VACCINATE FLORIDA

May 2021

VACCINATE FLORIDA Project Book

Alyssa Achacoso Senior Capstone Section A: Mark Bechtel

Parsons School of Design School of Constructed Environments Product Design

Contents Mission

Getting inspired

Point-of-entry

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Past related work: Healthscope

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Designing for the public sector

12

Seeking new opportunities

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Preliminary research

15

Addressing a public health crisis

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Engaging outside experts

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Developing insights

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Comparative analysis

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Case study: Florida

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Case study: Alaska

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Identifying pain points

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Testing ideas

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Ideation

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Design development

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User testing

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Analogous research

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Adjusting the brief

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Design refinement

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Next steps

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Appendix: Brand identity

Acknowledgments

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Mission

VACCINATE FLORIDA is a COVID-19 vaccine website that reimagines Florida’s vaccination process.

By breaking the process down into three simple steps, Florida residents are provided the agency to seek out the vaccine when it’s their turn. The website also engages stakeholders to learn about the vaccine, encourage and assist their community to get vaccinated, and feel empowered to be a part of the effort.

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1 Getting inspired

In this section: — Introduction — Healthscope (past related work) — Designing for the public sector

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Point-of-entry

Prior to pursuing this project, I always had a persistent interest in designing for healthcare.

I took an Accessible Design course, which taught me that the term disability is really about the friction between a body and an environment. Additionally, another course I took, Reimagining Care, introduced me to the role of evidence-based design in developing favorable patient outcomes. These two courses were amongst my favorites at Parsons—and both directly related to healthcare.

However, it was the feeling of discomfort towards the healthcare industry that preceded—and perhaps drove—this inclination.

During doctor’s visits, I often ridiculed the coldness of waiting rooms. I questioned why paper gowns made me feel so uneasy. And I felt awkward at the end of the visits, when it was unclear whether I was free to leave or still needed to “check out” and provide co-pay.

Every interaction I had within the healthcare space was one defined by discomfort, anxiety, and worry.

VACCINATE FLORIDA was no different. With journalism being my second major, it was instinctive for me to look for inspiration in the news I read.

While researching ways to redesign healthcare, it became impossible to ignore a glaring issue: the COVID-19 crisis. At the time of my research, the biggest concern was that the vaccine roll-out was testing state governments. Many states struggled to develop systems for arranging distribution, and the clumsy effort to develop a distribution plan, and inform and educate the public slowed vaccination rates and caused many to question their government. With a difficultto-navigate website and no system in place, this was especially the case in Florida where stakeholders were unsure of where to find accurate vaccine appointment information.

I empathized with the frustrated Floridians cited in the many news stories I read, and felt called to design for them.

The idea behind Healthscope, the first healthcare-related project I ever undertook, was sparked by a news piece that I had read.

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Past related work:

Healthscope “Vanderbilt University Medical Center, responding to a new Trump administration order to begin posting all hospital prices, listed a charge of $42,569 for a cardiology procedure described as “HC PTC CLOS PAT DUCT ART.” —ROBERT PEAR FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

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Healthscope, the very first healthcare-related project I worked on, was developed in response to an article I read about a new law requiring every hospital to publish a “chargemaster,” or master list of services offered. The goal was to make the cost of healthcare more transparent and perhaps more affordable, however, lack of design thinking, made it even more confusing and unnecessarily difficult for patients to navigate the financial logistics of receiving care in America.

To address the new issue, I developed a web extension that located the price list (in Excel format) within a hospital website, and translated the service names—which were often denoted by medical abbreviations—into descriptions that anyone would understand.

This made it possible to actually understand the lists and enabled patients to become empowered healthcare consumers who would be able to find the most affordable and effective course of treatment.

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Designing for the public sector

Designing for Public Services, IDEO, Design for Europe & Nesta

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Similar to the healthcare industry, governments tend to lack design thinking and an ability to relate to the constituents they serve.

As a result, citizen trust in government continues to decline. Design thinking, which is human-centered, is a way for citizens to feel heard and for governments to drive change. As you’ll see in the next pages, VACCINATE FLORIDA follows this model, and seeks to reimagine the communication between governments and the citizens they serve.

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2 Seeking new opportunities

In this section: — Preliminary research — Addressing a public health crisis — Engaging outside experts

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Preliminary research Prior to honing in on the COVID-19 vaccination process, I conducted research on how people view and interact with the healthcare system.

From looking at public surveys and reading about the history of the American healthcare system, I found that:

72% of consumers have received a medical bill they didn’t understand, according to a 2016 public opinion survey.

There is a lot of communication that happens between healthcare providers and insurance companies behind the scenes.

People have the tendency to not make the effort to understand healthcare until they are put in a situation where they need to.

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Addressing a public health crisis

Earlier on in the research phase, I asked myself: “How might the topic of healthcare relate to current news and events?”

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Scott McIntyre for The New York Times

During my research, it became harder and harder to ignore the COVID-19 public health crisis—an issue that has affected every human and every aspect of daily living. When I was conducting my research, the biggest issue at the time was vaccine distribution.

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Engaging outside experts

Abdul Aziz for The New York Times

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“It snowed the morning of my vaccine appointment, and I wasn’t sure who to call to make sure appointments weren’t cancelled.”

To better understand existing vaccine distribution systems, I spoke with vaccinated individuals who had already gone through the process. Common words to describe the experience of trying to secure an appointment included “chaotic” and “frustrating.” After scheduling an appointment, the most common words became “confused” and “not completely sure.”

The way that expert users described the experience of trying to secure an appointment on vaccine websites sounded like a rat race where those who were tech-savvy had the advantage. However, even individuals with adequate tech experience were slowed by the interface. With no map or visual reference, users struggled to understand where a vaccine

site was located in relation to them. And time slots were hidden within a vaccine site’s page, only to be hastily snagged by someone with quick reflexes.

Additionally, user interviews revealed a lack of feedback provided throughout the process. For example, many users complained that there was no follow-up to confirm their appointment the next day. Another complaint was that many users weren’t sure whether their vaccine appointment was cancelled due to inclement weather. Apart from the confirmation email sent after a user scheduled an appointment, there was no engagement between the time the appointment was scheduled and the day of the appointment.

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3 Developing insights

In this section: — Comparative analysis — Case study: Florida — Case study: Alaska — Identifying pain points 20

Comparative analysis To get a better sense of what already existed in vaccine websites, I looked at ten different vaccine websites. The ten websites ranged from states and locales with low vaccination rates and high vaccination rates. I investigated any correlations between website features and vaccination rates, however, took my findings with a grain of salt and with the understanding that the precedent would continue to evolve.

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Case study:

Florida

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The lack of clarity in Florida’s vaccination system detailed in the news articles I read became extremely apparent when I took a close look at the state’s existing vaccine website. With a lack of hierarchy, seemingly haphazard website architecture, and multiple redirects to external sites, it was easy to see why Floridians struggled to get vaccinated.

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Case study:

Alaska

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When I looked at Alaska’s vaccine website, it was no surprise that the state had one of the highest vaccination rates. Outlined in front of me were all the steps required in order to get vaccinated. The steps were easily distinguishable from the rest of the site’s content, which included a detailed distribution plan, vaccine data, and forms to solicit feedback from the public.

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Identifying pain points

Pain points often fell under one of three categories: determining eligibility, finding an appointment, and learning about the vaccine and distribution.

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4 Testing ideas

In this section: — Ideation — Design development — User testing — Analogous research — Refining the brief – Design refinement 28

Ideation

The first version of my proposed redesign of Florida’s vaccine website addressed the friction described from user interviews. I honed in on creating a solution that clearly outlined the process, provided adequate user feedback, and minimized the time it took to secure an appointment.

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Design development

Eligibility quizzes were one of the defining features of successful vaccine sites.

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The first prototype focused on developing a clear path to determining eligibility and scheduling an appointment.

Vaccination data was expanded on in the next prototype (see page 38).

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User testing

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Testing validated the solution to break the process down into three simple steps, however, unveiled a desire to feel more connected to the process.

Key insights included:

The role of data in eliciting an emotional response, and in making people feel reassured, responsible, and connected to the solution.

There was a desire to learn more about how to prepare for an appointment.

There was some interest in learning more about the vaccine and distribution process, beyond the three-step process.

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Analogous research “It found that a message at the top of their feeds with voting information and an “I Voted” button only brought results (including an actual increase in voting) if it contained pictures of people’s Facebook friends who had voted.”

—TINA ROSENBERG FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Paul Bradbury/Caiaimage, via Getty Images

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“When someone emerges, volunteers thank him or her for being a voter — and ask the voter to text three friends who might need a nudge to vote.”

—TINA ROSENBERG

Feedback solicited from fellow designers pointed me to look at different industries or domains that have faced a similar problem.

In addition, questions were raised about the website’s relevance in the months to come, as well as, how the design might address vaccine hesitancy.

To learn more about how my website design might encourage people to get vaccinated, I familiarized myself with strategies used

by voter outreach initiatives in the last presidential election, which included friendto-friend contact and relational organizing.

Additionally, I learned that rewarding people for voting encouraged them to stay engaged in the election. I wondered how my design might implement a similar strategy to convince individuals who might be hesitant or skeptical about getting vaccinated.

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Adjusting the brief REFINED BRIEF As COVID-19—and its variants—continue to sprawl, the world is rushing to immunize its population in order to mitigate the spread.

However, getting people vaccinated hasn’t been easy. Governments lack the systems, design thinking, and resources necessary to reach their stakeholders. In order to reach herd immunity, governments must develop a toolkit that addresses hesitancy to the vaccine, educates, and most importantly, engages its citizens.

RESPONSE After testing my first prototype, I learned that data and community engagement were two things that many vaccine websites—including mine—overlooked. Additionally, I observed a range of different behaviors people demonstrated when navigating vaccination websites (see next page). The latest design considers all four of behavior types by outlining a three-step process with collapsible sections, clear timestamps, a streamlined appointment scheduling system, and multiple ways to stay engaged.

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User studies

EXPLORERS Map out the process for them to learn about different areas of the COVID-19 that draw their interest. Provide them with an adequate way to navigate a relatively new idea.

DETECTIVES Give them the tools to dig deeper and leave no stone unturned. Offer data, timestamps, and frequent updates to allow them to connect the dots.

MARTIANS Provide a step-by-step process to allow them to complete their mission. Make the new and unfamiliar, instead, easy and reliable.

CONSERVATIONISTS Create a convenient experience so they can save time and get on with their day. Provide multiple scheduling options upfront so they can bypass the search and save time.

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Design refinement

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The next version of the website design maintained the simple three-step process to getting vaccinated, yet also expanded the effort to educate the public about the vaccine and engage them to be a part of the effort.

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5 Next steps

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Going mobile Since my proposed redesign of Florida’s vaccine website cites a VACCINATE FLORIDA mobile app, I would like to take advantage of the form to expand upon the Pathfinder program that connects individuals with vaccine experience and enthusiasm to other individuals who are curious to learn more.

Expanding outreach Related to the previous point, the Pathfinder outreach program has become central to my proposal. Therefore, additional research and testing is required in order to set up a new and complex outreach system.

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Appendix:

Brand identity

LOGO INSPIRATION

+ Structure of a COVID-19 spike protein

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Universal sun symbol to represent Florida (aka the “Sunshine State”)

IDENTITY

Primary logo

Secondary logo (suitable for use as an icon

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Acknowledgments

A huge thank you to my family and friends. For six years, you were with me through all the struggles, trials, periods of ennui, triumphs, multiple state-tostate moves, and growth.

I could not have done it without you.

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Thank you to Mark Bechtel and my supportive and talented peers for creating an environment where it was possible for me to pursue this project.

Thank you to the Product Design program and the School of Constructed Environments for pushing me to become a better designer, and to challenge and reimagine what it means to be a human in an always precarious world. To my fellow peers in the program, I’ve had the opportunity to observe your thoughtfulness and hard work over the years while sitting on the stool next to you. Knowing that I am graduating with people that care so much about creating an easier and more pleasant human experience, makes me feel less sad about the state of our world.

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