Qmunity Health App

Research Objectives

To establish baseline metrics around sexual health knowledge
Understand preferred communication styles
Explore how shame, discrimination, or past experiences might influence attitudes toward sexual healthcare

Assumptions

People want more sexual health information, as it is not prioritized in routine care
Offering alternative ways to access sexual health care would increase help-seeking behaviors among Canadians
Experiences of discrimination or lack of cultural sensitivity from healthcare providers are a barrier to accessing sexual health care for some Canadians.

Hypothesis Statement

I believe accessible and inclusive sexual health information in Canada is lacking for LGBTQ2A+, women, and newcomers. This will be confirmed if over 66% of research participants express frustration with current resources and difficulty finding information relevant to their needs.

Supporting Inclusive Sexual Health for LGBTQ2A+ and Newcomers

About

This case study details the development of Qmunity Health, a mobile app designed to address the unique sexual health information needs of LGBTQ2A+ individuals and newcomers to Canada. Through user research, I identified barriers such as stigma, lack of culturally relevant information, and difficulty navigating the healthcare system.

To overcome these challenges, I focused on creating an accessible, inclusive, and informative app that provides reliable sexual health resources, fosters community connection, and simplifies healthcare navigation. By prioritizing user-centered design and incorporating diverse perspectives, Qmunity Health strives to empower users to make informed decisions about their sexual well-being and feel supported in their journey.

Prototype

Project Type

BrainStation (Academic Project)

Timeline

3 weeks (May 2024)

My Roles

UX Researcher, UX/UI Designer

Design Tools

Figma, Otter.ai, iOS

The Challenge

Problem Space

Many Canadians struggle to access reliable sexual health information and support due to factors like stigma, inconsistent sex education, lack of inclusive resources, and online misinformation.

This disproportionately impacts youth, LGBTQ2A+ folks, women, those in remote areas, and individuals from marginalized communities.

The consequences include higher rates of STIs (In 2021 gonorrhea reached its highest level since 1991 and syphilis since 1990), unplanned pregnancies, unmet needs around sexual function, and the mental health toll caused by anxiety and shame surrounding sexual health.

Access to reliable sexual helth information

Only 11% of women say they have discussed HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with their provider;

HMW Question

How might we provide accessible and culturally relevant sexual health education and resources to LGBTQ2A+ individuals and immigrants, ensuring they have the knowledge and support necessary for informed decision-making and positive well-being?

Data Collection and Analysis

Methodology

One-on-one decontextualized interviews with three target users, where I’ll gather qualitative and attitudinal data. Questions were prepared under the interview guide.

Participant Criteria

Residency: Resides in Canada

Age: 18 years old or over

Sexual Activity: Currently sexually active

Gender Identity:

Cisgender
Transgender and non-binary individuals

Immigration Status:

Born in Canada
First or second-generation immigrants

Sexual Orientation:

Heterosexual
LGBTQ2A+

Cultural Background:

Indigenous people
Individuals from various racial backgrounds

Affinity Map

To uncover deeper insights from my interviews, I used affinity mapping to organize and synthesize the collected data. This visual approach helped me identify patterns, connections, and overarching themes that emerged from my conversations with users. Complete Affinity Map

Complete Affinity Map

Choosing a Theme

I identified a significant theme centered around the lack of comprehensive sexual health education and support

Themes

Distinct themes started to emerge

Affinity Map

This visual approach helped me identify patterns

Behaviors captured from Interview Insights .png

Revised HMW Question

Define

User Persona

Based on the insights gathered from my interviews and analysis, I developed a comprehensive user persona that embodies the target user group and aligns with the chosen theme.

Meet Alex

30 | Toronto, ON

Alex faces a significant barrier to seeking sexual healthcare due to stigma;
Alex's childhood experiences and cultural background significantly influence their comfort level with discussing and seeking sexual health help;
Alex feels frustrated by the lack of education on sexual health and desires more information.

I still don't have a clear understanding where I can get information about sexual healt

User Stories & Epics

I crafted 27 user stories to capture Alex's desired app functionality. By grouping these stories into thematic epics, I was able to prioritize the most impactful features. This structured approach ensured the app directly addressed Alex's challenges and aspirations, creating a user-centric experience.

The epic "Sexual Health Information and Resources" was selected as the focus. It aligns perfectly with the project's core goal of education and awareness, aiming to:

Empower LGBTQ2A+ newcomers with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions about their sexual well-being.
Support their journey by providing access to culturally relevant and affirming sexual health resources, addressing barriers to access.

Sexual Health Information and Resources

As a LGBTQ2A+ newcomer, I want to access accurate, non-judgmental information about sexual health so that I can make informed decisions about my body and relationships;

Task Flow

Following the "Sexual Health Information and Resources" epic, I created a task flow depicting a newcomer navigating the app to access relevant sexual health information.

UI Inspiration

Prototyping & Testing

I designed grayscale, mid-fidelity wireframes in Figma, inspired by UI trends and refined sketches. These wireframes formed the foundation for an interactive prototype, which was then tested with users. This allowed me to observe how users interacted with the app's key features and navigation.

The feedback from these tests revealed areas of confusion and provided suggestions for improvement, guiding the next steps in my iterative design process.

View prototype

Ideate

Sketches

Guided by my task flow and UI inspiration board, I explored different design options for each of the app's six screens. I created 18 exploratory sketches, experimenting with various layouts and features to best meet user needs.

From there, I chose the strongest ideas and developed them into more refined solution sketches.

Home Screen

This screen requires functionality that enables users to input their personal information and initiate the profile creation process. The complete profile setup consists of 3 screens, and at times, my sketches for these screens were interchangeable as they were all part of the same task completion.

Profile Screen

This screen should enable users to choose their preferred topics and then complete their profile setup.

Profile Screen

This screen should allow users to select their preferred pronouns and then easily move forward in creating their profile.

Dashboard Screen

This screen displays personalized recommendations based on the user's profile, including articles and daily insights.

Article Screen

This screen displays the full article content, allowing the user to bookmark it for later and watch an accompanying video if one is included.

Video Screen

In this screen, I wanted to explore ways to show video content.

Selected Sketches

I opted for these sketches because their vibe and style align with the target user group and the sensitive nature of the topic, creating a cool, fun, and approachable atmosphere.

Solution Sketches

The selected iteration of each screen was consolidated into a polished set of sketches created on Procreate, in anticipation of developing wireframes.

Closing Remarks

Testing

While user testing revealed that the app was largely intuitive and easy to use, several areas were identified for improvement.

Skip Button Confusion: Participants didn’t understand the purpose of the "skip" button during profile creation.
Small Text Legibility: The text size was too small, making it hard to read.
Account Info Tappability: Need to improve interactivity for inputting account information, potentially through Figma animations.
Bookmark Feature Visibility: Users struggled to find and use the bookmarking feature.
Video Interaction: Participants mistakenly tapped the small video icon instead of the larger video area to play content.

Using a prioritization matrix, I’ll address these issues to improve accessibility, reduce confusion, and enhance the overall user experience.

Prioritization Matrix

Skip Button/Guest Access: Replace the "skip" button with a clearer "Enter as Guest" option.
Bookmark Feature: Place the bookmark icon in a more prominent and intuitive location on the article/video page.
"Daily Insights" Section: Add visual cues, such as icons or images, to indicate the type of content within the section.
Text Legibility: Increase font sizes for improved readability, especially in the menu bar and profile creation fields.
Search Functionality: Make the search bar more prominent and visually distinct.
Video Interaction: Enlarge the tappable area for videos to make them easier to interact with.
Profile Fields: Add the functionality to display text when users click or tap on the profile setup fields.

Revised Prototype

After completing the steps outlined previously, I arrived at my revised lo-fi prototype.

Final Prototype

Key Learnings

UI Inspirations: Thorough research into existing UI patterns and designs helps establish a strong foundation for the project, narrowing down design choices to align with the target audience's specific needs and preferences.
Ideation & Sketches: Sketching multiple ideas allows for exploration and refinement, leading to more innovative and effective solutions.
Initial Prototype: Focusing on core functionality in the initial prototype allows for early testing and feedback without distractions from visual details.
Usability Testing: Reveals how users interact with the prototype, uncovering unexpected issues and improvement opportunities.
Prioritization: Analyzing user feedback helps prioritize the most critical changes for a better user experience.
Revised Prototype: The revised prototype incorporates user feedback, ensuring design changes are based on real-world insights.
Iterative Process: Usability testing and prototype revisions are cyclical, driving continuous improvement for a more user-friendly product.

Next Steps

Test the revised prototype with a new set of participants to validate the effectiveness of the changes.
Gather feedback on any remaining areas of confusion or friction.
Colour Injection.
Brand Development.
Begin the development process, translating the final design into a functional mobile app.
Ensure the app is accessible.
Launch the app to a limited audience for beta testing and gather additional feedback.
Refine the app further based on beta testing results.
Prepare for a full launch, including marketing and promotional strategies to reach the target audience.
Continuously monitor user feedback and data after launch to identify areas for ongoing improvement.

Migrant women and LGBTQ2A+ individuals

Patients prioritize finding a family doctor they feel comfortable with, emphasizing the need for care that is safe, culturally sensitive, and free from language barriers.

Secondary Research

Secondary research highlights unique barriers faced by migrant women in accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare, including limited language proficiency, cultural stigma, and lack of awareness about available services. This results in unmet needs for preventative care.

Additionally, studies show that patients prioritize finding a family doctor they feel comfortable with, emphasizing the need for care that is safe, culturally sensitive, and free from language barriers. Positive experiences with healthcare providers can increase both preventative care usage and future help-seeking behavior.

Concerns also remain among LGBTQ2A+ individuals regarding their reception and treatment by healthcare providers. There is a growing interest among community-based LGBTQ2A+ groups, researchers, and service providers to address LGBTQ2A+ health needs.

This indicates an opportunity to explore and improve healthcare access and delivery for these groups.