User-centered design to inspire IT innovation

BACKGROUND

Kaiser Permanente believes that attaining Total Health includes mind, body, spirit... and finances. Making decisions that fit your needs, including those that align with your budget, is as important as choosing a doctor or a health plan. But the documentation relating to health are often cryptic, confusing, and stress-inducing.

​

CHALLENGE

KP recognized the need for clearer, more user-friendly healthcare statements for its members. The IT team solicited Brand Creative to brainstorm ideas on new statement formats that would be easy to read and understand. The goal was to provide system designers visual examples of patient-friendly statements that use clear and simple language, and ultimately, enhance the overall member experience. The examples would be a key input to their system design. 

 

SOLUTION

It's not often that you get a creative problem with no limits. The assignment was just to inspire, so we didn't need to worry about technical details. But it did require significant research on the meaning of very technical terms, codes, and calculations so we could translate them into something meaningful. Drawing on visual and plain language best-practices, the team focused on graphics, uncluttered presentation, and iconography to help bridge the delta between medical jargon and everyday people. 

 

RESULTS

The IT department was greatly influenced by the improved healthcare statements, as it allowed them to envision the potential for significant enhancements in these documents. The new designs enabled them to break free from previous limitations and realize positive contributions to the member experience.

​

CREDITS

Design: Amber Podratz  

Copywriting: Chen Lin 

Creative Direction: Maggie Soldano