Chip is a fall detection device originally designed for home use. The company is scaling up their product for use in care facilities and is redesigning their interface for this setting.
After speaking with the lead engineer on the team, the following test screen was created and forwarded to me for input.
During my initial assessment I determined that rapid response to falls was critical to ensure the success of the product. The following items are key to achieving this goal.
Design Notes
- Pay close attention to the hierarchy of information and labeling to allow for quick and accurate scanning of information.
- Color choices should take color vision deficiencies into account.
- The UI should avoid overly technical terminology.
- Consistent iconography and layout should be used.
The end user of the product is a significant change between home and facility use. Facilities are fast paced, with 24hr monitoring and a rotating nursing staff. Unlike in home use, where the primary user would be consistent, the clinical setting would introduce a rotating set of new users needing to acclimatize to the system quickly. The Chirp tablet interface should utilize consistency and the per-existing mental models of the nursing staff to create an intuitive experience for users and reduce user errors.
The majority of nursing staff will be familiar with vitals readout displays. These displays are high contrast and utilize a minimal color palette to allow effective use by a diverse user base under high stress situations. The use of high contrast also ensures readability under a variety of lighting conditions. The implementation of these design choices is prudent for Chirp as a care facility is much closer to a clinic or hospital setting than a personal home.
At a glance, users should be able to determine which rooms are occupied and if any falls have been detected. Rooms should be clearly labeled and fall alerts should be prominent. Staff should not be prompted to clear fall alerts until after the patient has been seen.
The tablet being used is meant to be interacted with as a touch screen, therefore clickable elements should read as buttons and provide expected feedback. Interactive elements must also be appropriately sized and distanced from one another to accommodate a variety of users and a high stress environment.
Using a combination of Adobe Illustrator and Figma, I created the following screen keeping in mind the following notes.
Design Notes
- Keep the high contrast background and text for visibility.
- Clearly label screen sections to help users scan for information.
- Replace red green color combinations to aid with accessibility and reduce user errors.
- Place the logout button behind a layer of user interaction to reduce user errors.
- Introduce active and inactive states for room cards to provide expected feedback.
- Add date and time to main screen to help users track system use.
- Where possible, utilize brand colors to help with consistency across screens and platforms.
