Developing Cloud platform enabling the deployment, management, and monitoring of frontline diagnostic SaaS
During my 6-month internship at Accenture, I contributed to the 0-to-1 development of the 「Cloud」 and 「Edge」 platforms for a global healthcare company's 「China Digital Platform」. This B2B SaaS platform was designed to manage, monitor, and deploy medical diagnostic software across hospitals, vendors, and the client.
In an agile environment, I worked closely with business analysts and developers to ensure a user-friendly and consistent UI/UX, aligning with the client's brand while minimizing development effort. The platform launched successfully in a Shanghai hospital in May 2022, marking a key milestone in the client’s expansion into the Chinese market and laying the foundation for a future healthcare ecosystem and secure data center.
*Certain information has been redacted per NDA
Liquid Studio,
UI/UX Designer
DURATION
6 months
Jan 2022 - Jun 2022
- Co-design Workshop Moderation
- Journey Mapping
- UX Flow Mapping
- Design System Creation
- UI Prototying
- Usability Testing
- Stakeholder management
TOOLS
Deconstructing the Design Needs for a Digital Diagnostic Platform
In this project, the client, a leading global healthcare company, faced significant challenges with their existing project management software. The software was inadequate for complex enterprise needs, leading to inefficiencies and fragmented functionalities. This presented an opportunity to transform their project management approach by integrating advanced technologies, optimizing resources, and expanding their market presence in China.
Pain Points
01
Outdated Traditional Software Solutions
Legacy software couldn’t meet modern project management requirements.
02
Fragmented & Uncohesive Functionalities
Disjointed functionalities and unclear domain boundaries hindered effective management.
03
Inadequate Support for Enterprise NeedsThe software couldn’t handle the diverse and complex operations, leading to inefficiencies.
Opportunities
01
Project Management Transformation
Develop a new, agile system tailored to complex enterprise needs.
02
Technology Integration
Leverage modern technologies to enhance efficiency and scalability.
03
Market ExpansionPilot in a hospital to refine the system and grow the client’s presence in China.
Goals
01
User-FriendlyMaintain consistency to ensure easy use and prevent user confusion.
02
Efficient and Stable
Help users quickly find what they need, ensuring stable performance.03
Brand ConsistencyStrengthen brand identity by following Roche’s design guidelines.
04
Agile Iteration
Enable fast, cost-effective updates with a modular design.Develope a cloud-based diagnostic SaaS platform that not only integrates advanced diagnostic applications but also enables seamless customer and end-user management, backend data monitoring, and software ecosystem deployment, ensuring efficient and connected operations between the Client, hospitals, and vendors?
Co-Design Workshop at Early-Stage Agile Development
For the Project...
Workshops speed up decision-making and implementation, ensuring alignment on goals and direction, and boosting efficiency.
For Participants...
Workshops improve inter-departmental communication, enhancing understanding of business needs and the ability to address challenges.
Workshop Takeaways
In the early stages of our Agile development process, we conducted a co-creation workshop with pre-made artefacts. This workshop not only helped accelerate the project by ensuring clear communication among stakeholders but also provided valuable lessons in using low-fidelity prototypes effectively, adopting a collaborative "Yes, And" mindset, and clarifying stakeholder roles for better design outcomes.
Building Design Consistency Through Creating Guidelines
We used Vuetify’s native components combined with the Client’s brand style to ensure design consistency. This approach met visual needs while reducing development effort, keeping the project aligned with Agile timelines and minimizing rework.
EDGE - Hospital Local Console
The Edge portal is deployed in the hospital's local environment and serves various in-house departments, including clinical and non-clinical staff. Through the Edge portal, doctors and nurses can quickly access medical applications, the IT support team can monitor daily data and logs, and business admins can configure application access for front-line clinical staff. The collected data is organized into a comprehensive database.
UX/UI DESIGN
CLOUD - Cloud Management Portal
The Cloud portal serves as the management hub for the client, a medical diagnostics company. It features five core functions: hospital management, user management, application management, operations center, and application publishing management. Through the Cloud portal, users can monitor application status and user behavior in real-time, ensuring the quality of vendor application services. Importantly, this portal acts as a bridge between the Edge portal and the Partner portal.
CHALLENGES & REFLECTIONS PART1/3
Rethinking Design Systems: Flexibility vs. Consistency KEY INSIGHTThe experience led me to value flexibility over rigid consistency in design systems, allowing for creative solutions that meet both business needs and aesthetic goals.
Harnessing Agility: Lessons from the Field
Comparing
design practices at different agile stages ...
Comparing with academic project approaches...
Academic ProjectsDesign Brief Driven
FOCUS
Addressing specific unmet needs of a small user segment.
APPROACH
Understand problem space and explore design opportunities, constrained by course requirements and academic goals.
DURATION
Less than 6 months
METHODOLOGY
Follow Double Diamond, emphasize user research and iterative design for better desirability.
PRIORITY
UX and visual appeal over technical feasibility and cost to clearly communicate design concept and designer skills.
FOCUS
Addressing specific unmet needs of a small user segment.
APPROACH
Understand problem space and explore design opportunities, constrained by course requirements and academic goals.
DURATION
Less than 6 months
METHODOLOGY
Follow Double Diamond, emphasize user research and iterative design for better desirability.
PRIORITY
UX and visual appeal over technical feasibility and cost to clearly communicate design concept and designer skills.
Commercial ProjectsBusiness Demand Driven
Prioritize business viability and feasibility, with functionality and stable performance taking precedence over visual design for MVP.
FOCUS
Developing strategic solutions for biz/tech needs.APPROACH
Communicate with stakeholders to understand business scenarios and market demands, based on robust logic.
DURATION
Typically over 6 monthsMETHODOLOGY
Agile development with 2-week design sprints for quick iterations.PRIORITY
Prioritize business viability and feasibility, with functionality and stable performance taking precedence over visual design for MVP.
CHALLENGES & REFLECTIONS PART2/3
Balancing Aesthetics and Functionality in MVP CLIENT'S INITIAL CONCERNThe client, unfamiliar with Agile, was dissatisfied with the MVP's initial interface, finding it not visually appealing enough for sign-off.
PROACTIVE SOLUTION
I organized meetings with business analysts, client-side designers, and engineers, presenting various design solutions and explaining the trade-offs in design and development effort.
REFINED APPROACH
We integrated the client's branding with Vuetify components, enhancing visual appeal while maintaining the pace of Agile development.
Navigating Design Challenges in Agile Development
PROACTIVE SOLUTION
I organized meetings with business analysts, client-side designers, and engineers, presenting various design solutions and explaining the trade-offs in design and development effort.
REFINED APPROACH
We integrated the client's branding with Vuetify components, enhancing visual appeal while maintaining the pace of Agile development.
CHALLENGES & REFLECTIONS PART3/3
Looking Ahead: Navigating Healthcare Innovation
Healthcare challenges, now and future Through my experience in medical projects, I’ve gained a deep understanding of the inherent caution in the healthcare industry, which often makes innovation challenging. Key issues that highlight this challenge include:
Looking Ahead: Navigating Healthcare Innovation
Handover BreakpointsCommunication gaps between stakeholders—frontline medical staff, business departments, quality control, operations, and procurement—can disrupt efficiency.
Risk-Averse CultureThe high stakes in healthcare lead to a strong preference for maintaining the status quo, as even minor changes can carry significant risks.
Heavy Workload for Medical Staff
High patient volumes and heavy workloads limit the ability of medical staff to rest and rotate, affecting both efficiency and patient satisfaction.
Long Patient Wait Times
Extended wait times for consultations and results can lead to missed intervention windows, impacting treatment outcomes.
Extended wait times for consultations and results can lead to missed intervention windows, impacting treatment outcomes.
Technological Debt
Outdated equipment and costly new technologies, coupled with a lack of integrated data systems, hinder the effectiveness of medical services.
Despite these challenges, my experience has equipped me with the knowledge and skills to navigate these complexities. I am ready to contribute to future innovations in healthcare, balancing the need for caution with the drive for meaningful progress.