HealthCoach4Me: Perceived Problems, Proposed Solutions

1. HealthCoach4Me:Perceived Problems, Proposed Solutions EiyanaFavers Jessamyn McBrian IDIA 612 June 14, 2011

2. Current Process Flow HC4Me Login/Registration: Getting to the Dashboard Perceived Problems Efficiency: The site requires 2 steps for login/dashboard landing Efficiency: The site requires 4 steps for registration/dashboard landing Efficiency: The site requires 13 fields for registration HC4Me Home Page 1. Registered Member? Click “Log In” On Home Page Log in On Log in or Register Page Dashboard Yes No 2. Click “Register” Link on Home Page 3. Library HOME PAGE Fill Out Registration Form: 13 Required Fields “Thank you for Registering” Set Up Coaching Plan

3. Proposed Solutions Proposed Process Flow HC4Me Login/Registration: Getting to the Dashboard Efficiency: Provide “one stop shopping,” i.e. allow users to login or register from the landing page and be taken directly to the dashboard; new users can either create goals immediately or navigate the site. HC4Me Landing Page HEALTH LIBRARY > QUIT SMOKING > LEARN Registered Member? Log In On Landing Page Dashboard Yes No 1. HOME PAGE Register On Landing Page: 6 Required Fields

4. 1. Perceived Problems 3. HEALTHCOACH4ME.COM 2. Efficiency: Log in and registration options require navigating to new (and separate) pages. Credibility: The site does not provide users with any clue, outside of the logo and small text at the bottom of the page, as to who is responsible for the creation of the site. This information can be found hidden in the FAQ section, but is not immediately available. Clarity: The page is busy with moving objects, images, and text. The purpose of the site is not immediately clear and requires some hunting.

5. Proposed Solutions 1. 3. HEALTHCOACH4ME.COM 2. Efficiency: Log in and registration options are immediately available and easy to see. Clarity: Options are clear and readily available, objects are not moving, calls to action are apparent, exploration is encouraged without numerous video options and moving text. Credibility: Page copy spells out who created the site, valuable information that provides users with assurance. HOME PAGE

6. 1. Perceived Problems 2. 4. Consistency: This is a registration form and is referred to as such site wide. Many sites ask for a “profile” after registration to tailor recommendations and tools to the specific user. Error Prevention: Users are informed they are making an error before an error has occurred. Instructions: Instructions for email and password fields are long and hard to read. Memorability: Password requirements are unnecessarily complicated. Efficiency: The registration form is long and requires extraneous information, some of which a user may not be comfortable with providing. The form seems long and intimidating and could cause anxiety. 3. HEALTHCOACH4ME.COM/REGISTER

7. 1. Proposed Solutions 2. 5. 4. 3. Consistency: Put the registration form under a header that clearly indicates it is a registration form. Provide a “profile” page elsewhere. Instructions: Use tool tips instead of long instructions within the form. This can reduce the length of the form and make it easier for both novice and expert users. Efficiency: Reduce the length of the registration form by requiring the least amount of information. A voluntary profile page could be set up to gather additional user information at a time convenient to the user. This could reduce anxiety. Memorability: Reduce requirements for passwords: between 6 and 10 characters with one number gives users the option of choosing a simple password they will remember the next time they log in. Error Prevention: Inform users of errors only as errors are made. If not errors are made, do not provide alarming red text alongside fields. HEALTHCOACH4ME.COM

8. Perceived Problems 1. 2. 3. 6. HEALTH LIBRARY > QUIT SMOKING > LEARN 6. 5. Navigation: While it is easy for users to see where they are on the site at a given time, it is difficult for users tell which pages they have visited. In the left navigation, headings and links are the same color and both use the background color of the navigation menu box, making them both hard to read and difficult to differentiate. Support: The site does not provide a place for users to interact with one another and build a sense of community, which would be in line with the “support” goal of the site Alt Text: Images are not consistently supplied with alternative text. Clarity: Right column and accompanying text are distracting and unnecessary. Help: Direct contact information, help center, and a feedback forum are not available. Readability: Lists do not have headings and do not specify file type where something other than HTML is the target (i.e. PDF); text is linear, line length is long.

9. Proposed Solutions 1. 2. = 3. 6. 4. HEALTH LIBRARY > QUIT SMOKING > LEARN 5. Navigation: Provide “bread crumbs” by incorporating link states. (Alternatively, use spiral interface.) Support: Provide users with a discussion forum broken down by health or lifestyle issue. (Alternatively, incorporate a wiki.) Alt Text: Provide alternative text for all image. (Alternatively, do not use images.) Clarity: Remove right column and accompanying text; decrease line length of body copy, leaving white space to the right. (Alternatively, leave right column as it stands and ensure consistent language in both the column and body copy.) Help: Provide physical address and phone number of GSK on each page; provide site support with live chat or a support center (phone #); provide a place for users to give feedback. (Alternatively, provide a working e-mail address.) Readability: Provide clear headings for all lists and specify file type where something other than HTML is the target (i.e. PDF); use nonlinear text by indenting paragraphs. (Alternatively, refrain from list and remain consistent with HTML targets site wide.)

10. Perceived Problems 1. 4. 3. 2. HEALTH LIBRARY > DIABETES > MANAGE Document Type: Document list does not contain corresponding doc types in either a header or following each link. Readability/Navigation: There are 25 PDF documents on this page alone. Documents are not divided into related groups (e.g. blood sugar control, diet, exercise, medication) with clearly marked corresponding headers for ease of navigation. Navigation/Hierarchy: Links to medical conditions and lifestyle issues are not clearly differentiated from headers and background. Clarity: Link does not specify Type 2 Diabetes. Users with Type 1 or Juvenile Diabetes stand a chance of disappointment and/or frustration. Credibility: There is no way of knowing if items are recent or dated. Having fresh material can lend credibility to a site.

11. Proposed Solutions 1. = 2. & 3. HOME > LIBRARY 4. Document Type: Welcome text clearly states that all documents are in PDF format. Readability/Navigation: PDF documents are organized in folders by lifestyle issue or medical condition in a single location. Documents are divided into related groups (e.g. blood sugar control, diet, exercise, medication) with clearly marked corresponding headers for ease of navigation. Sets of documents for each condition or lifestyle issue are available in a single download. Instructions are clearly stated. Navigation/Hierarchy: Links to medical conditions and lifestyle issues are clearly differentiated from headers and background with folders and contents arranged alphabetically. Clarity: Link specifies Type 2 Diabetes to accommodate users who may be looking for information on Type 1/Juvenile Diabetes

12. Proposed Solutions = 1. HOME > LIBRARY > DIABETES Opening a folder reveals subtopics, arranged alphabetically, with alpha PDF documents inside each subtopic. Full PDFs with tables of contents are available for each condition/issue by clicking the link to the right of its title. Each condition/issue folder that is chosen will have a corresponding news feed (a news feed containing current news items for particular conditions including links to full articles).

13. Proposed Solutions 1. = HOME > LIBRARY > DIABETES > RIGHT SIDEBAR: NEWS Opening a main topic reveals a topic specific tabs in the right sidebar. In the first tab, “News,” Material is fresh and contains articles related to the condition/issue currently highlighted. Fresh material lends credibility to a site, increasing user trust and return.

14. Proposed Solutions 1. HOME > LIBRARY > DIABETES > RIGHT SIDEBAR: EVENTS = Opening a main topic reveals a topic specific tabs in the right sidebar. In the second tab, “Events,” a user can select a state (in the U.S., the site’s specific audience) from the dropdown list and reveal topic specific events in the user’s area. In this example, an event in Georgia in September, 2011 is featured for Diabetes. It’s date, time, location, description, and event Web site are listed. This particular event is diabetes awareness and fundraising event with a 5k walk, a family fun zone, and an interactive health and wellness festival. Material like this could help users reach their goals while finding supportive programs and activities.

15. Proposed Solutions 1. HOME > LIBRARY > DIABETES > RIGHT SIDEBAR: RESOURCES = Opening a main topic reveals a topic specific tabs in the right sidebar. In the third tab, “Resources,” a user can view the resources that are currently part of the PDF documents available for each condition/lifestyle issue. Hyperlinks to external sites like the American Diabetes Association and WebMD, which are provided in the Resources PDF documents, are readily available.

16. Perceived Problems 1. HOME Community Support: While the site offers many anonymous voices and faces, resources, tools, widgets, the ability to email friends and family, share pages via sharing functions, and provides information on a plethora of health and medical topics, it does not offer a place for users to gather together online and discuss their particular health issues. A discussion forum could help users achieve or even exceed their goals by getting support from others with the same conditions – perhaps someone who has had diabetes (type 2) for ten years could counsel and encourage a user who has recently been diagnosed. This could be achieved via the addition of a well moderated and well organized discussion forum.

17. Proposed Solutions HOME > DISCUSSION FORUM > DIABETES > BLOOD SUGAR CONTROL 1. = Community Support: Provide a discussion forum that could help users achieve or even exceed their goals by getting support from others with the same condition or conditions. This example is organized much like the library, which could increase learnability/memorability – it is organized alphabetically by medical condition/health issue with subtopics for each condition and an area for general discussion. Threads are tracked and most recent posts dated.