COVID Alert App
7-day sprint — April 2021
In this case study, I did a quick 7-day sprint to improve Canada’s COVID Alert App.
Roles: UX Research, UI Design, Wireframing & Prototyping, Video Editing
Tools: Figma, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects
Understanding the Goal
Canada's COVID Alert App's mission is to protect each other and our community from the exposure of COVID-19. Using this app, users who are COVID-19 positive can inform strangers (who have the app and around them) that they've been exposed to the virus and need to follow the advice on what to do next.
Here’s the current user flow of the app:
Define the Audience
Everyone is encouraged to download the COVID Alert App. At a high-level glimpse, here are our audiences:
Our Essential Workers. They are the ones that are most likely in contact with people that have the virus so that it would be beneficial for their community if they use the app to inform others around them.
Employees that do not work from home. Considering that not all people work from home, it would be safe to assume that employees who are expected to interact with other people outside of their household would be a good target audience.
All of these people have the same motivation: to be informed and to warn others about their potential exposure to COVID-19.
The People's Context and Needs
I downloaded the app to put myself in the user's shoes and see how they would use it. Here is the probable context for someone who downloaded the COVID Alert App:
When
The app will be used by people whenever they go out and be around other people. As long as the users have their Bluetooth on, the app will continue to work in the background.
Where
Since most people bring their phones with them all the time, I assume that people would be using the app in the background wherever they go — at work, at the mall, or even when going for a walk.
Illustration by Maria Shukshina from Ouch!
Feelings
Users feel anxious waiting to see if they have been around who has COVID-19.
Illustration by Olha Khomich from Ouch!
Needs
The main need that we will address is that users need to feel that the app keeps them informed and updated as it checks potential risks in the background. They need a reason to keep the app on their phones.
Reviews from Users
I also checked out the current reviews and suggestions of the primary users of the COVID Alert App (via Apple Store and Google Play). Understanding their pain points and reading their recommendations opens up design opportunities to add to the app.
Ideate
Here are some of the ideas that came to my mind to solve the people's needs:
Visualization of the current cases of COVID-19 in Canada - a new feature could be added that will show the current number of cases within Canada. Users will get data from the Government of Canada directly to their phones. This way, they don't need to access the website to get news about the cases.
Show the last occurrence of code exchange - a confirmation of the last code exchange would give the users relief that the app is still working in the background.
Health Canada updates and news - news and updates about regulations or lockdowns shared through the app.
Daily Assessment Tool - a tool that helps people check to see if they are good to go outside.
Weekly data visualization of contact code exchange - similar to showing the last occurrence of code exchange, showing a data visualization of how many people they have been in contact with within 6 feet can help users be conscious of their social distancing.
Impact / Effort Matrix
I placed my ideas in an impact/effort matrix to see which one would be the most feasible at this time.
The Solution
Adding this self-assessment tool reassures the users that the app helps them track their symptoms.
Users can set their assessment notifications for daily or weekly use. They can do this in their settings.
I created a UI Walkthrough using Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects.