What was the challenge?

In the context of Nigeria, grappling with economic challenges as the poverty capital of the world, individuals often exhibit a lack of enthusiasm or financial resources when it comes to engaging with healthcare processes. The predominant health plan mentality revolves around the hope of not falling ill, posing a significant obstacle in promoting proactive healthcare.

Addressing this predicament demanded a nuanced approach to in-still a desire among users to actively seek and book healthcare services. It was evident that relying solely on the anticipation of illness was not a sustainable model. Consequently, my goal became twofold: encouraging users to willingly invest in healthcare services while ensuring affordability remained a key consideration.

The overarching objective of the project was to create a seamless and trustworthy user experience in the realm of healthcare. Given the sensitivity of healthcare matters, my focus was on crafting an experience that would foster a sense of trust in the product.

Emphasizing user-centricity, I took it upon myself to design interfaces that were not only intuitive but also accommodated individuals with varying levels of technological familiarity. This commitment ensured that the end product would resonate with a diverse user base, making healthcare services more accessible and user-friendly in the Nigerian context.

How might we context?

• In what ways can we effectively bridge the gap between business objectives and user challenges, ensuring a seamless and user-centric experience?

• How can we create a compelling user experience that motivates individuals to invest in health services, even in the presence of financial constraints?

• Design a platform that consistently attracts users by providing offerings that stand out from competitors, fostering enduring user loyalty.

Achieving Precision: A Narrative of UX Advocacy

I communicated to stakeholders and my team the need to conduct thorough research and testing at different phases of the product development cycle within an agile setting. The underlying focus remained on user-centricity, emphasising its potential commercial impact. Consequently,

• We initiated the integration of usability testing software, specifically Hotjar.

• Conducted a Heuristics Evaluation of the existing application to identify significant improvements that are consistent with UX principles.

User Research

In this project, we undertook a comprehensive exploration encompassing primary and secondary research methodologies. We aimed to gain insights into the users' needs, current pain points, and expectations. To guide our research effectively, we formulated key questions in collaboration with the business analyst, ensuring a thorough understanding of the underlying problem.

Primary Research - User Interviews & survey and Focus Groups

• Are people aware of what HMO entails?

• How do they treat themselves if and when they fall sick?

• What are the limitations they have in their process of funding for healthcare?

Secondary Research - Competitor Analysis

• What is the competition doing wrong?

• What is the competition doing right?

• Why should customers come to us instead?

User Flow

With a population exceeding 187 million, Nigeria grapples with a health insurance coverage of less than 3%, primarily attributed to the unavailability of financial services like healthcare insurance due to high costs and a prevalent poverty rate. A healthcare plan, however, extends coverage to common ailments such as malaria and typhoid, as well as unforeseen accidents, alleviating financial burdens associated with hospital visits. This not only ensures reduced expenses for medical care but also facilitates increased savings, thereby addressing a crucial aspect of the population's well-being.

Proposed Solution

Imagine a scenario where accessing healthcare aligns seamlessly with your financial constraints, departing from the conventional approach of purchasing predetermined plans offered by typical HMOs. Our innovative solution empowers users to tailor their health plans from the ground up. This signifies that users have the flexibility to define their HMO based solely on the specific health plan elements they require, rather than being constrained by predefined options offered by traditional HMOs.

Key Solution Elements

We identified key elements to inform the development of our product requirements and user stories. Following an in-depth exploration of the research themes, the following are crucial solution components that emerged:

• Configuring your Health Insurance plan

• Book a doctor's appointment from the comfort of your home

• Configuring an HMO

• Booking Hospital visits, Requesting Authorization Codes and Requesting HMO Cards

Usability Testing

Following the implementation of the design, we conducted usability testing to gain a deep understanding of user interactions with the product. Subsequently, we incorporated modifications based on the insights derived from the usability testing. Here's our approach:

• Collaborated with product managers and a product designer to facilitate the usability test.

• We recruited users from our organization who were not part of our scrum group to participate in the product testing.

• Usability testing sessions took place via a Google Meet call, with all sessions being recorded.

• We formulated essential tasks for users to assess and offer feedback on during the testing phase.

Usability Testing Results

Valuable insights were gleaned from the usability testing, with our task scenarios serving as a primary guide. Decisions regarding feedback implementation were informed by the severity and priority levels of identified problems. Grouping insights into high-priority and low-priority categories allowed us to discern what to prioritize and what to de-prioritize. The following highlights some of the high-priority issues we addressed:

• The health plan configuration process proved to be excessively lengthy.

• What if I prefer purchasing available plans on the platform instead of configuring my health plan?

• The onboarding process was unclear and confusing.

Results & Business Impact

Engaging in this project has afforded me a significant opportunity to gain insights into the healthcare landscape in Nigeria. Designing this product has enriched my comprehension of user behaviour and their interactions with technology. 

The experience has underscored the importance of substantiating design decisions with data, and conducting the usability test proved to be particularly rewarding. Receiving positive feedback from the focus group, especially knowing that the users I designed for appreciated the product, was a highlight.