Unlocking Data Discovery with a Design Sprint

The SDOH & Place Project aims to achieve a multitude of goals, one of which is creating a platform that will be designed to provide seamless access to spatially indexed and curated databases specifically for health equity research. For this, we set on a journey to design the Data Discovery platform with a human-centered approach.

To understand the needs of our target audience, we collaborated closely with an advisory board and a team of local professionals interested in our project we call our Super Users. A key step was identifying and understanding the needs of our user personas: hypothetical individuals who we believe would most benefit from this platform. To visualize their interactions with the platform, we created swim lane diagrams, helping us hypothesize the user flows.

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To further refine our understanding, we surveyed professionals involved in public health application design and implementation. This survey delved into contemporary data and design practices, with a particular focus on data visualization and web application development.

Design Sprint, April 2024

Building upon these insights, we conducted a two-day Design Sprint at the Siebel Center for Design at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. This sprint brought together a diverse group of talented individuals: current design students and seasoned design professionals from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

To ensure the highest quality of participants, we established a rigorous application process. Applicants were required to specify their design expertise, showcase their relevant experience through their resumes, and express their passion for the project in their cover letters. We sought a diverse range of skills, including expertise in aesthetics/user interface, user experience, usability, functionality, future-proofing, competitor analysis, and market research.

Eleven participants were organized into four dynamic teams, each with three members, except for one team of two. Catalina Alzate, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at the School of Art & Design served as a mentor throughout the sprint. Christopher Lueg, Professor, and Rachel Adler, Associate Professor, both from the School of Information Sciences, provided invaluable guidance by sourcing participants and evaluating the proposed solutions at the conclusion of the sprint.

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The first day of the sprint was dedicated to immersing participants in the project. We introduced them to the carefully crafted user personas, providing rich details about their design interests, influences, goals, needs, expectations, motivations, and pain points. To illustrate existing workflows, we shared the swim lane diagrams. In addition, we invited a previous Super User to share their experiences with SDOH-related platforms.

To foster collaboration and creativity, we divided participants into four teams and assigned each to one of the four user personas we developed, and facilitated a team-building icebreaker activity led by Malaika Simmons, a seasoned design expert. Malaika is the Chief Operating Officer for National Alliance against Disparities in Patient Health, a data-driven nonprofit health research organization. She uses her background in research, psychology, and design thinking to promote empathy-based leadership.

Each team then embarked on a rigorous competitor analysis, culminating in the formulation of three to five "How Might We..." statements to address the identified user needs.

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On the second day, teams transformed their "How Might We..." statements into tangible solutions. They meticulously crafted mock-ups and user flows, addressing the unique challenges faced by their assigned user personas.

Each team then took center stage, presenting their innovative user experience designs for the Data Discovery platform. They demonstrated how their solutions directly addressed the specific needs and pain points of their target users.

Key Takeaways

The Design Sprint proved to be a valuable source of insights. Here are some of the key takeaways:

• Unveiling Usability Challenges: By deeply understanding our user personas, we uncovered critical usability issues in existing platforms. These included confusing navigation, a steep learning curve for advanced features, and overall frustration for many users.

• Prioritizing User Experience: We recognized the crucial need for a clear and intuitive platform architecture, coupled with a visually appealing and engaging design.

• Catering to Diverse Needs: We realized that the platform must be accessible to everyone, from those new to SDOH research to seasoned experts. This meant providing simplified search interfaces for beginners while offering advanced features and customization options for power users.

• Elevating the Search Experience: To enhance data discovery, we explored innovative features such as search tips, thematic tags, fuzzy search capabilities, related search term suggestions, and other assistive functionalities.

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Making it Happen

The Design Sprint was a collaborative effort, and we are grateful to everyone who contributed. Each participant received a gift card as a token of our appreciation. All mentors, professors, the Super User, and the design expert, received compensation for their valuable time and expertise.

The Healthy Regions & Policies Lab at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, in partnership with the Siebel Center for Design, played a vital role in facilitating the smooth running of the sprint.

Looking Ahead

Since the Design Sprint, we have been diligently working on building a prototype of the Data Discovery platform. We have already conducted one round of Super User Testing to gather valuable feedback and refine the platform based on real-world user experiences. We look forward to continuing to build this platform, making a difference in the lives of those using SDOH & Place data, and ultimately empowering them to improve the lives of others. Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated!