DES 159 | Final Process Manual

uc davis counseling services app des 159 process manual christine okazaki

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table of contents 4 6 10 17

problem needs audience goal research

stakeholders

case studies the process

brainstorming sketches

preliminary mock-up final proposal

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the problem

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needs

audience

goal

Currently, there is no online appointment system or app that allows UC Davis students to make counseling appointments. In order to do so, they have to go in-person, or make a call first thing in the morning when they open at 8 AM. Since there are a limited number of counselors, appointments fill up quickly; often, if you do not call within the first hour, you will have to try again the next day. This system can also prevent or discourage students from receiving the help they need, since many can feel intimidated by having to talk over the phone. There is clearly a need for a more accessible way to schedule appointments with UC Davis counselors.

This will be designed for UC Davis students specifically. Many students begin struggling with mental health in college, and could potentially benefit from counseling. Providing a more convenient and approachable way of scheduling an appointment with counseling might open the door for many students who are considering seeking help, or just someone to talk to. This could assist UC Davis students in gaining easier access to the resources that are available to them, and also help improve their mental health.

My goal is to create an app that UC Davis students will be able to use to schedule appointments with counselors. The app should be accessible and serve a useful resource for students -- not only for scheduling appointments, but also for getting in contact with counselors, and being able to reach out to someone when they need help.

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research

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stakeholders

UC Davis Counseling Services I approached the front desk of the UC Davis Student Health and Counseling Services, located at North Hall on campus. The receptionist put me in touch with Dr. Renee Lopez, who in turn gave me contact information for Dr. Dorje Jennette, the Director of Academic Satellites.

Though I had scheduled to meet with Dr. Jennette and had also e-mailed him a few preliminary questions, we were never able to meet up. I sent the following questions: • •

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Are there currently efforts to create an online appointment system or an app?

Is there currently a way for students to request certain counselors? (I know there are CAN counselors, but is there a specific process behind scheduling an appointment with them?)

Are there forms/questionnaires (i.e. medical history forms, previous experience with counseling) students have to fill out through Health E-Messaging before coming in for their appointment? Would that be useful for counselors if they had access to that information for the first appointment?

How do you feel like the current appointment system could be improved?

Are there certain features you would like to see implemented in an app for the appointment system? (i.e. messaging between the counselor/student, summary of appointment history, etc)

Had I heard back from him or ever met up with him, I think it would have provided a lot of helpful insight for the direction of the app and its features. As I went further into my process and started designing the user flow, it was clear that I could have used further clarification with some of the language and other details.

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case study #1

Uniqlo Mobile Self-Checkout https://uxplanet.org/ui-ux-case-study-mobile-self-checkout-appdesign-concept-bdb768d091af This case study tackled the re-design of the Uniqlo app, specifically targeting the trend of mobile payment. The article explained their process in detail, which helped me identify what might be helpful when tackling a UI/UX project. They identified the key problems: the complicated check-out process of the app, people not knowing about it, and unclear delivery options. After this, they conducted research in the physical store, and defined two main user personas from there.

They were then able to take steps to create solutions, such as signage to encourage shoppers to download the app, and updating the app with a new look and clearer user flow.

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case study #2

Cinema City App Re-Design https://medium.muz.li/ui-ux-case-study-designing-a-better-cinemaexperience-29abc7cfb94f Similar to the Uniqlo case study, this designer started their process of re-designing a movie theater app by identifying user stories and “pain points�. He received feedback about the app forcing the user to be too specific, the process feeling long, and trying to buy tickets then realizing no seats were available. After receiving feedback, he decided to split the re-design into two options: searching by movie and searching by time. I took inspiration from how he recognized that different users would have different goals, and took this into consideration when designing my app as well.

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the process

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brainstorming This was an exercise we did in class to help generate ideas for our main concept. Though I knew from the beginning that I wanted to create an app, my process began by thinking of all the possible features I could include. Seeing everything on paper allowed me to identify which aspects were necessary and had to be included, and which were less helpful for this app.

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brainstorming & sketching Initially I started mapping out the user flow on paper, then moved to post-it notes. This method allowed me to move steps around and see the big picture of the app. I defined two major pathways: texting/ calling and making an appointment. This map ended up being the foundation of my app, and helped me identify what parts would be similar, and what would be different. After this, I was able to start sketching out ideas of the actual interface. When I started writing down other ideas that popped into my head (as pictured on the next page), I returned to this map to see how they would fit into the app.

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user interface sketches After sketching out the first screens, I moved to Sketch and started prototyping (pictured on the next page).

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FINAL PROPOSAL

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TEXT/CALL IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

LOG IN

PROFILE

TREATMENT HISTORY

PRIVATE SESSION?

PRIVACY AGREEMENT

HOME

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT COUNSELING AGREEMENTS

MAKING AN APPOINTMENT

ETHNICITY PREFERENCE

SIDEBAR

WAITING SCREEN

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NEXT AVAILABLE APPOINTMENT

GENDER PREFERENCE

GENDER PREFERENCE

OTHER PREFERENCES

DISCUSSION TOPIC

DISCUSSION TOPIC

WAITING SCREEN

TIME AVAILABILITY

COUNSELOR MATCH

AVAILABLE APPOINTMENTS

MESSAGING

LEAVING

CONFIRM APPOINTMENT

CREATING THE USER FLOW I based my user flow off the original map I had created with postit notes, then added more screens as time passed. Rather than go through rounds of user testing like I had originally planned, I received feedback and tweaked on a continual basis. Comments from my peers were mostly about the order of the screens; for example, I originally had the “Call 911 if you are in danger” screen after the privacy agreement, until my friend suggested moving it to the front.

George also made several suggestions, like the initial idea to have three options on the home page, and having a profile you can edit and keep private. Finalizing the user flow was a continuous process of designing screens, testing it, and moving them around so that the order was logical.

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prOFILE & treatment history After users will log in with their UC Davis Kerberos ID, the app will pull existing information to create their profile. They will have the opportunity to edit information in their profile, and will also have the choice to keep their information anonymous when texting or calling a counselor through the app.

When logging in for the first time, users will be asked to briefly summarize any treatment history they might have had experience with, such as medication or therapy. This would be available to any counselor that the user makes an appointment with, so they can have a better idea of the user’s experience with counseling.

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home page & navigation The home page gives the user three options: text or call a UC Davis counselor, or make an appointment with a counselor.

I had originally planned for the app to be solely focused on making an appointment, but George suggested on expanding it to these three options. This gives the user the opportunity to reach out to a professional and talk to someone if they need more immediate attention. Giving the user the ability to make a choice also eliminates the issue of only being able to contact Counseling Services through the phone, allowing them to pick whatever path they are most comfortable with.

EXPLORE This tab serves as a search and explore function. It would also display a map of the campus, using your GPS location to show what mental health resources are nearby.

PRESCRIPTIONS This tab takes you to a summary of your prescriptions. This would show the prescription details and when your next available refill is.

MESSAGING This tab takes you to messages between you and your counselor.

APPOINTMENT SUMMARY This tab takes you to a summary of past appointments.

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text or call emergency & privacy Choosing to text or call a counselor leads the user to these initial screens. The user is given the option of calling 911 if they are in immediate danger. After agreeing to a privacy policy, the user is asked whether they would like to share their information or not.

This gives the user the opportunity to remain anonymous when talking to the counselor, allowing them to choose whatever they are more comfortable with. There is also an option in the upper right hand corner to toggle your anonymity at any time.

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text or call preferences & discussion topics One of the main elements I wanted to keep in mind while designing this app was presenting the user with choices. The goal was to ask questions that would match the user with a counselor that suited their needs, ultimately creating a better user experience. After being asked their gender preference of their counselor, the user is asked to choose the topic they would like to discuss from a drop down menu. This list would include the option of “other� if they do not see the topic they had in mind. This was one area I would have liked to discuss with Dr. Jennette, as I was not sure how to present this information in the best way possible. Some people noted that it might be difficult to scroll through a long list, especially if you are unsure of what you are struggling with specifically. In the future, this might change to broader categories, or the format could be changed completely.

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text or call matching your counselor After asking a few questions, the app will match the user to their counselor. If the user specifies that they are struggling with an eating disorder, for example, they would get matched to someone who specializes in that area. The user would be able to read a short “About Me� of the counselor before moving on to either messaging within the app, or calling. If the user feels like leaving the conversation, they are given the option to try and find a different counselor.

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making an appointment next available appointment When selecting to make an appointment, the user is presented with two options: find the next available appointment, or request a counselor.

People are given the choice to get in as soon as possible, or to take their time to try and assure they are compatible with their counselor.

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making an appointment requesting a counselor Requesting a counselor brings the user through a series of questions that would help them find the best suitable counselor. After completing these, the user is brought to a calendar that shows the days and times that are available. Clicking on a time shows the name of the counselor you will be meeting. Clicking again shows the counselor’s profile, where you can either confirm the appointment, or go back and select a different time.

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additional screens The user would also be able to access their profile at any time by clicking the photo in the top left corner. This brings up a sidebar showing their information, and also shows a link to their treatment history, which they can also alter. The button in the top right corner lets users toggle whether they want to keep their sessions private or not, changing into a dark interface so that they know which mode they are in.

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next steps If this app were to be implemented, the next step would be to actually meet with someone from Counseling Services who could provide more insight into what would actually be plausible. From there, Counseling Services would likely have to get in contact with people of higher authority within UC Davis, in order to actually create the app and figure out the logistics. If it were a success, this app could potentially be available for all UC campuses, or universities nationwide.

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