It seems like just yesterday that I was starting a new chapter by taking a position as a Product Manager at the country’s second-largest hospital system, and putting my consultancy on ice. That plot line recently came to an end when the system decided to eliminate my freshly-created position in a blind effort to cut short-term costs. I fear their decision will have long-term negative consequences on the organization’s ability to harness technology for the benefit of improved outcomes and reduced service costs. The challenge of getting people engaged with their own health clearly reveals how important the digital and especially mobile channel is. I presented this message at the WebVisions Portland conference this past May. Here are my slides:
And somewhere there’s a video, too. The world is changing quickly, and the healthcare system as a whole needs innovation more than ever. It turns out that I was prescient in seeing my path as that of an entrepreneur: it has just been a tad sooner than I expected.
Onwards and upwards! I have brilliant news to share, and fresh story line to introduce. I’ve just created DHealth Corporation, a new business that will help deliver wellness services to the world and support a grounded, holistic approach to healthcare. We will provide a provider directory of all sorts of wellness practitioners, from acupuncturists to massage therapists to reiki to who knows what, those remarkable folks who deliver the sort of good experiences and wellness insights that we all need in a world that challenges our health at every turn. DHealth will also help these wellness specialists better connect with their clients through our friendly digital platform. Our forthcoming suite of designed tools will help transform the healthcare landscape in terms of where our precious monies are spent in the healthy pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. Let’s devise our own health…design our own healthy world!
I’m tremendously excited and anticipating the rush of start-up life with its attendant complexities. However, the key to it all is a mind-body balance and a harmonious center. So we’ll proceed at the right pace for the business, for ourselves, and for you. Let me know what you think of the new venture! I’m @ebacon on Twitter, and I also aim to get a Devise newsletter out soon announcing my professional progression. Use the form on this site to sign up and let me know it’s about DHealth. New website coming soonish…. There’s lots to do!
Revelation® is a start-up company that offers a rich internet application called PROJECT. Revelation PROJECT is used by Market Researchers and Design Researchers to conduct immersive, qualitative research studies that help answer clients’ business questions. Using PROJECT, Researchers arrange online activities such as daily diaries, photo essays, questionnaires, and other creative stimuli for study participants to provide a view into their lives and thoughts. Faced with usability issues as well as performance problems, Revelation engaged with Devise in order to meet three key project goals:
1) Define customer needs and conceive innovative solutions for PROJECT v2 that would be feasible and scalable.
2) Work quickly and efficiently to meet an aggressive target release date.
3) Integrate interaction design with their Agile XP development process.
This 40-day project with Devise involved User Research, Product Conception and Detailed Design plus support services. Read more for the full story….
Integrated Services Incorporated (ISI) is an established company that offers an end-to-end software solution for operating quick lube shops, called LubeSoft®. LubeSoft provides networked point-of-sale interfaces and back-office systems for inventory and personnel management. ISI wanted to pursue a new rich internet application that would display real-time business metrics in the form of a car dashboard. ISI was already marketing the dashboard concept at industry trade shows; although customers liked the general idea, ISI stakeholders were concerned that the design lacked usability and didn’t display the right metrics.
ISI engaged with Devise in order to meet three key project goals:
1) Understand customers’ needs and define a coherent vision for the LubeSoft Dashboard product.
2) Design an attractive and intuitive Dashboard user experience.
3) Provide a clear specification document in a short timeframe for their Agile development team.
This 21-day project with Devise involved User Research and Product Conception services with a short Detailed Design phase. Read more for the full story….
NOTE: This news is archived from 2007 and no longer applies as of 2012.
Devise features Interaction Design services supported by development. The Devise team collaborates well, communicates clearly, and integrates nicely with your processes. Chief Design Officer and founder Elizabeth Bacon applies her Interaction Design expertise to understand users’ needs & goals, create personas, define requirements, and conceive desirable & feasible products. Chief Technology Officer Mike McAulay provides high-quality software engineering and technical consulting. With our combined expertise we aim to delight users of your products and make your company succeed.
Here are the principal services we offer:
User Research
How do you know what to build? We conduct rapid field research to discover the behaviors and critical goals driving your target users. Studying and talking with people in context lets us define solid, data-driven personas that capture and reveal key workflows, mental models and contexts of use. These deep, insightful user models help inform your team and prioritize product requirements so your business can head quickly in the right direction.
Product Conception
Do you sometimes feel as if magical powers are required to define and design interactive products? Without resorting to any hat tricks we apply a proven, scenario-based approach to Interaction Design. You’ll get stellar innovation, and learn from the process. This service applies the full breadth & depth of our design expertise in order to conceive the proper features, forms & behaviors of your service or product. This service is usually augmented with Visual Design and extends into Detailed Design to provide high-fidelity user interface solutions and design specifications.
Interaction Design Training
We provide in-depth training to teach members of your organization how to perform effective user research and synthesize findings into desirable and feasible product requirements. Our powerful interaction design methodology uses a flexible, scenario-based approach that will help your team define products that exceed customers’ expectations. We also consider your organization’s development process in order to customize workshops and address the specific needs of your team.
Interactive Prototyping
We produce high-quality interactive prototypes that clearly communicate product solutions to your technical stakeholders and customers. An interactive prototype presents a compelling story of the product vision that inspires your team and secures stakeholder buy-in. Rapid, iterative prototyping facilitates decision-making.
Custom Software Development
Do you have a strange or unique technical need that’s not addressed by off-the-shelf software? Do you have a novel concept that you want to bring to life? We thrive on solving unusual technical problems. If it can be done with code then we can do it!
Read more to preview a sample consulting engagement….
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