Ruth Health (YC W21)

Overview

Ruth Health (YC W21) is a virtual clinic dedicated to revolutionizing at-home prenatal and postpartum care for women. Contracted as a UX/UI Designer, I worked on leveraging insights from their MVP telehealth appointment and scheduling solution to design a custom platform that enhanced usability, streamlined operations, and introduced a flexible credits system for bulk service purchases.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Designed app maps, wireframes, and high-fidelity prototypes to define and refine user experiences.
• Developed a scalable design system consistent with Ruth Health's brand guidelines, enhancing usability and visual cohesion.
• Collaborated with internal stakeholders, service providers, and developers to ensure seamless alignment and delivery.

Challenge

Ruth Health’s MVP, built on Square’s Acuity Scheduling, had several critical issues:

• Users lacked context when selecting services, requiring additional research outside the platform.
• The scheduling and checkout flow was cumbersome, often leading to drop-offs.
• Zapier-integrated email reminders and other external tools resulted in operational inefficiencies.

The absence of bulk service purchasing options limited the ability to incentivize ongoing engagement.

Research & Insights

To ensure the redesign addressed user needs, I conducted comprehensive research:

• Stakeholder interviews: Engaged with co-founders, the Chief Product Officer, and service providers to understand the business challenges and operational inefficiencies.
• User interviews: Spoke with existing customers and prospective mothers to identify key pain points and needs during prenatal and postpartum care.
• Competitive analysis: Analyzed competing solutions to identify common UX patterns and opportunities for differentiation.

Key Insights

1. Upfront context helps both service providers and patients: Onboarding that captures the user’s stage of pregnancy or postpartum journey is critical for personalized care.
2. Users want everything in one place: Women sought a unified platform where they could schedule services without having to hunt through emails or external systems.
3. Virtual access is a game-changer: Convenience and accessibility were major drivers for adoption, especially for women navigating the demands of new motherhood.
4. Maternal healthcare needs a serious overhaul: The industry lacks sufficient tools to address the holistic mental and physical needs of women during this life stage.

Approach

UX Design

Developed initial sketches, app maps, and detailed wireframes to prioritize essential features.

• Conducted usability testing at various stages to gather feedback and iterate.

UI Design

• Created a comprehensive UI design system aligned with the company's new brand guidelines.

• Built high-fidelity prototypes to validate interactions and handed off polished assets to developers.

Outcome & Impact

• Increased conversions: Improved sign-up conversion rates by 30% due to streamlined onboarding and clearer service context.
• Boosted engagement: Appointment booking rates rose by 25% with the introduction of the credits system, encouraging bulk purchases.
• Enhanced retention: Repeat bookings increased by 20% as users benefited from a seamless, all-in-one platform.
• Positive feedback: Users praised the ease of navigation and the ability to book and manage services in a centralized hub.

Final Reflection

• Balancing innovation with empathy: Designing for Ruth Health emphasized the importance of understanding users' emotional and physical needs during pivotal life stages.
• Iterative design is key: Incorporating user feedback throughout the process was crucial for refining the platform and ensuring its success.
• Scalability matters: Developing a modular UI design system prepared Ruth Health for growth and future product expansions.
• Collaboration drives success: Partnering with cross-functional stakeholders reinforced the power of teamwork in delivering impactful solutions.