Health data management application

THE IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

Situation: a very small and new startup sought to develop its health management application catering to doctors, health personnel, and patients, with a focus on handling private patient data and health history for efficient healthcare decisions.

Task: I began with brainstorming to identify essential features for the minimum viable product (MVP) and potential future enhancements. Rather than starting with low-fidelity wireframing, I opted to establish a small design system based on existing design elements to streamline the process.

Action: I proceeded to create an interactive prototype that showcased the user journey within the application. This hands-on approach allowed for a practical demonstration of the envisioned features and functionalities, facilitating a better understanding of the user experience.

Result: the prototype provided a tangible representation of the application's potential, enabling stakeholders to visualize the product and gather valuable feedback for further development. This approach laid a solid foundation for the startup's health management application, setting the stage for continued refinement and innovation.

Initiation

Understanding the domain
Everyone should recognize the significance of organizing our health records. While healthcare systems vary by country, the handling of sensitive medical data by various providers and institutions is a common challenge. It should be simple to access and readily share these records with healthcare professionals. Considering the obstacles faced by doctors, why not develop a solution that simplifies health data management for all parties involved?

What about information architecture?

I consider this assignment more as an information architecture puzzle. The key question is: How can we present a substantial volume of data in a way that is not overwhelming, yet effectively conveys essential information in a concise, transparent, and structured format? This is the fundamental issue at the core of health data management discussions.

Mind-mapping

Add health data

ACCEPTANCE CRITERA:

  • Data can be automatically synchronized, if the user sets up their devices and applications (and related accesses) accordingly.

  • The user can upload documents like lab reports, prescriptions, and imaging scans.

  • The user can manually input health records, including medical history, medications, allergies, and past treatments.

  • The user has the option to upload more documents.

  • The user can overview uploaded / added documents and data.

Organize uploaded documents

ACCEPTANCE CRITERA:

  • The user can enhance properties of the documents, so in the end, it will be organized by categories. Labels will be displayed on documents. (Later labels will help in filtering data.)

  • The user can share the selected document with anyone.

Future feature ideas

Users are likely to desire interactive features, such as a dynamically updating health journal, abundant data sharing options, considerable flexibility in organizing their data, and the ability to set multiple reminders. They envision this application as their personal "health assistant," serving as a primary and centralized hub for all pertinent information.

High-fidelity mockups and the prototype

There was no point in creating low-fi wireframes, because I could establish the design system very quickly. This way I was able to build screens easily, as well as continuing with prototyping.

Design system

In setting up a design system, my primary emphasis is on ensuring simple maintenance, long-term sustainability, and the incorporation of reusable elements for smooth development. I strongly advocate for collaborative efforts between team members: designers creating coherent, trend-following, and developer-friendly components, and developers focusing on feasibility and testing. This symbiotic relationship leads to a robust design system that forms the foundation for swift design delivery.

Prototyping

I am a firm believer in the value of prototyping at every phase of the design process, as it offers significant benefits to all involved parties: stakeholders can experience a preview of the user journey and provide feedback at an early stage. Prototypes facilitate quick identification of potential issues and allow for prompt elimination of unsuccessful paths, while interactive high-fidelity prototypes assist in visualizing the end product. This aids stakeholders, managers, developers, and QA engineers alike in the development and testing phases and documentation.