TL;DR
I went on a journey to transform Kumba into a mobile app tailored for house-call veterinarians. Working closely with company leaders, I embarked on an extensive research phase, to truly understand the unique challenges and needs of veterinary professionals. Through interviews, observations, competitor analysis, user flow, wireframing, and iterative feedback, I designed a solution that grants quick access to pet data, seamless communication, and easy navigation.
My role
As the sole designer at the company, I worked on the UX & UI of the app. I worked with the CEO, CTO, and the business development department.
Background
Kumba is a veterinarian' tool for house visits, that performs rounds at pet owners' houses & provides routine care for cats and dogs.
The vets use the app to perform the rounds:
1.
2.
3.
getting from house to house
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treating the animals on location
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documenting the visit
In this case study I will focus on the veterinary round flow
I worked on several features, for vets and pet parents (costumers), including: the onboarding process for costumers, the onboarding process for new vets, costumer round & veterinary round.
The challenges
Professionalism
within limitations
Medicine requires accuracy, information and documentation - but house visits are limited in time and tools.
Time-sensitive communication
The vets need specific information communicated at a specific time. The info - both medical and logistic - is key to performing the rounds.
Starting point
The platform -
mobile app
So far the vets used a web app. We decided to create a mobile app, since most of the interaction with the product is on the go.
The goal -
a physical procedure
The platform is meant to be a utility tool, and goes hand in hand with a real world operation – treating animals.
The tech -
rounds of house visits
An algorithm creates fixed rounds of 8-10 animals. The vets are assigned to rounds.
Let's research
I worked closely with the CEO and CTO of the company on understanding the company's needs, business plan and the expectation for the future.
The company existed for 3 years so the CEO had a lot of input on what worked and what didn’t work so far. The CTO gave insights on the technical feasibility of features, and explained the abilities of the algorithm.
Competitive analysis & benchmark
I started with understanding the landscape in which I was operating.
I looked at:
veterinary related platforms
medical apps
platforms with similar features - house visits, deliveries, etc.
User research
Since I am no doctor, I had to dig deep into understanding the medical needs in general, and the needs of the Kumba vets in particular.
I joined the rounds...
I had amazing access to the veterinarians that worked in the company, and was able to join them during their house visits.
Some were in a car, some were on a scooter, and all involved a lot of changes and on-the-go adaptations.
...and interviewed users
I conducted interviews with:
1.
2.
3.
the vets that worked in the company
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vets that were working in clinics
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vets who ran businesses of independent house visits.
Research findings
User needs
The signalment = 6 basic details
To start any treatment - the vet needs six specific details about the pet
Quick access to data
Vets need quick access to detailed medical info and to medical history
Various transportation methods & locations
The app is used on the go in many forms - in cars, on the street, in houses
Pain points
Time sensitive information
Missing information can cause delays (i.e how to access a building, what was the last treatment received)
Vets are expected to follow-up past treatment
The owners don't follow the animals' routine care plan, and expect the vet to know which treatment they are about to administer
Pets can get a different vet each visit
The vets are not assigned to a specific pet. A vet can visit an unfamiliar pet that already had prior Kumba visits
User profile
Profile
Doctors, love animals, practical people
Age
In their 30s-40s
Technical abilities
Medium and higher technical abilities
App usage
Weekly or more. During a round the app is used for a few hours on the go
Special circumstances
They usually work in the evening when it's dark/changing from day to night
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There is high urgency because there is limited time for each action
User flow
New pets require a longer visit and extra information.
new pets require a longer visit & extra information.
I noticed that vets don't document while treating a pet, only after.
New pets require a longer visit and extra information.
I added this final overview - since changes after a round require the company to pay for extra working hours
New pets require a longer visit and extra information.
Wireframes
I created low fidelity wireframes with 2 main design principles in mind:
Sharing relevant info at the relevant time
Easy access to extra info and tools
Low fidelity wireframes
Future rounds overview
Upcoming round
Round card
Starting a round card
At this point, the company made some changes in their business plan that influences the next step.
High fidelity wireframes
Main screen- round day
Round info
Detailed round info
Starting a round card
Extra information
Performing the visit
Arriving to a visit
Navigate
I tested the wireframes with the company veterinarians, and based on the conclusions made adjustments.
The solution
The first pets' image - vets remember pets they treated
Cards system for an easy scroll of rounds
A map overview of the upcoming round
primary buttons located at the easiest to reach areas
Full round info
New pets require a longer visit
Using color indication to mark new pets
Easy access to more information about the visit
Time estimation according to the pets' needs
Arriving to a visit
In app navigation - travel is a big part of the round
The vets can see specific address notes, and add notes and images to avoid confusion in the future
Round notes button
documentation on the go
Call the owner button
a useful feature inspired by navigation apps
Performing the visit
Tabs - the main organization system
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a way to create hierarchy in the data
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reduces the visual load
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familiarity - tabs are part of clinic platforms
Current visit treatment- the vets can see what they need to do today.
Reach any part of the system when needed
The signalment - first in priority is the key info required for each visit.
extra information
The extra information tab
is divided into 4 sections:
Red flags
Doctors' notes
Pet owners' notes
Medical history
The next step
At this point I concluded my time working on this project, but my ideas didn't stop there. Some of the next steps could have been prototyping and user testing with the veterinarians who already know the app, as
well as new ones who could give a new perspective. I also thought a dark mode version could be great here since the app is used at dark, and it can help with visibility.