Enhance Current System with New Feature Updates
POCUS Checklist
The Ultrasound Skills Assessment Checklist used in EDE POCUS (Emergency Department Echo Point-of-Care Ultrasound) is a structured tool designed to evaluate the proficiency of medical professionals in conducting ultrasound examinations in emergency settings. It typically includes a comprehensive list of essential ultrasound skills and competencies that clinicians need to demonstrate proficiency in.
The overarching objective of this initiative is to elevate user satisfaction by implementing feature enhancements to the existing system. This enhancement endeavour caters to a diverse user base comprising the Super Admin, Course Admin, Instructors, and Participants, each necessitating distinct permission levels within the application.
As the project owner, I meticulously oversaw the project's timeline and budget, orchestrating task allocation among our team of developers and quality assurance specialists. Additionally, I spearheaded the implementation of interface design improvements and backend system modifications, ensuring seamless usability for both Super Admins and Course Admins in configuring and administering courses.
Background
The existing POCUS Checklist application has been in use for several years, during which time various deficiencies and shortcomings have been identified. These issues primarily revolve around suboptimal performance and usability, particularly within the backend system for course management and the user interface utilized by instructors for scan recording. Furthermore, participants lack a means to track their progress within assigned courses, limiting their engagement and overall experience with the application. Addressing these issues is crucial to ensure the application meets the evolving needs of its user base and remains a valuable tool in the realm of point-of-care ultrasound education and training. Therefore, the project aims to implement comprehensive enhancements to the application to rectify these deficiencies and improve user experience across all user roles.
Problem
After several years of employing the POCUS Checklist, the client identified areas within the application that are not operating at their peak efficiency. Recognizing the need for enhancement, they sought to refine key components of both the backend system responsible for course setup and management, and the Checklist interface utilized by instructors for recording participant scans. Furthermore, the client aimed to introduce a new feature granting participants access to track and monitor their progress within assigned courses, addressing a current absence in their user experience.
Role:
I assumed the following roles for this project:
- Lead Product Designer
- User Experience (UX) Design
- User Interface (UI) Design
- Project Management
Deliverables:
UX Design:
- User Research
- User Touchpoint Matrix
- One-on-One interviews
- Task flows
- Gather business objectives
- Capture requirements
- Process Flow
- Usability test and findings
UI Design:
- High-fidelity mockups
Project Management:
- Leading and Managing Sprints & Tasks
- Budget Planning
Project Specifications:
Duration:
7 months
Tools:
- Sketch
- LucidCharts
- Jira
- Excel Spreadsheet
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1. Identifying Existing System Weaknesses
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2. Getting to know the System and Potential Pain Points
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3. Addressing User Interview Questions
The Research
During the research phase of this project, I conducted multiple user interviews with the client to gain insights into all aspects of the application's backend and frontend systems that require modification and improvements. From these interviews, I compiled a project Wishlist, which encompasses all the areas within the app needing changes. This Wishlist outlines the areas requiring change, including pain points, use cases, and reasons for change. It also includes UX/UI change recommendations and tasks, Dev recommendations and tasks, and a breakdown of time allocations needed for both design and development for each Wishlist item. After completing this document, I conducted another user interview to ensure that we captured all the client’s needs for this project. The image below depicts the project’s Wishlist.
The Users
The web app will serve various user roles, each with distinct permission levels:
Super Admin: Super Admin posses the highest level of permissions. They have full control over course management, including creation, editing, deleting and management of all courses within the backend system. Moreover, they hold editing privileges for all courses accessible via the frontend system (the Checklist).
Course Admins: Course Admins share a similar permission level to the Super Admin, but with a focus on specific courses. They can edit courses they are assigned to within the backend system. However, their editing access is limited to these assigned courses only.
Instructors: Instructors have access solely to the frontend system (the Checklist). Within this environment, they can add, edit, and record scans for participants who are enrolled in the same course as them. Their permission’s level is restricted to course-specific tasks within the Checklist interface.
Participants: Participants are granted read-only access to a page displaying their progress. They can view their advancements within the course but do not have editing capabilities.
By outlining these user roles and their corresponding permission’s level, the web app ensures efficient management and utilization of its features, catering to the diverse needs of its users.
Pain Points
Based on user interviews, I pinpointed issues with the current platform. Some of these identified pain points include:
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The Super Admin and Course Admin are constrained to adhere to a single scan order for every course, despite the fact that this structure may not always align optimally with the sequence of ultrasound stations. This limitation poses challenges as ultrasound stations may not necessarily follow the same order as prescribed by the Checklist.
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In order to delete a course, the Super Admin was required to delete all recorded scans, participants, and associated instructors linked to the course. This process proved to be time-consuming and inefficient.
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The absence of progress tracking functionality deprives participants of the ability to monitor their advancement within the course.
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Instructors lack the means to distinguish between the scans they've recorded and those recorded by their colleagues. This limitation can lead to problems as instructors are unable to identify their own recording errors.
User Touchpoints Matrix
To comprehensively grasp the interactions of each user with the system, I devised a user touchpoint matrix. This matrix outlines specific touchpoints for each user, including the Super Admin, Course Admin, Instructor, and Participant. By identifying and documenting these touchpoints, I gained insights into the distinct pathways and interactions experienced by each user group within the system. This understanding is crucial for optimizing user experience and addressing the unique needs of each user’s role effectively.
Proposed Solutions:
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Introduce a flexible customization feature that allows users to adjust the scan order according to their specific preferences and workflow requirements. This enhancement empowers users to tailor the sequence of scans to better align with the layout of their ultrasound stations and the flow of their clinical practice, thereby enhancing efficiency and usability.
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Implement a streamlined course deletion process that allows the Super Admin to easily remove courses and their prerequisites with minimal steps. This solution involves enhancing the user interface to provide clear options for deleting courses, along with automated checks to identify and remove associated prerequisites efficiently. By simplifying this process, administrators can save time and effort while maintaining the integrity of the system.
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Enable participants to access a read-only version of the checklist, granting them visibility into their assigned tasks and progress without the ability to make changes. This solution ensures that participants can easily reference the checklist for guidance and tracking purposes while maintaining the integrity of the checklist data.
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Introduce an "Instructor" column to the scan log, allowing instructors to easily identify and track their recorded scans. This enhancement enhances clarity within the scan log, facilitating efficient review and management of recorded scans by instructors.
To tackle the inefficiencies within the POCUS Checklist and backend system, it was imperative to address each feature on the Wishlist individually.
Key features explored for optimization of the platform include:
The Design Process
As a Product Designer
During the design process for the POCUS application, I focused on enhancing the existing user interface and experience. Given that the POCUS Checklist and backend systems were already established, my primary goal was to refine and optimize the app's design without establishing an entirely new design system.
To achieve this, I gathered the Wishlist from the client that outlined the pain points and usability issues. With this insight, I iteratively refined the design, focusing on incorporating these features that addressed the identified concerns and improved overall usability.
I collaborated closely with the development team to ensure seamless integration of the design enhancements. This involved detailed discussions to align on technical feasibility and implementation considerations.
Throughout the design process, I remained mindful of maintaining consistency with the established visual identity of the POCUS application. While introducing enhancements, I adhered to existing design patterns and branding guidelines to ensure a cohesive user experience.
Additionally, I conducted usability testing to validate the effectiveness of the design changes and gather further insights for refinement. This iterative approach allowed me to continually improve the design based on user feedback and usability findings.
Overall, the design process focused on enhancing the POCUS application's usability, functionality, and aesthetics while respecting the established design foundation and backend infrastructure.
As a Project Manager
Throughout the project, I took a leadership role in managing the 2-week sprint meetings, where I assigned tasks to myself as the product designer, the developer, and the QA team. These meetings served as a platform to track progress, identify challenges, and allocate resources effectively.
As part of these meetings, I ensured clear communication and alignment among team members regarding project objectives and priorities. I facilitated discussions to address any bottlenecks or issues that arose during the sprint, fostering a collaborative environment for problem-solving.
Additionally, I actively participated in task allocation, considering each team member's strengths and workload to optimize productivity. I tracked the progress of each team member throughout the sprint, regularly checking in to assess what was working well and where additional support or resources were needed.
By leading and managing the sprint meetings, I played a pivotal role in driving the project forward, ensuring that tasks were completed on time and that any challenges were addressed promptly. This approach helped to streamline the development process and maintain momentum towards achieving project goals.
After thoroughly understanding the client’s wishlist and areas requiring change, I initiated the process of incorporating these enhancements into the existing interface. I focused on the backend dashboard, where administrators create and manage courses and the Logbook Checklist.
Utilizing high-fidelity mockups, I began by visualizing and refining the proposed changes, ensuring alignment with the client's requirements and design principles. These mockups served as a valuable tool for illustrating how new features would seamlessly integrate into the existing interface, enhancing its functionality and user experience.
With each iteration, I meticulously reviewed and refined the mockups, considering usability, aesthetics, and technical feasibility. This iterative process allowed for feedback and collaboration with the development team, ensuring that the final design solutions were both practical and visually appealing.
Once the high-fidelity mockups were finalized, they served as a blueprint for implementation, guiding the development team in integrating the new features into the backend dashboard. Through close collaboration and communication, we ensured that the implementation aligned closely with the envisioned design, delivering a user-friendly and intuitive experience for administrators tasked with course creation and management.
High-Fidelity Mockups
Enhance Customization Options for Scan Order
To improve the customization options for the scan order, I collaborated closely with the developer to explore available options for administrators to apply a custom order for the scans. After careful consideration, we determined that implementing a drag-and-drop feature would offer the best solution in terms of both implementation and user experience.
With the drag-and-drop functionality in place, users can effortlessly select the scan tag and drag it to their desired position in the sequence. This intuitive approach allows administrators to easily tailor the order of scans to match the layout of their ultrasound stations and the workflow of their clinical practice.
By incorporating this enhancement, users are empowered to efficiently customize the sequence of scans, leading to improved efficiency and usability within the application. This feature streamlines the process of organizing scans according to individual preferences, ultimately enhancing the overall user experience.
Streamline the Course Deletion Process and its Prerequisites
To simplify course deletion for the super administrator, I introduced an archive function located alongside each course row. This feature enables the super admin to delete courses individually. However, a pain point emerged when the super admin had to manually delete all associated prerequisites, such as recorded scans, participants, instructors, and models.
To address this issue, I proposed to the development team to implement a system that automatically archives or deletes the course and its prerequisites in one action. Additionally, to ensure the super admin is aware of the significance of this action, I recommended displaying a modal upon selecting the archive option. This modal would explain the parameters of the action, and upon acceptance, the system would proceed to remove the course and its associated prerequisites.
The goal of this solution is to streamline the course deletion process, reducing the super admin's workload while maintaining system integrity.
Providing Participants with a Read-Only View of the Checklist
Implementing a read-only view of the checklist for participants required adjustments to both the backend and frontend systems. Collaborating closely with development, we devised a solution to provide participants with this capability. The chosen solution involved generating unique, personalized links for each participant and delivering them via email.
In the backend system, I introduced a share icon next to each participant, enabling administrators to easily send read-only links. Upon selecting the share icon, a modal prompts administrators to confirm their action. Once confirmed, participants receive an email containing their unique link, granting access to their read-only view of the checklist.
This solution empowers participants to review their assigned tasks and track progress without altering the checklist data. By incorporating this feature, we ensure participants have convenient access to essential information while preserving data integrity.
Improving clarity in the scan log was achieved by directly addressing the issue at its source. By introducing a new column labeled "Instructor ID" and incorporating a dropdown menu, instructors can now effortlessly filter and view only their recorded scans. Each instructor is assigned a unique ID when created as a user, ensuring accurate tracking of their contributions. This enhancement significantly enhances the clarity and usability of the scan log, enabling instructors to efficiently review and manage their recorded scans.
Enhancing Scan Log Clarity
The POCUS Checklist project presented a fascinating opportunity for growth and exploration. In addition to my established role as the UX/UI designer, I embraced the challenge of assuming the position of project manager. This expanded role exposed me to a diverse array of new skills and responsibilities, which I found immensely rewarding. As project manager, I was entrusted with overseeing the project's timeline, budget, and task delegation, which allowed me to gain valuable insights into project coordination and leadership. This experience not only broadened my professional skill set but also provided me with a deeper understanding of project management practices and methodologies. Overall, the POCUS Checklist project served as an enriching journey of personal and professional development, reinforcing my passion for innovation and collaboration in the realm of user experience design.
Some key takeaways and potential improvements from this project are:
Continuous Product Improvement: The POCUS Checklist project underscored the valuable lesson that there is always room for improvement. Despite the system's successful operation over several years, it emphasized the importance of ongoing refinement and enhancement to improve usability based on user feedback and interaction.