Creating an app for convenient access to Covid information

COVID CA is a mobile app to manage spreading of COVID 19. The product offers access to recent COVID updates and provides exposure information.

My Role:

UX/UI designer- Visual Design, Design System, Usability Research

Duration:

4 weeks

- Opportunity

Find a better way to get informed on recent COVID updates and identify potential exposure to COVID with an app that will not compromise privacy

- Challenges

Covid spreads rapidly and is contagious, so California residents need to be informed on recent COVID news, regulations, and updates

According to the CDC, California has a high rate of COVID cases. California residents confused of COVID mandates and symptoms due to frequent updates. Because of this situation, COVID mandates and CDC guidelines are often not followed, which can accelerate COVID's spread.

- Pain Points

California residents often spend excessive time searching for COVID information

The California Department of Public Health provides updates and resources to California residents about recent COVID case numbers, COVID symptoms, the location of vaccine and testing sites, and mandates. The problem is that users must visit multiple websites as each counties have different COVID mandates. Therefore, a lot of research required to find accurate information. California residents need an easy way to find out about recent COVID updates and trace their exposure to COVID that is what COVIDCA can do.

- User Interviews

CA residents unknowingly come into contact with people who have tested positive

Unfamiliarity with COVID mandates in each county, coupled with a lack of information about close contact with individuals who tested positive, can result in the viral spread of COVID.

" I know what the mask and vaccination mandates are in my county but I’m not as familiar with other counties. ”
" I need to know COVID symptoms have changed from time to time. "
“ I’ve been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID at work. My co-worker told us she tested positive for COVID. ”
" I would like to have notifications if I’ve been contacting with someone who is positive. "
“ I track cases by browsing LA County Department of Public Health Facebook page. ”
“ I google searched online for test sites.”

- Ideation

The COVID resources provided by California went unused, with individuals relying on word of mouth for information, highlighting the inadequacy of the state's contact tracing program

To understand the current approach of California residents to COVID resources, I interviewed four residents from different backgrounds in California. Through the 1 :1 interviews, I learned almost all interviewees rely on google search and social media to get COVID news. COVID resources provided by California were not often utilized, and in many cases people who tested positive weren't aware of how they were exposed to COVID. The most common way in which people were exposed to COVID was through their families or coworkers; however, in many cases it takes a week or several days when they realized they have COVID due to the lack of contact tracing. By that point, COVID may have spread to many people.

- Persona

Defining what each users need through persona

During the user interviews, I discovered that users needed alerts when they were exposed to COVID and a way to stay up to date on the latest COVID information. Based on user interviews, I identified two user personas that show that need for couple of key features:
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- Being notified after having had close contact with COVID positive person.
- Checking COVID mandates in each county and COVID case rates.
- Being able to locate testing sites.

- User Journey

Discovering the user's current researching process for COVID information

Michelle was considered a likely COVID CA user. In creating the journey map below, I revealed Michelle's anxiety about visiting her mother in Orange County. Michelle had to spend an excessive amount of time trying to find the COIVD mandates in Orange County, a task that she does not need to do. After arriving in Orange County, she realized that the mandates were outdated. COVIDCA needs to develop a solution to overcome these problems in order to keep CA residents updated with current COVID information.

- User Flow

Structuring key features

COVIDCA will provide five main features: Contact tracing, COVID case updates (state and county), COIVD resources (location of testing and vaccination sites and COVID mandates), COVID19 self assessment, and vaccination cards uploading. Based on user interviews conducted with four California residents, this user flow was created. Making a map of ideas at this point would guide the design process going forward.

- Wireframe

How might we reach out to a wider audience

According to the bureau's research on non-English speakers in California, 44.6% of people aged five and older do not speak English at home. The number of non-English speakers in California was higher than we had anticipated. We started by supporting the languages we speak at home, which are Spanish, Korean, and Chinese, and we plan to support more languages in the future.

- Usability Testing

User Testing Plan 1

Objectives:
Identify usability issues and any issues with navigating the app.
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Tasks:
- Find COVID-19 data for the state of California and by county.
- Turn on Bluetooth contact tracing.
- Notify the app of user’s health.
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Key Findings:
- It was easy to find county COVID data, but users didn’t know what county’s data was shown on the Updates page.
- It took users a long time to find where to turn on the Bluetooth contact tracing feature.

User Testing Plan 2

Objectives:
- Identify any persisting usability issues.
- Conduct A/B testing to determine if users prefer an onboarding process.
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Tasks:
- Find COVID-19 data for the state of California and by county.
- Turn on Bluetooth contact tracing.
- Notify the app of user’s health symptoms.
- Upload vaccine card.
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Key Findings:
- Users preferred the onboarding process and made it easier to turn on Bluetooth contact tracing feature.
- Users wanted an option to select “none of the above” if they were not experiencing any of the symptoms listed.
- Users wanted to be able to download a digital copy of their vaccine card.