Enhancing a product for the next phase
A subsidiary for Amerisourcebergen, IntrinsiQ / PME offers cloud based products to help oncologists locate the most up-to-date data on cancer focused therapies and assist in finding potential treatments for their patients. In 2022, a pilot program was released with a select group of users, and I was asked to help with preparing the application for the next phase which included making it more scalable, rethinking the information architecture, working with other design teams to align with Amerisourcebergen branding styles and updating the flows and visual designs.
Project Overview
Contract Duration: 4 months
The oncologist software was in a Beta state and being shown to potential stakeholders for buy-in, so it was important to improve the design of the software with a more user-friendly and effective interface for medical professionals. This involved making it responsive across various devices, restructuring and simplifying the navigation and work-flows, enhancing functionality to boost efficiency, and developing a consistent visual language that integrated well with the design system of other applications.
My Role
My role as the sole UX designer involved tackling a range of improvements. I updated existing designs for future use and modernized the interface with fresh visuals. To ensure consistency, I integrated the design system, creating standardized components. I also established a new information architecture, restructuring the application into logical groups, and developed improved file structures and deliverable methods. Focusing on the user, I created personas to identify needs and streamlined workflows to make the experience simpler and more intuitive.
Challenges
Redesigning the original web application presented numerous challenges that required a strategic approach. Issues like non-responsive design, complex and confusing work-flows, a lack of adherence to the parent company's design system, inadequate adherence to UX best practices, and an outdated UI visual design demanded a holistic approach to the complete application. Dense content, minimal user research and poor file management, also added complexity to the task.
Examples of screen designs when I first came on board.
Approach and Solutions
My process began with an in-depth UX audit of the existing design, which helped pinpoint key inconsistencies and user pain points. Following the audit, I met with stakeholders from the Product Management and Engineering teams to understand their specific needs and expectations. Both teams highlighted common frustrations: they struggled to locate the most current designs within the existing file structure and were often unsure about the development stage of those designs.
Addressing this feedback became an early priority. I established a new, clear organization method and file structure within Figma specifically for design deliverables. This change yielded immediate improvements, significantly reducing confusion and allowing team members to more easily find the information they needed themselves.
Example of old Figma page
Original Figma files were not organized and difficult for stakeholders to locate needed designs
Restructured Figma Files
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New Project Organization
Logical groupings of application segments and business structures were divided into separate projects so appropriate teams could locate the needed designs quicker.
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New Page Structure
I created a custom Figma plug-in so all files had the same page scaffolding allowing stakeholders to know exactly what the purpose of each design was. Deliverables were labeled with the Azure DevOps User Story, allowing for confident self-service.
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New Design Structure
Designs were laid out with logical horizontal and vertical groupings and labeled with dates and purpose.
Finding immediate solutions for a quick impact
Once the organizational groundwork was laid, my attention turned to fixing immediate problems within the user interface. The existing design suffered from inconsistencies in formatting and color, lacked responsiveness, and didn't adhere to the parent company's established design system.
To address the design system deviations, I first connected with designers from other divisions within the parent company to get clear direction on its proper usage. Armed with that knowledge, I then collaborated with the engineering team. Together, we built out a set of common components and responsive page structures, utilizing the Tailwind CSS framework for implementation.
Creating these foundational elements was key, as it allowed me to develop effective and consistent designs moving forward, significantly reducing the engineering effort required for implementation.
Evaluating Layout issues
Spacing and wrapping issues made elements inconsistent in how they lined up. This was especially noticeable on forms.
There was also inconsistency with colors and component usage.
Evaluating Responsive issues
Although pages were technically "responsive", content and layouts didn't flow appropriately.
My quick impact solution
While refining the user interface, I introduced branded color blocks to visually separate distinct areas within the application. However, a key challenge arose with the 'patient side panel' on smaller screens, where it took up significant amount of horizontal space. Through my research, I discovered that this panel functioned primarily as a 'set and forget' area for users; often times its data was automatically populated from another system, meaning users rarely needed to interact with it. Based on this understanding of user behavior, I proposed a new solution: allow the panel to be collapsed manually on larger screens and collapse it automatically on smaller devices. This proposal was met with enthusiasm from stakeholders and received highly positive customer feedback, as it prioritized displaying the most critical content more effectively.
Preparing for the next phase
With the most pressing interface issues resolved, I transitioned into a phase of deeper UX research to guide the application's long-term development. This involved analyzing internal documents, conducting customer interviews, and studying the wider medical ecosystem. Synthesizing these findings, I developed detailed customer personas and archetypes, which allowed me to establish a clear Jobs-To-Be-Done (JTBD) framework. Using this JTBD framework as a lens, I then examined the application's Information Architecture. This analysis led me to propose restructuring the navigation and regrouping content to better align with user tasks and mental models. This foundational work began shaping a long-term strategy for evolving the application's overall user experience.
Final Design Deliverables
After exploring various color palettes and sharing design concepts with the team, the design phase culminated in the delivery of over 50 high-fidelity screens. These received very positive feedback from stakeholders and users alike. To support future consistency and efficiency, I also built a library of common components, complete with documentation explaining their intended use for designers and engineers. These final designs adhered to the parent company's design system and branding, ensuring the application felt unified within the broader suite of products. However, looking ahead, I also presented a secondary design concept proposing a rail navigation system instead of the standard tabs. I argued this alternative offered a more modern experience and could display more content effectively on each screen.
Sample screens of final designs
Sample screens of rail navigation
Conclusion
During my time at InterinsiQ, I focused on significantly enhancing the user experience for oncologists using the PME software. By collaborating closely with project managers, engineers, and the oncologists themselves, we successfully developed a more user-friendly and intuitive interface tailored specifically to their needs.
My initial efforts addressed internal challenges: streamlining file organization and establishing common design structures immediately resolved team frustration. Creating reusable design components further accelerated the development process for the engineering team. Simultaneously, I tackled urgent user-facing problems by fixing layout issues, simplifying complex workflows, and improving the visual clarity of content. These improvements substantially reduced user confusion and boosted customer productivity, delivering a clear, immediate impact.
Looking towards the future, I also developed a comprehensive "north star" strategy. This involved updating designs, creating essential documentation, and ensuring adherence to UX best practices, laying a solid foundation for seamless advancements in future software iterations.