eMed

The Problem

People needed to go to the doctor’s office to get tested for COVID-19 in order to travel. This is inconvenient and introduces the risk of exposure if you weren’t already infected.

The Solution

Test at home, virtually guided by a telehealth proctor. Users receive a verifiable lab report confirming their negative test result, allowing them to safely board a plane or cruise.

Screenshot of a telehealth app interface with instructions on hand-washing at the top, a progress bar, a video window showing a woman, and a proctor profile with name, avatar, audio indicator, chat icon, and equal screen real estate for both proctor and user.

The Process

Understanding the user journey in the current problem space

Scenario: A woman who lives in the US would like to travel abroad while there are travel restrictions due to COVID-19.

A list of four numbered points with emoji faces next to each: 1. Smiling face with sunglasses about traveling abroad during COVID-19, with a quote about getting away after being cooped up. 2. Winking face with a monocle about researching CDC travel requirements, with a quote about information availability. 3. Sad face with sweat about the US requiring proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours, with a quote about PCR test timing. 4. Angry face about researching COVID-19 testing sites in her destination, with a quote about the difficulty and impact on vacation.

Constraints

• Users would be taking a physical medical test. In addition to interface interaction, there are physical, 3D interactions to keep in mind as well. One of these was ensuring the test remained in the proctor’s line of sight throughout the experience.

• Telehealth proctors would not have a webcam, so users would not be able to see who they are talking to. This creates an uncomfortable imbalance in the interaction.

• Instructions were provided by the test manufacturer in the form of static graphics.

• Time for the project was limited due to the urgent nature of COVID-19.

Ideation

Flowchart for an eMed test process, divided into sections: Goals, Information exchange, Readiness confirmation, Test phase, Results phase. The chart includes steps such as starting the test, confirming readiness with a checker, preparing the test device, taking a photo, reviewing results, and concluding the process.

I started by considering how to work around the constraints and by identifying the requirements for the user’s screen: a video window for users to see themselves, an area to view step-by-step instructions on how to take the test, and a chat feature to interact with the proctor in case of hearing disability or poor internet connection.

Users would not be able to see their telehealth proctor’s face, so I decided they should at least be able to see the proctor’s name and an avatar that the proctor could customize.

I started with mobile and drafted several options for where to put each element on the screen. For the initial launch, the proctor would control progression through the steps, but I mocked up options for how a user-driven screen would look with navigation buttons. This way, if this feature is needed in the future, the design could scale easily.

Series of mobile phone screenshots showing a telehealth app interface with a blue and gray color scheme. The screens include placeholders for step titles, supporting texts, closed captions, and navigation buttons labeled Back and Continue.

I then found and adapted a set of avatars from envato.com. Proctors will be able to customize their avatar from their Proctor tool.

Six diverse illustrated faces of men and women arranged in two rows, each wearing a green top with a light gray background.

An example of how proctors may choose to customize their avatars. Avatar design adapted from an envato.com asset.

Smartphone screen displaying the eMed telehealth app with a section for handwashing instructions, a photo of a smiling woman, and a telehealth provider named Camilla.

Conclusion

The primary success metric I used to evaluate this design was the customers’ ratings out of 5 stars. The average customer rating was 4.9 stars. I also read the comments that some users chose to leave at the end of their experience, which gave me several ideas for future iterations.