CASE STUDY

Delivering Personalized
Care & Support

Explore

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

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 proper support to patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers at the right time.

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 smaller

5 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 need for more 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.

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

Guided by Social Determinants of Health

Our approach was guided by user-centered design principles, leveraging design thinking to deeply understand patients' and caregivers' needs and pain points.

process OVERVIEW

Understanding Disparities in Patient Care and Treatment

To better understand the patient journey I conducted nominal surveys, focus groups, and user interviews with 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.

Health System: Coverage, Access
Lifestyle: Sex, Exercise, Activities, Music, Emotional Support
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

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

The Importance of Early Detection

A key insight emerged from our research: the critical importance of early detection and diagnosis. This phase in the patient journey stood out as a key area where timely intervention could significantly alter outcomes. Recognizing this, we focused our efforts on early detection, aiming to raise awareness and improve access to diagnostic tools.

process OVERVIEW

Myers-Briggs Type Indicators (MBTI)

Using Myers-Briggs Type Indicators (MBTI), we developed a platform that understands and responds to each user's unique personality, needs, and how users like to consume content. Our system starts with an MBTI assessment and then applies the insights gained to create a more personalized patient and caregiver experience. This approach simplifies onboarding, leading to greater user engagement, patient advocacy, and increased user-generated 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 ENTJ

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

Fostering Collaboration

Workshops played a huge role, 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

problems prioritized

Jobs to Be Done

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

Patient Feedback

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.

Journey Navigation Tool

"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."

- Jennifer R.

Side Effects Tool

“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."

- Elizabeth Z.

Reminders & SMS

“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.”

- Alyssa T.

Select 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.

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

Select Deliverables

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. By following the atomic design methodology and creating a strict brand style guide, we experienced drastic improvements in design and development collaboration and a 50% reduction in deployment times.

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

Example of the color system from a design system

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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, making it easier for them to make more informed decisions.

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.