Launching a Consumer-Focused Digital Health Application

Challenge

A leading healthcare organization aimed to bring its deep expertise in genetics directly to consumers through a proprietary digital health platform. The goal: deliver personalized genetic health insights that empower users to understand potential health risks and take informed action—bridging the gap between clinical knowledge and everyday decision-making.

Our Approach

1. Reframed the Product Through a Consumer Lens To ensure the offering met the real needs of everyday users, we:

   • Conducted qualitative research using simulated test results to explore user reactions.

   • Mapped critical friction points across the user journey, including onboarding, navigation, and results interpretation.

   • Partnered with a design agency to streamline the interface around user priorities and emotional responses.
     

2. Designed for the Anxious and Curious User

   Genetic health results can be overwhelming. Our content strategy addressed the emotional state of the user:

   • Redesigned results presentation to prevent misinterpretation and reduce anxiety.

   • Created interactive learning modules—including digestible cards and videos—to enhance engagement and comprehension.

   • Prioritized clear next steps, enabling users to act confidently on their results.

   • Minimized cognitive overload by decluttering data and emphasizing actionable insights.
     

3. Optimized Onboarding and Checkout

   • Using service blueprinting, we mapped every touchpoint—both digital and operational:

   • Identified and addressed friction in understanding test inclusions and purchase value.

   • Streamlined account creation, test activation, and payment flows to increase conversion and satisfaction.
     

4. Reduced Operational Burden Through Smarter UX A significant volume of support requests stemmed from account access issues. We redesigned account recovery flows (e.g., password reset, username retrieval) to be intuitive and self-service-friendly. Result: Measurable reduction in customer support calls and increased user autonomy.

   
   

5. Navigated Regulatory Shift with Speed and Agility

   As part of its go-to-market plan, the product underwent review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Following regulatory guidance, a strategic decision was made to pivot from a direct-to-consumer (DTC) model to a physician-ordered genomic testing model.To enable this transition:

   • We quickly identified and partnered with a clinical provider offering physician oversight and genetic counseling.

   • Rapid iterations were made to onboarding workflows to incorporate physician ordering and consent pathways.

   • Content, calls to action, and educational flows were updated to reflect a more clinical and compliant experience—without sacrificing user empathy.

   
   

   Result: This pivot ensured regulatory alignment while preserving the consumer-first ethos of the product.
   

6. Delivered a Cohesive, Health-Enhancing Experience The final product combined:

   • Visually engaging, plain-language content.

   • Easy-to-navigate health insights based on genetic data.

   • An empathetic user journey that supported curiosity, concern, and action.
     

Strategic Partnerships

·       UX & UI Design: Huddle Creative, London

·       User Research: Studio VO, Portland

·       IT Development: TEK Systems, Montreal

Impact

·       200% increase in checkout completion rates

·       Resolved critical bugs affecting over 2,000 users

·       Dramatically improved user comprehension of genetic test results

What This Means for You

Whether you're launching a D2C health product or enhancing patient-facing tools, this project illustrates a core truth: when experiences are empathetic, clear, and actionable—users engage, understand, and trust. Even the most complex data becomes approachable when design is human-centered.