Juno is a mobile application that provides evidence-based recovery protocols to patients recovering from C-section surgery. The app, created in partnership with medical professionals and recovery experts at the UW Medical Center, aims to reduce the incidence of post-surgery complications in the first weeks after surgery through daily check-ins, home care routines, and communication with medical staff.
"How might low-income mothers who have received a cesarean surgery within the Greater Seattle Area receive information on pre-surgery, recovery care, and warning signs of complications so that they can improve recovery outcomes 6 months after surgery?"
UI/UX DESIGNER
LEAD RESEARCHER
PROJECT MANAGER
FIGMA, WIREFRAMING, PROTOTYPING, RESEARCH, USER INTERVIEW, USABILITY TESTING, SITE MAPPING, AGILE
DEC 2022 - JUN 2023
In the United States, One-third of all births are through a cesarean surgery, which is proven to increase risks of complications, infections, post-partum depression, and fatality. It can be overwhelming as a new parent to both recover from a major surgery and take care of a newborn. Although there is an abundance of guidance for the newborn, there is still another patient to consider. Patients are discharged after only 2 days and report feelings of confusion, anxiety, and pain which have been found to lead to poor recovery outcomes.
In addition to the research in Enhanced Recovery After Cesarean (ERAC) from my sponsor and chief of obstetrics at UW Medicine, I sought to answer 3 additional questions:
Based on the literature review supporting mobile applications and the positive implications associated, I reviewed 20+ apps directed towards post-surgery patient care and their reviews. Based on this research, I identified a key opportunity space: There is no application devoted just for C-section patients that incorporates scientifically and medically researched physiological and psychological recovery plans.
I gathered 6 different interviewees with diverse perspectives and experiences by including 4 different ethnic groups and ages ranging from 24-47 years. Leading the creation of my interview questions was the idea of working backwards from my stakeholder and 3 key ideas:
“What type of information was readily available to you“
“What were/are all the difficulties you may have experienced during recovery“
“What type of information and/or support do you wish you had?“
In addition to interviews, I prepared a survey distributed to C-section patients at 3 hospitals in Washington state. 55% of respondents felt that they were unprepared for their surgery and recovery by their delivery date, and more than 83% of all respondents said they wished they had a mobile application that provided medication reminders, recovery milestones, and pre and post-op instructions.
To justify my design decisions, I created 3 user-personas that accurately represented a broad and diverse range of users based on research and key stakeholders. The personalities represented were a currently pregnant mother preparing for a C-section, a mother with multiple planned C-sections, and a mother who will undergo an emergency C-section. Having done this, I could work backward from a specific customer which allows me to design more specific solutions
Pictured above is the entire research phase for Juno, including competitor analysis, research from the world health organization, values and ethics, user surveys, and literaure review.
My first step in ideating is an ideation method called “MoSCoW” to organize a list of solution ideas from most to least essential based on key research insights. This helps me translate user needs to essential design products.
After having a rigorous research phase and narrowing down the solution, I began my process of sketching, wireframing, lo-fi frame creation, and created the first set of prototypes. Because we were designing for IOS systems, I referred to the Human Interface Guidelines from Apple for best design practices.
Prototype 1: Heavy focus on research and material
Prototype 2: Finalizing the theme to our app and emphasizing UX/UI
Based on the final feedback from our users, we iterated on the appropriate opportunities and scaled our successes. Our final prototype addressed all the opportunities we had gathered for our users and it was prepared to be pitched to the UWMC board of directors for grant funding.
The user's journey begins with a short introduction survey and profile creation. This informs the app where in the recovery journey the patient will begin, and how to accordingly to curate an appropriate plan for the patient.
Feature 1: We provide in-depth video, photograph, and reading as the first step to enhancing their recovery journey. We cover essential topics like breastfeeding and wound care, reducing anxiety and post-operation complications.
Feature 2: Daily digestible cards that combine simple reminders and researched enhanced-recovery-after-cesarean (ERAC) information. Content covers how to mitigate the leading factors in post-op complications and effective recovery choices.
Feature 3: The first daily check-in survey, the MHA utilizes a 3-question version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) called the EPDS-3. This survey boasts a 95% positive predictive value and a 98% negative predictive value for detecting postnatal depression.
Feature 4: The second daily check-in survey aimed to reduce post-op complications such as hemorrhaging or pulmonary embolisms. This information, along with the MHA, can be shared with the medical team for adaptive treatment.
Features 5 & 6: These features were an answer to user feedback. We provide a streamlined navigation of the recovery cards, as well as user-input goals to increase recovery alongside doctor set goals from the recovery cards.
Juno was pitched to the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) where it received high praise and 80k in funding, a huge moment that unlocked many doors for Juno. I believe that I not only designed an application that met my stakeholders needs, but went above and beyond my experience. I was able to collaborate with diverse professionals to deliver a unique product that could provide agency and improved recovery for my stakeholders. The next steps for Juno are using the grant to continue testing and handing it off to a development team.
UX/UI Internship where I built the main website and featured project
Designing a solution to bridge the human-nature interaction deficit
A collection of projects from work, school, and personal experience
