SCHEDULE NOW

ROLE

Lead UX Design | Research

ABOUT

As the Lead UX Designer for the 'Schedule Now' application at Quest Diagnostics, I immersed myself in UX research to truly grasp our users' needs. Recognizing the dominance of mobile users, I meticulously crafted an application experience tailored for smartphones and tablets, ensuring that scheduling appointments became as effortless as a single tap!

FEATURES

Schedule Now offers a user-centered design, detailed location insights, flexible date/time selection, mobile optimization, and clear feedback for an enhanced user experience

TOOLS

UXPin, Figma, Rally, kanban board, Adobe Photoshop.

DURATION

4 weeks

In the 'Schedule Now' project, I immersed myself in understanding user needs, especially for mobile users. Through in-depth UX research, I pinpointed and addressed key challenges, ensuring effortless lab test scheduling. The outcome was a streamlined, user-friendly interface that simplified the appointment booking process for all users.

OBJECTIVE

The objective for the 'Schedule Now' project was to improve applicant traffic management, simplify and speed up the scheduling process, enhance user awareness of available appointments, and decrease call and chat volumes related to scheduling, all while ensuring a user-centered design tailored for Quest Diagnostics' clientele

PROBLEM STATEMENT

User Challenges

User Overwhelm: Excessive information without clear guidance left users confused.
Mobile Experience: The application wasn't optimized for the growing number of mobile internet users, leading to potential user drop-offs.
Appointment Uncertainty: Users were unsure if their appointments were confirmed, leading to confusion and dissatisfaction.

Business Challenges

Increased Customer Support: The unclear process led to a rise in customer care calls for each appointment, increasing operational costs.
Loss of Potential Users: The initial poor user experience resulted in increased frustration and higher drop-off rates, potentially reducing the user base.
Missed Revenue Opportunities: Due to the app's limitations, users were unable to request preferred times outside of normal business hours, leading to missed appointments and potential revenue loss.

RESEARCH PROCESS

Target User Identification: Consulted with stakeholders, including business units and customer service teams, to pinpoint the application's primary users.

PERSONA

Based on the information gathered, I created fictional user personas that represented different types of users. These personas guided the design process by helping us make decisions that catered to various user needs.

Scenario Mapping: Defined scenarios in which users might schedule an appointment, such as recurring users or first-time users.

Recurring User: The user has been scheduling multiple tests a year for herself and her family members.
First time User: The user just enrolled in health benefits through her company and gets a prompt to schedule a test.

Current Application Flow Analysis: Created a flow based on existing screens and collaborated with stakeholders to identify gaps or inconsistencies.

User Interviews:

I chatted with some users and others who know our app. Here's what they shared:

"I'm not sure if my appointment worked or not. What's its status?"
"Picking a location is confusing. I keep ending up with a spot that's too far."
"I have unusual work hours, so the app's time slots aren’t great for me. I usually just call to find a good time."
"This feels complex. I wish it was as simple as buying coffee."

INSIGHTS:

The current flow is difficult to navigate.
The screens are outdated and no longer effective.
It requires significant time and effort to understand how the application works.
The application lacks customization.
There is no feedback loop during the appointment scheduling process.
Users struggle to access information about their scheduled appointments.

I categorized the insights based on common themes and identified 2 primary pain points:

Selecting a location:

The current flow comprises of two primary tasks: selecting a location followed by a date/time. However, users found this process to be complex, time-consuming, and lacking confirmation feedback.
Selecting date and time:

Presently, users are only able to select from the dates and times visible on the screen without the flexibility to request a preferred time. This limitation resulted in an increased number of customer care calls. As home visits were an available option for lab tests, users sought appointments outside of normal business hours or after work. From a business perspective, missed appointments resulted in lost revenue.

Competitive Analysis: Studied other applications with similar tasks to understand their user flow and features, gaining insights into best practices and potential areas for improvement.

PAIN POINT 1:

SELECTING A LOCATION

I analyzed several mobile apps that offer similar appointment scheduling features. Specifically, I focused on apps that allow users to choose a location for their appointments. By examining the user flows and features of these apps, I gained insights into best practices and potential areas for improvement in our own application.

Most apps suggested a list of testing centers based on zip code or location services
They didn't provide information about the distance to each location
They did not specify essential details like timings/days open for the selected location

"This still left users without enough information leading to the need to call agents for assistance." So I adopted a different approach and examined mobile apps that were commonly used by users for daily tasks:

I could access details like store timings, open/close, and whether the store was closing soon

It displayed distance in miles from my current location
It had a feature to check the location on maps and get directions
I was able to save a location as a favorite, and the app would remember it the next time I used it
The app would provide advance information on landmarks, such as "Inside Target store"

PAIN POINT 2:

SELECTING DATE AND TIME

To further explore on similar lines, I examined apps commonly used for delivering groceries. These apps were chosen because they aimed to fulfill orders as quickly as possible, typically within a four-week timeframe.

Instead of displaying the entire calendar, these apps showed the next available date for up to one week, which helped businesses book more appointments in the coming weeks rather than spreading them out over two months
After displaying the next available date, the app showed the available time slots in a list view
Having the location, date, and time in the same view helps to integrate the information
You can edit each selected item right on the same screen, which reduces the number of steps required

DESIGN STRATEGY

Sketching Ideas: Initial sketches were developed to visualize potential features and layouts for different screens.
Feedback Integration: Considered features that would enhance the flow, such as simplifying screens, allowing customization of appointment times, and providing an option for users to input additional information.
Mockup Creation: Developed initial stage mockup designs, incorporating feedback from team discussions and A/B testing to choose the most user-friendly designs.
Iterative Design: Using the company's style guide, refined designs were crafted, leading to the creation of a prototype for user testing.
Mobile Optimization: Given the rise of mobile users, special emphasis was placed on ensuring the design was responsive and user-friendly across smartphones and tablets.

This strategy aimed to create a user-centric design that was both intuitive and aligned with modern design principles.

DESIGN JOURNEY

ITERATION 1

ITERATION 2

Testing :

Testing was conducted using two modes:

In-person
Over Skype

Users were given 2 tasks:

For the first task, participants were asked to schedule an appointment by selecting a specific date, time, and location.
Second, users had to cancel/reschedule their previous appointment and submit a request for a specific time of their choice, as well as edit their saved location.

TESTING METHOD 1: THINK OUT LOUD

Users were asked to describe their thought process and actions as they completed the task. This allowed me to understand their expectations and identify the most appropriate locations for icons and buttons.

TESTING METHOD 2: SESSION RECORDINGS

Session recordings were utilized to capture the user's actions on various screens, such as mouse clicks, movements, and scrolling. This helped evaluate whether they were lost, confused, or how quickly they were able to locate the right action they were looking for.

INSIGHTS

All the participants were able to complete the overall flow without much difficulty
On an average, the task completion time was much faster in the mobile mode than in the desktop mode
Most participants were confused about whether "Requesting" an appointment meant that the appointment was confirmed.
More time was needed to assess the impact of rescheduling or cancelling an appointment on the overall user experience

Final Design with Key Features

FD1

FD5

1/6

CONCLUSION

Lessons Learned:

User Feedback is Crucial: Direct insights from users are invaluable in identifying pain points and refining the design.
Mobile Optimization is Key: With the rise of mobile users, ensuring a seamless mobile experience is paramount.
Iterative Design Works: Continuous refinement based on feedback leads to a more polished and user-friendly product.
Clear Communication Reduces Errors: Providing users with clear feedback during the scheduling process minimizes confusion and mistakes.
Stay Updated with Market Trends: Competitive analysis helps in understanding market standards and user expectations.

Challenges Faced:

Overwhelming User Interface: The initial design provided too much information, leading to user confusion.
Increased Customer Support Calls: The unclear process resulted in a surge in customer care interactions.
Adapting to Mobile Users: The application needed significant adjustments to cater effectively to mobile internet users.
Balancing Familiarity with Innovation: While introducing new features, it was essential to maintain some consistency with the old design for existing users.
Integrating Diverse Feedback: Collating and prioritizing varied user feedback to create a cohesive design was challenging.

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