Connect2Trials

Connect2Trials is a patient-centric web-based SaaS platform for clinical trials with the goal of helping patients throughout their journey in clinical trials.

I was  tasked with leading the design of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) platform and ensuring a user-centric approach to product design. The platform aims to improve patient recruitment, engagement, and retention in clinical trials. My role was to oversee the entire product design process, ensuring that the MVP is designed, tested, and delivered successfully.

Key Responsibilities:

• Collaborative Team Effort: Actively engaged with key stakeholders, including Sites, and Sponsors, throughout the project to ensure their needs were considered and incorporated into the platform's design and functionality.
• MVP Definition: Collaborate with the design team and Connect2Trials stakeholders to define the features and functionalities for the MVP.
• Phased Development: I divided the project into three distinct phases, each with specific objectives. Each phase consisted of two-week sprints to ensure steady progress. I defined the scope and deliverables for each sprint in collaboration with the design team and other stakeholders.
• User Testing and Validation: Lead the design team in adopting a human-centered co-design process. The primary goal was to address patient user flows for the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). This entailed identifying pain points, collecting user feedback, and conducting user testing to refine the user experience.
• Prototype Development: Oversee the creation of hi-fidelity interactive prototypes using Figma.

Project Goals:

• Design an intuitive and patient-centric web-based SaaS platform for clinical trials.
• Develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that addresses patient onboarding, engagement, and community-building.
• Create low-fidelity rapid prototypes for concept testing and fundraising.
• Ensure the design aligns with user research insights and prioritized features.
• Address the needs of various stakeholders, including Sites (site groups and CROs), Sponsors (trial sponsors), and Patients.

Key User Flows and Stakeholders:

The project involved a collaborative effort between myself a product designer, and Connect2Trials stakeholders. I organized the work into three distinct phases, with each phase spanning two-week sprints, each aimed at achieving specific objectives. The project's main priority was to address patient user flows for the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and conduct user testing.

The identified priority patient user flows for MVP were as follows:

• Onboarding: Streamline patient onboarding to improve recruitment.
• Engagement: Foster patient engagement through enhanced patient recruitment via improved health literacy and qualification.
• Community: Establish a framework for building trustworthy and meaningful connections among patients.

While the patient experience was at the core of the platform's design, it was crucial to consider other customer segments as part of the user experience. The key stakeholders in this project included:

• Sites: Site groups and Clinical Research Organizations (CROs) responsible for conducting clinical trials.
• Sponsors: Organizations sponsoring the clinical trials hosted on Connect2Trials.
• Patients: The end users who were interested in and actively participating in clinical trials.

Approach

1. User / Design Requirements and Interaction Architecture:

• Define and document the specific user requirements and design directions.
• Develop and prioritize user stories and workflows to inform design direction detailing what the product will do and how it will achieve user goals.
• Create experience models and interaction architecture diagrams.

2. UX Framework and Mid-Fidelity Wireframes:

• Define how the product will be organized and how users will interact with it.
• Consider the user models for interaction for each stakeholder group.
• Develop design concepts and mid-fidelity wireframes.

3. High-Fidelity Wireframes and Prototypes:

• Prepare high-fidelity wireframes for team, user review, and requirements tracing.
• Create detailed high-fidelity wireframes and prototypes of the unique screens and states for key tasks within the application.

4. Concept & Usability Evaluation:

• Perform concept and usability evaluations to refine the design.
• Obtain user feedback and make necessary improvements to enhance usability. Ensure the design aligns with the goal of creating a patient-centric, trustworthy, and engaging clinical trial platform.

Results:

The success of Connect2Trials's project was a high-fidelity prototype of Connect2Med that addressed the identified patient user flows for MVP. The redesigned platform was well-positioned to help providers build trust, improve patient recruitment, and enhance patient retention throughout clinical trials. Additionally, user testing and feedback were used to fine-tune the platform, ensuring that it met the needs of Sites, Sponsors, and Patients.

Key Challenges:

• Balancing the needs and priorities of multiple stakeholders, including patients, Sites, and Sponsors.
• Ensuring that the MVP addresses the critical patient user flows while offering a compelling experience.
• Creating a design that fosters trust and meaningful connections within the patient community.