RootMD Website
RootMD provides personalized treatment for chronic gut disorders through functional medicine by targeting the root cause of disease. The idea behind RootMD is that users collect a sample of their blood in the comfort of their own home and send it back for analysis. After analyzing blood samples and determining the root cause of their gut symptoms, RootMD provides personalized treatment plans, gut health coaching, and supplements to help reverse gut disease.
The Problem
RootMD created a new website mockup, and they wanted to improve the waiting list and the online gut evaluation. The goal was to make sure users feel comfortable and safe interacting with the company and products.
My Role
My role involved performing usability testing, reiterating the online gut test, and redesigning the website waitlist to increase user trust and interaction.
Waitlist Mockup
Gut Test Mockup
Participant Recruitment
A screening questionnaire was sent to social media and online groups to recruit participants who would match RootMD’s target demographic.
The participants were divided into two types:
People who experience gut symptoms and are generally concerned about their digestive wellness
People who have been diagnosed with some form of chronic gut disorder
All participants had the following characteristics:
18 years of age and older
No financial concerns when it comes to healthcare
Experience gut symptoms at least 2 times a year
Mobile or desktop user
Usability Testing
With 7 mobile and 2 desktop users, half the participants were online answer-seekers experiencing symptoms and the other half were patients with some form of gut diagnosis looking for solutions/alternatives. Remote moderated usability tests were conducted to evaluate the usability of the waiting list and gut test.
The objective of the usability testing was to discover initial impressions and uncover any usability problems in the waiting list and the gut test on the mobile and desktop versions of the website.
The questions we wanted to uncover were:
What do users like or dislike about the waiting list and gut test?
Do the waiting list and gut test increase user interest and trust in RootMD?
Are users able to understand how to navigate the waiting list and gut test?
Are there any usability problems in the waiting list and gut test?
Findings
Finding 1
The first major finding I discovered was that participants were confused and surprised to see a waitlist. They wanted to know what they were signing up for, what that involves, and what specific time they would be able to join.
Some notable quotes are as follows:
“It annoys me that it doesn’t tell me there is a waitlist.”
“It’s not clear what I’m joining. What am I joining for? How do I get early access?”
Finding 2
The second major finding I uncovered in the gut quiz was that participants were upset that they answered questions on a quiz and felt that they had given their personal information and yet got nothing back in return. A few of the participants also felt that it was useless or pointless taking the quiz as a result.
Some notable quotes are as follows:
“I was expecting a report but it was just a generic email with generic information.”
“Where did my data go?”
“It feels like I did the questionnaire for nothing. It feels like a scam.”
“How come there’s no answer to the data given?”
There were many other usability problems that emerged during testing. However, because users were distracted by the waitlist and the quiz results, it was difficult to perform a solid evaluation of the other issues that may also need to be addressed. These can be tested at a later time after resolving the two major findings.
Reiteration
In general, a waitlist may already have a negative connotation especially in a medical setting where we are also trying to avoid visits to clinics and wait times at clinics. To solve this problem, I updated the copy and buttons in Figma to prepare users and let them know earlier in the process. I also changed the copy to remove the negative connotation associated with waitlists. Additionally, the option to provide a name was included so that more personal emails can be sent to customers.
Original Waitlist Mockup and Reiterations
For the gut test, we needed to increase credibility and increase user curiosity in the company and products rather than cause the users to feel marketed. Since we cannot diagnose individuals on the website, I updated the copy to give a disease suggestion to the user without actually making a diagnosis. I also added links to direct users to do more exploring and learn more. Giving some kind of suggestion to what disease the user may have and providing more information may prompt users to better understand what they are getting themselves into and also make them feel more comfortable to sign up.
Original Gut Test Mockup and Reiterations
For the waitlist email and the gut test email, I updated the copy in both so that the waitlist email would address more specific information such as when the user would be contacted and what exactly was included in the free trial or plan that they signed up for. In the gut test email, I updated the copy to also provide a suggestion of disease without actually diagnosing the user. In both emails, I added logos and names (i.e. “Hi Abigail,”) to increase credibility and make the emails more personal and less generic.
Original Mockup and Reiterations
Outcomes and Lessons Learned
By the end of my time with RootMD, I learned a lot about listening to users, defending them, and allowing users to speak. More testing is needed to see how the subtle adjustments change the user perception of RootMD, but I was able to identify where users were uncomfortable or felt a lack of trust and create redesigns to make a more comfortable and safe experience for users.
If I were to continue with this project, I would conduct more usability testing to watch for changes in user perception and see if the design updates make users more likely to find out more information about RootMD after the gut test or make users more likely to try out the gut health program. I would also focus on identifying any other usability problems that need to be improved upon.