Mobile Redesign for Clinical Research Effort Tracking Application

Project Overview

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Client

Clinical Trials Support Units (CTSUs) at Michigan Medicine assist research teams by handling administrative tasks, streamlining processes, and ensuring efficient clinical trial management.

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Context

The Research Effort Tracking Application (RETA) is an essential tool used by CTSUs to track the time and effort invested in clinical research projects. The current system operates on outdated technology and lacks mobile accessibility, making it difficult for staff to log their efforts on the go.

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Problem Statement

RETA's existing platform is old and doesn't support mobile devices. This makes it hard for users to record their work when they're not at their desks. Additionally, the user interface on both desktop and mobile versions is not user-friendly, causing frustration and inefficiency.

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Solution

To address these issues, we redesigned RETA to be mobile-friendly and updated the user interface to be more intuitive and responsive. This allows staff to easily log their efforts from anywhere using their mobile devices, thereby improving compliance and streamlining the logging process.

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Research

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User Workflow

Understanding the existing workflow was crucial to ensure a smooth transition from the current web-based system to a mobile-friendly version. We conducted a detailed analysis of the current system and identified key pain points and areas for improvement. Below is a user workflow diagram illustrating the primary processes involved in logging research efforts.

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To better understand the current system, we also analyzed the existing desktop interface. The images below show key screens from the current desktop version of RETA.

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User Interview

To gain deeper insights, we conducted interviews with several users of the current RETA system. The feedback provided valuable information about the user experience, including common frustrations and feature requests.

Key takeaways:

1. Users log their efforts at different frequencies, from multiple times a day to weekly goals.
2. The current feature for copying effort logs does not work effectively and needs improvement.
3. The drop-down menu for task selection is cumbersome and lacks shortcut keys.
4. Users find the interface clunky, with too many clicks and steps required to complete tasks.

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Design Process

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Low Fidelity Prototype

Based on the initial research and user feedback, we created low-fidelity prototypes to outline the basic structure and functionality of the mobile application. These prototypes focused on the core user flows and interface elements necessary for effort logging and management.

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High Fidelity Prototype

After refining the low-fidelity prototypes and incorporating further user feedback, we developed high-fidelity prototypes to showcase the final design and interactions. These prototypes provide a detailed view of the mobile application’s look and feel, ensuring it meets user needs and expectations.

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Project Video Demo

A video demo was created to illustrate the functionality and user experience of the mobile application. It highlights the key features and improvements made based on user feedback.

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Usability Testing Results

We conducted usability testing to gather feedback on the redesigned application. Here are the summarized results from two tests:

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Reflection & Next Step

The usability testing results provided valuable insights into the user experience and highlighted key areas for improvement. The feedback on the copy button and the need for clearer instructions were particularly useful. Suggestions such as selecting multiple dates and auto-filling holidays will streamline the logging process, while ensuring consistent language and icons will enhance usability.

Next Steps:

• Implement improvements like multiple date selection for logging efforts and auto-filling holidays.
• Provide clearer instructions and labeling for key features to assist first-time users.
• Adjust the role-changing feature to filter relevant tasks and harmonize terminology and icons with the existing RETA system.
• Conduct another round of usability testing to ensure the changes effectively address user feedback and enhance the overall experience.

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