Overview
Myopia is a growing eye health condition that mainly affects children and young adults, especially in the APAC region. Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is a refractive error that can progress considerably, leading to blindness. Some risk factors are genetic, such as ethnicity, and behavioral, such as excessive near-work or insufficient outdoor time
Despite advancements in technology for diagnosing and treating the condition, there are still challenges in early detection and ensuring treatment compliance.
Goal
Generate market-shaping service concepts within the patient’s journey in managing myopia progression.
Outcomes
Three well-detailed service concepts:
- For conveying health information effectively
- For easing ECP work in treating Myopia (Knowledge & equipment)
- To improve the frequency and accuracy of sight check-ups
Client
A worldwide technology company operating in the optics and optoelectronics field
Region
APAC – Germany
Data
2022/23 – 5 months
My Role
Service Designer
Methods
Desk research, in-depth interviews, synthesis wall, Personas HMWs, Workshops, opotunity cards, 2X2 matrix evaluation, Brainstorming, Crazy 8’s, storyboard, concept cards, service blueprint, service value propositions, Business model, Focus group interviews.
Tools
Miro, Creative Cloud , Maze.
Research
The aim of this phase was to uncover key pain points for patients and caregivers, and it involved desk research and user research.
Desk research
A group of four designers conducted a comprehensive investigation in five areas:
- Market and competitor analysis
- Company brand
- Industry regulations
- User behavior and context
- Consumer and tech trends.
The knowledge gained from this research served as a framework for decision-making. We organized the key information in an analysis matrix that mapped the user journey, allowing us to identify opportunities.
User research
Subsequently, we conducted over 20 interviews with various stakeholders, including
- Internal stakeholders,
- Eye care professionals in the APAC region,
- Caregivers/patients,
- School nurses
- Insurance managers.
All interviews were conducted in English with a duration of about 45 minutes to 1 hour each. The insights gathered from these interviews were categorized as highlights, unexpected findings, challenges, and jobs to be done for each interviewee.
As a result, we created a more detailed blueprint of the experience of managing myopia and developed user personas.
Opportunity Areas
Based on the insights gathered thus far, the design team regrouped them by affinity and developed 13 opportunity areas cards. Each card contained:
The design team presented these opportunity areas on cards that included :
- customer needs
- the level of comfort zone for the company
- the market and competitor situation
- relevant risks and remarks.
These areas helped define a focal point and set boundaries for idea exploration with the client.
In a three-hour online workshop, were evaluated with the client using a strategic matrix where the axes represented the customer need, company comfort zone, and market situation. Based on this mapping, participants voted for the most promising opportunities.
Ideation
Ideation workshop
In an onsite workshop, 18 ideas emerged from idea-collection, “crazy 8’s” (twice) exercises.
Afterwards, they were developed on concept cards, which provided a description, the phase of the blueprint it aligned with, and the target group, the value proposition, the impact on the company, and an evaluation about strategy fit, business potential, competitive advantage, technical feasibility, etc.
Evaluation Workshop
In an online workshop, the design team presented the concepts, and they were mapped in a strategic matrix once again and voted on. As a result, the project team selected five concepts, which were further developed..
Sevice Concepts
In-depth development
Five selected concepts were developed using storyboarding technique and validated with patien/caregivers and eye care professionals. Three concepts emerged as the most promising, focusing on:
Solutions that facilitate communication between patients and eye care professionals at different phases of the myopia journey.
In the final phase, the design and technical teams collaborated to iterate on the three selected concepts using the feedback received and further developed them with more details.
The handover materials included:
- a detailed description of the solution
- storyboards
- a mid-level defined blueprint
- business model canvas
- technical evaluation performed by an engineering manager.
