Overview
The Problem
Limited platform only focused on taking tests with no participant support
To compete in the clinical trials market, NuvoAir needed its platform to grow into a true dual-sided product. Both apps were limited to ad-hoc spirometry logging with no protocol alignment or participant scheduling.
The product had already been sold, giving us three months to build something ready to scale across future trials.
Old version of the clinical trial platform
Chiesi Clinical Trial Protocol
The Approach
Raise patient retention through schedules & keep site staff focused on participants, not software.
Both apps needed to simplify, focus, and support habit change across a year-long trial. I prioritized structural changes first, working toward more personalized features, ensuring each solution considered its effect on partner products and the broader NuvoAir ecosystem.
My role
I owned UX strategy and design across both platform sides: participant mobile app and coordinator web dashboard. I ran research, led design sprints, and managed design QA through launch.
The team
A squad of four engineers built across iOS, Android, and web simultaneously. The PM owned client communication and scope negotiation with the pharma sponsor.
01
Focus the app around Participant's schedule & assessments, rewarding effort
Industry-wide, 30% of trial participants drop out before completion. With no scheduling or reminders, participants were left to remember and manage their own protocol adherence. The redesign centered on clear scheduling, guided task flows, and motivational touchpoints to reduce that mental load and keep participants engaged across the full length of their trial.
Participant App · Before (Ad Hoc) → After (Schedule-Centered)
The 1st priority was to change the architecture of the app to focus around a Participant's schedule of activities and assessments to reduce memory load.
Assessment Range · Before → After
The 2nd largest shift was to grow the range of assessments that could be included within a trial. This would mean creating a scalable and flexible system and building out Chiesi's list of assessments.
Engagement & Offline Support
Participants' lack of engagement also comes from a lack of support, so we brainstormed some gamification concepts such as introducing monthly fun facts and Weekly Wins.
The previous app did not have any offline support, meaning Participants lacking reliable internet connectivity would end up losing their progress and data. We designed an offline feature that stored data temporarily while keeping the user informed if they had not connected back to the internet for a long while.
02
Give Site Staff simple protocol checklists, and robust view into Participant's activity
Site staff juggle data collection, participant engagement, and in-person visits, often without respiratory therapy training. I redesigned a separate NuvoAir tablet app around the in-person visit experience, giving coordinators focused protocol checklists and a clear view into participant activity, without the weight of the full web portal.
Participant List · Before → After
Taking a sunset tablet app from the Clinical Service vertical, the base experience could be easily shifted from a Patient focus to a Participant orientation.
Visit Log Architecture · Before → After
The biggest architecture shift would exchange a Participants' assessment history with their in-person Visit log.
Spirometry Flow · Before → After
A system similar to the scalable one added to the mobile app would be brought into the tablet, with the addition of a secure log-in feature between Participants and Site staff users.
Outcome
Market Validation, Delivered Globally
The platform was delivered to trial sites worldwide by fall 2023, securing NuvoAir's contract with Chiesi. With only 24% of studies offering home-based solutions, the updated platform is already opening doors in new sales conversations.
20+
Worldwide trial sites successfully delivered to
01
New product added to the Clinical Trial service
$2M
Contract earned with a top worldwide pharmaceutical
More work
Helping claims professionals find what matters in complex files
An AI document tool helping claim professionals navigate massive claim files, turning a day of reading into minutes of verification.
Turning design friction into forward momentum with AI
Building an AI prototyping process that opened ideation beyond Design, and led to a recommendation that changed how the whole team worked.
Guiding respiratory patients towards the best technique
Redesigning NuvoAir's spirometry app to guide patients through the latest ATS standards, securing FDA 510(k) clearance in January 2024.