Role

UX Designer and Researcher

The Design Process

Empathize

At RL Solutions, I collaborated with the Product Management team and an industry expert Pediatric Nurse on a joint research project within our Infection Control initiative. We ran focus groups at global conferences like HIMSS, gathering insights from diverse healthcare professionals—nurses, admins, and doctors. Their challenge? “We need an easier way to monitor patient conditions using vitals.” Surveys and observations revealed that non-technical staff struggled with complex tools for tracking Influenza, HAIs, and COVID-19, often missing critical changes in patient health due to tech barriers.

Define

The problem was clear: non-tech-savvy nurses needed a simple way to monitor patient conditions—like Influenza, HAIs, and COVID-19—using vitals such as H2 levels, temperatures, and blood results. I crafted personas—like “Nurse Nora,” overwhelmed by manual processes—and mapped user journeys, identifying gaps in infection control monitoring. The goal was to design an interface that allowed users to set custom workflows and alerts, enabling timely awareness of patient health changes.

Ideate

Working closely with the Pediatric Nurse and Product Management, I brainstormed with global experts, sketching low-fidelity wireframes to simplify patient monitoring. We focused on iconography—a universal language—to represent vitals like thermometers for temperature and lungs for H2 levels, allowing users to set custom alerts for conditions like COVID-19. Collaborative workshops at conferences tested these icons and alert-setting flows, ensuring they resonated across cultures and roles while empowering users to define their own monitoring workflows.

Prototype

Using Figma, I built interactive prototypes for a dashboard featuring bold icons and drag-and-drop alert settings—e.g., setting a temperature threshold or H2 level alert to flag potential HAIs. Usability testing with healthcare staff refined the design, swapping ambiguous icons for clearer ones, like a blood drop for lab results. Feedback from the Pediatric Nurse and subject matter experts ensured the interface was intuitive and aligned with real-world infection control needs.

Test

I conducted formal usability tests at HIMSS, observing staff as they set custom alerts using patient vitals—task times dropped, and success rates soared. A/B testing compared icon-based alert settings to text-heavy forms; icons won for speed and clarity. Beta trials with clients confirmed that non-technical users could confidently monitor Influenza, HAIs, and COVID-19, setting up tailored workflows without feeling overwhelmed by technology.

Implement

I guided the development team to integrate the icon-based system into our .NET/jQuery interface, ensuring seamless functionality for custom monitoring workflows. Working with the Pediatric Nurse, I crafted training materials that taught staff to drag-and-drop icons and set alerts—like defining a fever threshold to flag COVID-19 risks—empowering them to stay aware of patient conditions. One of my 13 products (2011–2017), this project showed promise until new company owners chose a different direction, halting its release.

Results

During trials, the monitoring tool transformed infection control—non-technical staff could confidently set custom alerts using patient vitals, cutting response times for Influenza, HAIs, and COVID-19 (mirroring my 800% process speed gain at RLDatix). The intuitive design empowered nurses to stay aware of patient conditions, enhancing care delivery. Though the project was shelved due to new ownership redirecting the company, its potential to improve hospital workflows was evident.

Reflection

This joint research project, working hand-in-hand with a Pediatric Nurse and Product Management, underscored the power of collaboration and empathy in design. Creating an icon-based system that let non-technical users set custom workflows and alerts—using vitals like H2 levels and temperatures to monitor conditions like Influenza and COVID-19—showed me that great UX can turn complex data into actionable awareness. Though unreleased, the project reinforced my belief that intuitive design can empower anyone to improve patient care, a principle I carry forward.