two rounds of usability studies. Findings from the first study helped guide the designs from wireframe to mockup. The second study used a high-fidelity prototype and revealed what aspect of the mockups needed refining.
Round 1 findings
- Users wanted better button indicators
- Users wanted more clear instructions on what to do on a given screen
- Users wanted a simplified trade/openshift screen
Round 2 findings
Add a trade accepted indicator once its been approved
Overall layout and button are improved as no users had any issue completing the tasks
Refining the design
- Mockups
- High-fidelity prototype
- Accessibility
Mockups
Early designs were a good starting point but after usability studies, I cleaned up the display to be less congested and easier to navigate.
Before usability study
Before usability study
Mockups
The second usability study revealed concerns with knowing whether a trade request has been accepted. To address this, I have added a screen that showings the recently traded for shift as pending, and once accepted it will officially be added to your shifts.
Before usability study
After usability study
Mockups
High-fidelity prototype
The final high fidelity prototype presents cleaner user flows when operating the schedule app.
Accessibility considerations
1
Provided access
to users who are vision impaired through adding alt text to images for screen readers.
2
Used Icons to help make navigation easier
3
Choose a color scheme with proper contrast for user who are visually impaired
Going forward
- Takeaways
- Next steps
Takeaways
Impact:
The app address a lot of the issue users face in the medical field when it comes to managing their schedules.
What I learned:
While designing the MedShift app, I learned that the first ideas for the app are only the beginning of the process. Usability studies and peer feedback influenced each iteration of the app’s designs.
Next steps
1
Conduct another round of usability studies to validate whether the pain points users experienced have been effectively addressed.
2
Conduct more user research to determine any new areas of need.
Let’s connect!
Thank you for your time reviewing my work on the MedShift app!
