Bryant Mao

Zipline

Mobile ordering makes medical supplies even faster

UX/UI, Mobile

Zipline’s medical delivery service has saved hundreds of lives every day in rural Africa. But the ad-hoc, message-based ordering approach makes the traffic hard to manage and scale. It’s time to upgrade the system to save more underserved patients.

Challenge

Named as one of the most innovative companies in 2017, Zipline is a startup that uses the drone to deliver medical supplies across Africa. However, compared to its advanced drone technology, Zipline has an outdated communication and ordering platform - most of the transaction is happening on either WhatsApp or phone call. This increases human errors and barriers to tracking orders. Different user needs and administrative rights make the problem even more complicated. With the growing traffic, Zipline came to us to create a robust platform that can scale life-saving experiences to its customers and employees.

My Role

I work remotely with another UX designer and Zipline’s product owner to define the experience of the MVP. I led the design direction, prioritizing feature sets, and defining the key experience of the core feature sets.

The existing work around of Zipline's order system - WhatsApp

Process in a nutshell

Integrating the messy workflow into one platform

We worked with Zipline's researcher to understand how the service is carried out in frontend and back ends. We also identified the 3 primary users, examined their use cases, and pain points in WhatsApp and SMS. Based on the findings and business requirements, we generate concepts and turn them into the core features set of the new platform.

Following the priority, we tested and iterated the concept prototype remotely with users and Zipline's operation staff. Once core experience is finalized, we integrate all the functions into one platform and present it to the Zipline's leadership and product team.

Kickoff

Uncovering the complex stakeholder needs

Zipline is a service run by many stakeholders, so the first thing we did is to identify our primary users and use cases. With the help of the product owner and researcher, we highlighted 3 types of users that are heavily involved in the ordering service: the order observer, and the district officer.

We prioritize the features that will bring the most impact to their experience from placing an order, tracking, acknowledging, and managing all order-based activities.

Optimize order efficiency and speed

Reduce human efforts and errors

Better monitor the medical supplies

Research

Looking into the frontend and backend

With the user focus in mind, we are able to dive deeper into the current experience. Since Whatsapp is the primary touchpoint of the service, we joined one of the group chats to observe ordering flow, while capturing screenshots and recordings to highlight different user scenarios and pain points.

To connect the issues with the backend service. We also conducted a virtual tour in one of the ‘Nest’, which is Zipline’s delivery station. With the help of onsite staff, we are able to see the operation live while understanding the challenges they face through the interaction. The condition and nature of the service help us to set a few principles down the line:

Ordering has to be fast while precise as every trip is a matter of life

Keep all parties informed as conditions are prone to change

Easy to monitor orders and give feedback when a problem occurs

Design

Visualizing the core experience

With a limited timeline, We start from the ordering flow as it generates the most user value. We created high-level user flow and key screens to showcase how the new experience might work. We then hand over the prototype to Zipline’s researcher to test it with both user and internal staff to get feedback for the team to iterate on.

Test

Optimzing the ordering flow

The results help us to identify three types of ordering scenarios - emergency, schedule, and resupply that cover the most needs of the medical supply. It also uncovered the different administrative rights and limitations when it comes to ordering management. For example, the medical products and quantity can vary depending on the level and scale of the health facilities.

Design

Integrating all the functions into one platform

With the positive feedback on the core features. We started to integrate supportive functionality such as login, onboarding, and profile to make the experience more complete. To make the app handy and self-explained to its user, we also explore different variations of how the feature show should be organized

Design

Define the product design direction

To make the app handy and self-explained to its user, we also explore different variations of how the feature show should be organized and what the home page should look like. Finally, we introduced three design directions for Zipline’s team to carry the product forward.

Outcome

The app design was proposed and got positive feedbacks from Zipline’s leadership and product team. They aim to launch the MVP with their new service in Nigeria, Africa, in Mid 2021. The product is expected to evolve continuously based on the local needs and scale to bring more medical supplies to millions of people in rural areas.

Final Design

In six weeks we turned the messy Whatsapp experience into a dedicated order platform with a streamlined workflow from placing an order, to tracking, acknowledging, and tools to managing all order-based activities. The new design covers three major order services with efficiency and responsiveness by integrating automation and proactive suggestions to guide all its users. With the data in place, it is also expected to help Zipline and the local government to better react, plan and manage the medical logistics across Africa.

  • 01.Optimized order flow
  • 02.Precise communication
  • 03.Better Logistic management

01

Optimized order flow

Build for speed

Time is critical when it comes to emergency cases, such as blood supply for childbirth. We shorten the order flow in just a few steps. When the requested products are unavailable, we provide alternatives to help facilities to fight the life and death situation.

Plan for future

Despite facilities having monthly medical delivery by trucks, many still rely on Zipline to refill their stock shortage. With the built-in calendar, a user can easily schedule a one-time or regular delivery and make changes directly in the app when the requirement changed.

Build-in smart control

Due to local regulation, facilities have different rights to access product types and quantities. To reduce the confusion, we build the limitation into the platform, showing viable options based on the facility type. When an order is too bulky, the platform will also guide the user to prioritize their order.

02

Effective communication

Real-time Tracking

Tracking packages on Whatsapp is a daunting task as it requires intensive human efforts to update the message. With the home page and order card, a user can easily check delivery status in real-time, change or cancel their order without the help of Zipline staff.

Precise Feedback

Since the package is solely delivered by drone, it relies heavily on the receiver to report if they get the right package. To make acknowledgment quick and precise, we predefined a checklist and common issues for the receiver to pick and choose. The precise feedback helps Zipline to quickly react to the issue without spending time to clarify it.

03

Logistic management

Order overview

Managing orders in Whatsapp is a nightmare as the interface is optimized for momentary conversation. With the history view, a user can easily see all the orders in different statuses, times, types, and categories. An advanced view is built for district leaders to manage orders across facilities and regions, and gain better insights to distribute resources and prevent abuses.

Admin controls

Even in the same facility, the staff has different rights to access the Zipline service depending on their administrative role. With the login system, the rule can naturally reflect on everyone’s interface. A facility leader can also adjust access right directly in the app. This helps everyone to focus on their job rather than navigating all the complex restrictions.

Logistic Insight

Zipline is looking to shift its service from the reactive mode to a more predictive manner. This means they need to understand the holistic supply pattern of each facility beyond their own data set. So we design a regular supply quiz to capture important information such as stock status, supply sources, and schedules. This helps Zipline to be more proactive to serve the needs of the future.

Reflection

Even in a remote setting, seeing the people in action brings tremendous empathy the to design process.

Studying the existing solution and artifact can reveal a lot of unexpected scenarios and constraints.

When designing for complex stakeholders, a service flow will give the designer an overview to take care of different needs while managing interest conflicts.

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