Eliminating lost paperwork and boosting caregiver efficiency, the solution launched on time and on budget, projected to drive a 22% revenue increase.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Through a collaborative internship, I gained in-depth knowledge of long-term care challenges. This equips me to design a user-friendly e-signature solution for caregivers, delivering both user and business value.
goal-
Gaining an understanding of the advantages and limitations of electronic signatures (eSignature).
USER-
REsult-
DURATION
2 months (July 2023 - Aug 2023)
MY ROLE
User Research, UX Design
- in Team of 4: UX (me), a Project Manager, and two Engineers.
industry
Long-Term Healthcare
company background
A SaaS platform empowering senior care teams with tools to guarantee quality, optimize workflow, and deliver exceptional care at scale.
EXISting rpoduct
Simplifying senior care through a SaaS solution with modules to streamline internal workflows and manage resident information effectively.
MAin user
Operate the system to help them do their daily tasks, including...
problem scenario
Tim the nurse groaned, buried under an avalanche of folders. With his colleagues, he'd been slogging through paperwork all morning, and the mountain barely seemed to shrink.
"Ugh, where is the folder for 2020..."
Time to dig up and organize ALL the resident info, make sure everything's perfect, or the government auditors would have their heads.
Missing docs or lost signatures? No bueno, big-time trouble.
This is actually a situation our clients deal with all the time!
BACKGROUND
Our clients repeatedly requested that they need…
to save storage space.
to track process.
to save time.
At the same time...
Electronic Signature Act has just passed, so cities start to approve documents using eSignature.
We need to seize this market as soon as possible.
Those results give us the first thought of developing a new function or product to integrate our own existing product system, to create a greater business value and align with user needs.
buisiness goal
challenges
Research
The approach begins with brainstorming for the product, followed by digging into the pain points and form concept solutions, and last validate the concepts.
Determine the desired functionality and then brainstorming possible application scenarios.
Dig into the user's pain points and generate several concepts for solutions.
Validate the concepts to find out the practical final solution.
brainstorming
To brainstorm the possible scenario and the pain points that our users face under that scenario, I hold a workshop within the company both in-person and virtual to collect various signature scenario.
Then, cluster them to find viable application.
Facilitate future consensus for a product launch with diverse viewpoints.
WORkshop result 1
Leveraging the complexity of sign-off procedures, I categorized six document groups with unique pain points and signing scenarios. Focusing on agreements and contracts, I prioritized high-rigor, multi-step signing processes prevalent in our current paper-based system.
WORkshop result 2
Six major pain points are collected throughout the brainstorming, but not sure about the concrete scenario and process behind each pain points.
DEFINE
Invite 2 sales, 3 customer services and 1 client to interview.
The goal is to...
we found in workshop for further solution design.
to see whether the solution works.
Problem
"I need to prepare lots of empty template paper documents for signing.”
-Client
Problem
"...they often miss the signature field and the residents and families need to return to the site.”
-Sales
Problem
"...we need to search and prepare every relevant documents sorting by our residents for the government's yearly assessment on every April…it is really annoying.”
-Client
Iterate
To solve the problem mentioned, I provided two big product concepts and includes some extended, detail concept design within it.
I later do validation by interviewing and usability testing to see whether the concepts work.
concept design 1
This platform empowers users to create templates, collect signatures, and store files within a single, unified environment.
Proposal
Not applicable.
Skipping individual review through batch signing risks missed information, undermining the value of consent.
Proposal
Applicable.
Solve the problem of missing field.
Proposal
Applicable.
Seamless workflow: Locate and export files instantly, mirroring the intuitive design of well-known cloud drives.
concept design 2
Partner with a trusted digital signature provider, gaining access to their pre-built templates and API for seamless signature workflows.
Proposal
Partially applicable due to API limitations.
While API integration helps streamline development, it poses complexity challenges for template creation. We're investigating alternative solutions while leveraging API benefits elsewhere.
Proposal
Applicable.
Embedding a third-party signature solution reduces development time, rapidly providing comprehensive signing features to users.
final design
To minimize development time and budget, we merged two key concepts: new modules within our existing product and a third-party eSignature system. This strategic integration leverages existing features while meeting user needs through carefully chosen design elements.
Solution feature
Solution
The dashboard streamlines signing and archiving by providing an overview of files, sending reminders, and enabling quick access for completion.
Ideation from Concept 1 -File Center.
Solution
Seamless integration of the two new modules within our existing product eliminates the need for users to learn a separate signature system. Now, all signing tasks can be conveniently completed within a single platform.
The File Center empowers users with flexible viewing options through its grid and list view functionalities.
Ideation from Concept 1 -File Center.
Solution
Simplified access: Nurses and social workers can leverage tags, and search tools for quick and efficient file retrieval.
Solution
Our final solution also includes a reminder feature to alert users about the number of required signature fields, preventing them from being missed.
Ideation from Concept 2 -Reminder.
Solution
This reduces page-switching and supports keyboard navigation.
Ideation from Concept 2 -Reminder.
Solution
Instead of complex building steps, users can design templates directly in third-party system. We then seamlessly import them via API, making them reusable and saving valuable signing time.
Transform Concept 4 – Integrate third-party signatures seamlessly to unlock advanced template capabilities.
Solution
Users can now quickly choose pre-created templates, forming a document package for efficient signing.
Transform Concept 1 – Bulk Signing to bulk selection for template.
resulT and Current Status
* The 22% profit growth estimate is based on the assumption that 10% of existing customers will use the new feature. This is calculated by multiplying the number of users by the monthly subscription fee of the new module.
key takeaways
As part of a 4-person team with a PM, and two engineers, this project thrives on cross-functional collaboration. I regularly consult the PM on business value and timeline, and the engineers on technical feasibility, ensuring solutions align with both.
Initially, striking the balance between user needs and business value proved challenging. We needed a solution that addressed user pain points while achieving profitability. Through collaborative analysis with the PM, we assessed development costs and potential profits, ultimately finding the optimal equilibrium.
I leverage "concept design" to validate ideas with stakeholders and foster solution-oriented communication. This technique blends wireframing and mockups, prioritizing conceptual clarity over visual refinement. This makes user comprehension easier and serves as a powerful communication tool before diving into final design and GUI.
* All illustrations in this page is generated by streamline.com.
