Independent product + research work
I designed Carefully's identity and core experience from first concept through testing, with a focus on calm, clarity, and psychological safety in a high-stakes context.
The problem
Patients feel overwhelmed and powerless when searching for providers who fit their specific needs. Medical bias makes it harder still, so the people most likely to be dismissed (often members of vulnerable populations) struggle to find safe, competent care when they need it most.
Four pain points surfaced in research. These three shaped the design:
My role
On this independent project I owned every stage, from the first interview to the final test, and built the system the work runs on.
Mapping the experience
I mapped the whole journey before designing a single screen, so the prototype had a spine to test against. Fourteen steps resolve into three phases, with the system handling identity and insurance along the way.
Testing the prototype
An unmoderated, remote study put the low-fidelity prototype in front of target users and asked them to find and book a provider. The goal was to see where the flow held and where it broke, before investing in high-fidelity design.
What testing revealed
Participants understood and valued Carefully's trust infrastructure, even while hitting friction in the lo-fi flow. The usability score was strong, but the qualitative signal mattered more: the concept was sound, and the path forward was about execution, not direction.
I translated each point of friction into a ranked set of redesign actions, the brief that drives Phase II's high-fidelity build.
Dead ends in navigation
Rebuild core navigation and back paths
Low-fidelity visuals cost credibility
Move to high-fidelity, on-brand UI
Too few real provider options
Expand and populate provider results
Trust signals resonated with users
Make them central, not optional
Next project
The high-fidelity redesign, plus a behavioral study testing whether trust signals change who patients choose.