Cozette Kosary, M.A., B.E.D.
UX Researcher and Strategist
NURTURING U
Redesigning The Clinic Waiting Experience.
Design Problem: Use User-Centered Design to redesign the waiting experience at Watkins Memorial Center.
Design Team: Adriana Guzman, Bob Bartels, and Cozette Kosary.
My Role: UX Researcher and UX Designer.
Observe – Research: By gathering data through patient journey maps and ethnography, the design team discovered three objectives to target to improve the current waiting experience: Privacy, Communication, and Comfort.
Patient Journey Maps revealed patient’s anxiety associated with appointments, confusion on where to sit when waiting, and an unawareness of how long the wait would be.
Ethnography revealed a pattern of long lines to check-in, no distinct signage differentiating the waiting areas (flu waiting area and other), lack of privacy due to telling secretary out loud reason for visit, as well as, other personal information (address, phone number, insurance provider).
Make – Iterate: The design team then conducted a survey to showcase how students currently engage with the Watkins Memorial Center and capture their clinic experiences.
Survey Highlights:
Describe your experience at Watkins Health Center. Please do not tell us what the visit was for but the process you went through during your appointment(s).
“The people at the front counter were not mean, but definitely weren't too welcoming. I waited for almost 30 minutes to actually see someone. The doctors that helped me were all very nice and wanted to engage in a conversation.”
“There was no parking available, I waited in line for at least 20 minutes, the appointment was really short, and I ended up getting a parking ticket while I was there.”
How often do you visit Watkins Health Center?
“Not often. I wasn't aware until recently that our tuition included free check ups.”
“2 to 3 times per semester.”
What would you like to see improved upon at Watkins Health Center?
“I don't like how open the waiting area is, and it seems like the hallway of a school instead of a health center. And when you go in for your appt. it seems more like the school nurses office from grade school.”
“A shorter visit would be nice. One visit takes up an entire studio class.”
Personas were generated from data collected to build empathy and understand goals for the two types of clinic visitors: the individual patient and the patients visiting as a couple. A Persona was also created for the doctors seeing patients to understand their schedule and goals.
Testing: Low Fidelity Prototypes were created and tested through situated action scenarios to engage users in improved clinic waiting experiences. Users were able to provide additional feedback and insights to further the development of a new waiting experience.
Application and Kiosk Check-In Paper Prototypes helped students bypass long lines and check-in to the clinic without having to make contact with others.
Spatial Prototype allowed students to design their own clinic waiting room layout with post-it notes. Students used post-its to showcase their needs within the space and to define the furniture and access to snacks, storage, medicine, etc.
Reflect – Brainstorm: To capture a realistic experience, the design team developed Higher Fidelity Prototypes and updated spatial renderings.
PDF Prototype was created to test the integration of the Application and Kiosk check-in experience.
Sketchup Spatial Prototype helped the students to visualize the space by providing a model of the space with improved spatial suggestions. This model led to the development of renderings for a new pharmacy, sick patient and healthy patient waiting areas, and a café as an alternative waiting space.
Deliverable: Check-in Kiosks Prototype, Check-in Application Prototype, and New Renderings of Waiting Areas.
