CASE STUDY

Digital Health Platform

Log in screen for the digital health platform with Welcome Back text and form fields to enter user information on the left and a graphic of a young woman that has a transparent purple overlay
Client

AstraZeneca

timeline

6 months

product

Digital Health Platform

Tools

Figma, User Testing, Miro, Adobe Creative Cloud

case study overview

Ovarian Cancer Digital
Health Platform

I'm Not Alone is a patient-centric Ovarian Cancer digital health platform that addresses the core need for personalization by providing the right support at the right time to patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers.

Three iPhones on a dark background that show different screens from a digital health platform
4 images of iPhone devices with different screens from the website displayed horizontally with one in the foreground that is larger and 4 in the background that are the same size but smaller5 images from the website displayed on iPhones that are the same size but alternate their positions. The image is transparent and sits on top of the solid dark background

Challenge

Establish AstraZeneca as a prominent leader in Ovarian Cancer.

Develop a groundbreaking care and support platform that sets new standards for Ovarian Cancer patient assistance. By offering personalized support precisely when patients and caregivers need it, we aim to position AZ as a pioneer in innovative and compassionate care, revolutionizing the landscape of Ovarian Cancer treatment.

Solution

Developed an MVP that was the foundation of an enterprise digital health platform.

Our solution aims to mitigate three critical issues in the Ovarian Cancer care ecosystem. By introducing a groundbreaking platform, we tackle the lack of personalization, ensure scalability, and provide comprehensive support from pre-diagnosis to post-diagnosis. Through this innovative approach, we empower Ovarian Cancer patients with personalized resources and bridge the gaps in the current care system.

The Team

AstraZeneca + 3 Outside Partners

  • Brand Leaders
  • User Research
  • UX Design
  • UI Design
  • Engineering
  • Content Strategy
  • Oncology Experts
  • Partner Hospital
  • Product Management

My Role

Experience Design Director, Team Leader

  • Stakeholder management.
  • Conducted interviews and user testing with patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers. 
  • Created a stakeholder value map, user flows, patient experience map, Intelligent User Profiling (IUP) process, and engagement model.
  • Managed multiple vendors while creating over 200+ content pieces for the initial MVP.
  • Led the design of the entire platform, including wireframes, information architecture, user interface design, design system, and brand guidelines.
Screens from the website displayed as a collage that is angled and on top of a light purple background

Process Overview

Our approach was guided by user-centered design principles, leveraging design thinking to deeply understand patients' and caregivers' needs and pain points. We employed agile methodologies, allowing us to iterate rapidly and incorporate feedback at each stage of development. This iterative approach, combined with continuous user involvement, ensured that the platform evolved in line with user expectations.

process OVERVIEW

User Research

We conducted nominal surveys, focus groups, and user interviews with 325 ovarian cancer patients, caregivers, and Oncology specialists to gather Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) data. This data provided valuable insights into user demographics and factors affecting access to care and health outcomes. We did a deep dive into some of the following areas.

  • Health System: Coverage, Access
  • Lifestyle: Sex, Exercise, Activities, Music, Comedy, Emotional Support, Wellbeing
  • Personal Environment: Home, Work, Transportation
  • Community: Family, Friends, Colleagues
A screenshot from Miro that displays stickies from a user research workshop that helped identify personas

process OVERVIEW

Streamlining Stakeholder Management

As the project lead, I understood the importance of managing dynamic stakeholders during the development of an unbranded digital health platform. To promote alignment and project focus, I created a visual tool that effectively communicated our objectives to internal stakeholders. This streamlined decision-making, improved communication channels, increased support, and ultimately mitigated risks, ensuring the successful development of the platform.

Key Stakeholders

Patients

Empower patients to make more informed decisions while improving their quality of life throughout OC Journey.

Caregivers

Empower to make more informed decisions while improving the quality of life throughout the OCJourney of patients they care for.

Patient Advocacy Groups

Helps drive patients to their respective properties at relevant points (resources/support groups) of OC Journey

Gyn Oncologists / HCPs

Helps provide better patient outcomes in health: timeliness of care, the effectiveness of care, and adherence to care guidelines.

Oncology Institutions/Clinics

Data & insights: Helps institutions improve patient outcomes in health and provide competitive differentiation

AstraZeneca

Data & insights: Institution, TA, and patient-level data to develop a better patient experience

A stakeholder map that shows Patients, Caregivers, Patient Advocacy Groups, Gyn Oncologists, Oncology Institutes and AstraZeneca

process OVERVIEW

Personalized User Experience through Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

By gaining a deep understanding of users' personalities, motivations, and needs, we have created a platform that delivers a tailored and inspiring online experience. Our Intelligent User Profiling (IUP) mechanism collects valuable data to drive personalized interactions for patients and caregivers throughout the INA platform. This streamlined onboarding process encourages users to become passionate advocates, actively contributing to the community and empowering the creation of impactful content.

A persona card that shows the Myers Brigg personality type of ESFJ
A persona card that shows the Myers Brigg personality type of ENFJ
A persona card that shows the Myers Brigg personality type of ENFJ
A persona card that shows the Myers Brigg personality type of ENTJ
A persona card that shows the Myers Brigg personality type of ESFJ

process OVERVIEW

Dynamic Experience Map

The dynamic nature of this experience map enables us to remain agile, swiftly adapting our approach to stay ahead of evolving user needs. By continuously updating and refining our map, we proactively optimize the user experience, delivering solutions that resonate with our global audience. Deeply rooted in comprehensive research, our experience map is the cornerstone for informed decision-making at Ovarian Cancer at AstraZeneca.

An image that shows an example from the larger Ovarian Cancer experience map that has the large map in the background and a smaller portion in the foreground that shows a sample

process OVERVIEW

Identifying the Peak of Negative Emotions

During our journey mapping process, a significant revelation emerged – a crucial gap in the patient journey where emotions reached their peak. It became evident that patients and their families lacked personalized information and support when seeking online resources. To address this critical need, we developed a focused Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that caters to individuals during the suspected diagnosis through the initial treatment phase. By delivering tailored information and support, our platform aims to alleviate fear and enhance patient confidence, ensuring they receive the care they deserve.

A visual that shows the peak of negative emotions that came out of use research and an output from the journey mapping
A screenshot from Miro that shows the ideation workshop outputs in vertical columns with stickies and creative output from ideation.

process OVERVIEW

Ideation Workshops

Our design thinking process involved conducting numerous ideation workshops with patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and internal stakeholders. These workshops played a pivotal role in our journey, allowing us to tap into diverse perspectives and expertise. By fostering collaboration and embracing a user-centered approach, we generated a wealth of innovative ideas and solutions for our digital health platform. Workshop participants' creativity and insights ensured we met all user groups' unique needs, providing a genuinely impactful and inclusive experience.

Workshop
One Outputs

Initial personas

3

problems prioritized

18

Jobs to Be Done

6

Journey navigation tool

Chat tool/assistant

Side effect tool and resources

Difficult conversation facilitator

Patient/Caregiver stories

Community & Peer-to-Peer

Hero image that says I'm Not Alone and has a black woman in the foreground and a group of other woman that are smaller in the background to the right of the woman

process OVERVIEW

Identifying and Validating
Prioritized MVP Features

Through a combination of moderated and unmoderated testing, we gathered valuable feedback on an early prototype that included the platform's essential features, allowing us to refine and shape our initial product. These user-driven insights were critical in ensuring that our prioritized MVP features effectively addressed user needs, laying a solid foundation for the development of a successful and user-centric platform.

Patient Feedback

"Sorting through all the noise with sites like WebMD makes you crazy. It's overwhelming trying to find information that is for ME. Having content that is personalized at my fingertips is wonderful."
“I am going through chemo right now, and the side effects drive me crazy. Having access to a tool like this, a trusted resource with access to a healthcare team and patients like me, would be invaluable."
“Yes, it looks great, very helpful. I have everything all over the place – I have got my calendar, I have papers in my purse. This way, everything would be in one place, and it would make it a lot better.”
Graphic that has I'm Not Alone and the Central Brain and Platform at the top and then outlines the features from MVP

Deliverables

The screens below are by no means representative of everything that came out of this complex project, but meant to provide a high-level example of some of the deliverables that resulted from all of the work above this section and beyond. If you would like to see more, please do not hesitate to reach out as I would love to share more.

An early sitemap graphic for the site
Larger information architecture that shows early verticals for the site and subsections within each main section
An isometric image with different screens from I'm Not Alone
Transparent images of iPhones that display different screens from the website
An image that shows the home page for the site with a larger screen on the left and a smaller screen that shows more of the site
Images from the website that show an example of an article detail page
Two screens from the site displayed on iPads that are sitting on a deep purple background
Views of the home page displayed on an iPhone, Tablet and laptop
design system

Establishing a Solid Foundation

As a crucial part of my role at I'm Not Alone, I led the development of an atomic design system using Figma. This transformative approach enhanced global collaboration and streamlined our design and development processes. By following the atomic design methodology and crafting a comprehensive style guide, we optimized typography, color palette, layout structure, and guidelines. The result? AstraZeneca experienced up to a 50% reduction in design and development time, facilitating rapid product rollouts within weeks.

Isometric screens that show elements that were created as a part of the design system showing examples

Consistent Design Elements

By establishing consistent design elements, such as typography, color palette, and layout structure, we ensured a seamless and cohesive user experience that is widely accessible to all users.

A screen from Figma that shows some of the design system elements like Typography, Colors, Buttons and Navigation

Typography

Our carefully chosen font duo consists of PT Serif and Inter, with Inter taking center stage due to its exceptional legibility and adaptability across various screen sizes while PT Serif is reserved exclusively for large display headlines, adding an element of elegance and warmth to the site.

Inter: Our Workhorse Font

Inter, as our main font, is the backbone of our design system. Its versatility allows us to achieve visual consistency and clarity across all platform elements. With an extensive range of weights, Inter delivers a seamless reading experience, ensuring effortless content comprehension for all users.

PT Serif: Distinctive Display Headlines

This minimal and strategic use of PT Serif elevates the overall design, creating visually captivating focal points that draw the users' attention. We only use the font in bold to maximize the impact of the headlines, making key messages stand out and reinforcing the platform's brand identity.

WCAG 2.1 Level AA Color Scale

Accessibility and legibility are at the heart of our design principles. We crafted a WCAG 2.1 Level AA-compliant color scale that ensures an inclusive and user-friendly experience for all individuals, regardless of their visual abilities.

Inspired by our brand identity, our color palette seamlessly blends soft pastel hues with vibrant accents, creating a soothing and inviting ambiance. Leveraging the Foundation Color plugin in Figma, we achieved optimal contrast ratios, enhancing readability and ensuring every text and interactive element is effortlessly discernible.

Light purple circle in the background
Image from Figma that shows the color tints and the corresponding color contrast ratios
An example of the output from the Figma plugin "Foundation Color" that highlights the color contrast ratios.
engagement model & content framework

Hooked Model: 
The Art of Engagement

In crafting our Minimum Viable Product (MVP), we leveraged the 'Hooked Model', integrating its principles across the Diagnosis, Treatment, and Maintenance phases of the patient journey. This thoughtful approach has been instrumental in creating a profoundly impactful and user-friendly platform, designed with utmost compassion and sensitivity.

Trigger

Empowering Users

We employ a delicate balance of internal and external cues to prompt our users to take positive actions within the platform. Whether it's sending personalized emails with tailored resources, or SMS messages and push notifications, our aim is to offer support that seamlessly integrates into their lives.

Additionally, user recommendations from friends and peers play a crucial role in fostering a sense of community and trust, encouraging patients and caregivers to engage and make the most of the resources available. Our trigger strategy is not about manipulation, but rather about creating an environment that empowers our users with the right information and resources.

A screen from early designs that show example Phone notifications that are sent to patients and caregivers
Action

Simple & Intuitive

We focus on empowering our users and removing any barriers hindering them from taking positive steps forward. By crafting a user interface that prioritizes ease of use and accessibility, we aim to make every intended action as simple and intuitive as possible.

Our platform offers a range of tools, resources, and support that cater to the diverse needs of our users, ensuring they find what they need to move forward confidently. Through thoughtful usability design and a deep understanding of our user's journey, we enhance their motivation, making it easier for them to make more informed decisions.

Examples of screens that were direct outputs from the engagement model
variable reward

Inspire & Connect

  • Avatars serve as important identifiers, facilitating connections among patients and caregivers based
  • Through peer-to-peer chat, you find connections, share experiences, and provide valuable support, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie.
  • Our chatbot delivers personalized messages, reminders, and helpful tips, ensuring you receive timely and relevant information.
Example screens from the community aspect of the platform that shows the example iconography that is matched to their Myers Briggs type and patients earn while contributing to the site
investment

Health and Well-being

The Investment phase encourages users to invest their time, effort, and social capital in shaping a vibrant and supportive community. By sharing personal experiences, engaging in learning, and building virtual assets, users play an active role in their health journey. This reciprocal commitment fosters growth, personalization, and continuous improvement, making each return to the platform even more rewarding and empowering. Together, we embrace the power of investment, nurturing a collective of resilience and success throughout the entire ovarian cancer journey.


Small images of screens from the platform that show Tell Us About Yourself and a screenshot from Monday.com

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