Therapy Hub

Challenge

Many individuals seeking therapy face inefficiencies such as time-consuming back-and-forth communications to schedule appointments, difficulty finding therapists with the right specialization. These issues create barriers to accessing timely and effective mental health support, leaving individuals feeling frustrated and underserved.

Solution

I designed the therapy booking platform to streamline the process of finding and scheduling appointments with therapists. The platform offers an intuitive online booking system, immediate appointment confirmations, and filters to match users with therapists based on their specific needs.

User research & personas

I interviewed both clients and therapists to gather more insights on user needs and problems.

The interviews aim to understand users' motivations, goals, and experiences with booking a therapist, identifying key features, preferences, and limitations in current offerings. It also seeks to uncover desired improvements and the overall impact of these tools on users' personal growth and daily habits.

Name:

Jordan Lee

Age:

29

Occupation:

Software Developer

Seeking Therapy For:

Stress management and work-life balance

Location:

San Francisco, California

"I need quick and effective tools to help me stay balanced and focused in my hectic life."

Goals:

  • Find a Therapist Specializing in Tech-Related Stress: Jordan wants to manage work-related stress more effectively and is looking for a therapist who understands the unique pressures of the tech industry.
  • Access Flexible Scheduling: With a demanding job, Jordan values flexible scheduling to accommodate work commitments.
  • Utilize Easy and Intimidation-Free Booking: Preferring to avoid phone calls, Jordan seeks a straightforward, online booking process that offers immediate confirmation.

Frustrations:

  • Difficulty Finding Available Specialists: Jordan struggles to find therapists accepting new clients who also have expertise in managing tech-related stress.
  • Intimidating Initial Contact: The prospect of making the first call or sending an email to book an appointment is daunting.
  • Complex Booking Systems: Encountering unclear or complicated booking systems online adds to the stress of seeking therapy.
  • Anxiety Over Confirmation Wait Times: The delay between booking and receiving confirmation for appointments causes unnecessary anxiety.
  • Lack of Information for New Clients: As a first-time therapy client, Jordan feels overwhelmed and unsure of what to expect from the therapy process.

Technological Needs:

  • Intuitive Online Booking Platform: A user-friendly website that allows for easy appointment booking, immediate confirmation, and straightforward rescheduling options.
  • Informational Resources: Accessible guides, FAQs, or introductory videos that outline what new clients can expect from therapy, specifically addressing concerns relevant to tech professionals.

Name:

Lunith Magda

Age:

37

Occupation:

Data analist

Seeking Therapy For:

Social/phone anxiety

Location:

Dublin, Ireland

"I want specialized therapy for a specific problem"

Goals:

  • Manage Phone Anxiety: Deal with phone anxiety through effective therapy.
  • Find a Compatible Therapist: Locate a therapist who fits specific needs and preferences.
  • Flexible Scheduling: Schedule appointments that fit her availability without time-consuming processes.

Frustrations:

  • Availability Mismatch: Difficulty in finding therapists whose availability matches her schedule.
  • Skill Mismatch: Difficulty in finding therapists who specialize in her specific problem.
  • Time-Consuming Communication: Annoyed by the back-and-forth emailing and calling required to book appointments.
  • Lack of Initial Connection: Prefers to hear the therapist's voice or see a video before booking to build trust.

Behavior:

  • Online Research: Goes online to find and research therapists.
  • Values Convenience: Looks for easy and straightforward booking processes.

Needs and Motivations:

  • Easy and Intuitive Booking: A streamlined, booking process that offers immediate confirmation.
  • Initial Connection: Prefers an introductory video or audio from the therapist to build initial trust.
  • Accessible Information: Clear information about therapist availability and specialties.

Name:

Sara van Bogen

Job Title:

Psychotherapist

Age:

30 years

Location:

Dublin

"There must be a more efficient way to manage my appointments and client information."

Goals:

  • Streamline Scheduling: Reduce administrative tasks by making scheduling more efficient.
  • Centralize Client Management: Better organization and access to client information.
  • Seamless Integration: Integrate with existing EHR and billing systems.
  • Ensure Security: Maintain robust security for client data.
  • Enhance Client Interaction: Provide easy appointment booking and resource access for clients.

Challenges:

  • Time-consuming Scheduling: Scheduling via phone calls is time-consuming.
  • Lack of Integration: Operational inefficiency due to lack of integration.
  • Disappearing Appointments: Risk to reputation from disappearing appointments.
  • Security Concerns: Current free tools are not secure enough.
  • Overwhelming Administrative Tasks: Diverting focus from client care.

Behavior:

  • Reviews Calendar Daily: Prepares for client sessions by reviewing the calendar.
  • Manages Information Manually: Uses Word documents for client information and session notes.
  • Schedules Follow-ups: Schedules follow-up appointments at the end of sessions or through text, email, or phone.
  • Uses Free Tools: Despite concerns, uses free tools for managing client data.

Needs and Motivations:

  • Efficient Scheduling: A more efficient way to schedule appointments.
  • Integrated Tools: Integration with EHR and billing systems.
  • Secure Systems: A secure system to protect client data.
  • Reduced Administrative Work: Minimized administrative tasks to focus more on client care.
  • Enhanced Client Interaction: Better tools for client interaction, such as easy appointment booking and resource access.

Ideation

During this phase I created problem-, hypothesis-, goal-statements and userjourneys. By combining this information with a competition audit, I selected 4 main ideas after a few cycles of using the Crazy 8's and HWW method.

Lo-Fi Prototyping

During this phase I created a variety of user flows for different screens, paper and digital wireframes that are connected together to form a prototype using Figma.

Wireframes

Wireframes

Lo-Fi prototype

After sketching wireframes on paper and turning them into digital ones in Figma, they got glued together as Lo-Fi prototype using Figma as well.

View Wireframes View Prototype

Usability study

During this phase I did an unmoderated usability study to discover what can be improved and if user's are able to use the main features of the app without much difficulty.

Mockups

Wireframes

Hi-Fi prototype

After implementing all improvements in our wireframes, it was time to finally create the mockups and Hi-Fi prototype.

View Mockups View Prototype

In-Person flow

Here is one more recording of the in-person therapy booking process.

Thanks for reading!

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