Automating dental practices workflows

• Improved timings of order creation by implementing shortcuts

• Simplyfied navigation by including progress trackers and tips

• Adapted the order flow so it enables multi-product ordering from different product categories

• Designing solutions that allow users to customise their experience for different requirements

• Articulating experience principles the product should uphold for users and the brand

As a UX Designer, my role was to discover user's main pain points and deliver solutions that meet the technical requirements of the dental field.

I worked cross-functionally with product manager, dental team, engineers to drive direction and vision for our product.

Clear aligner was initially the only product users can order. It was meant to test the water and see if the concept of digital lab would work. Catching on fast, we started planning the expansion of the system to integrate other branches of dentistry: prosthetics, restorations and implants. We soon came to realise the technicality and complexity of the task ahead.

Generally, dentists work tight shifts and are self-employed so the amount of time spent on learning new concepts is limited. We had to find a way to balance learnability and efficiency to avoid distruption to their workflow.

We believe dental surgeries need our unified digital system for ordering products and patient management.

We will know this to be true when there's a high satisfaction rate amongst dentists which will lead to increase in orders.

Working cross-functionally with different departments helped recognise early on the main user needs.

After discussing with customer support team we found out that dentists often felt lost during the ordering process and had to rely on support.

The dental lab team expressed concern that order specifications will be incomplete if dentists struggle to navigate the system. This may result in spending more time on the phone with the clinics or even poor treatment results.

Structuring the experience

I used the functionality of the MVP as a foundational framework for the platform. Being able to setup an account and create a patient order were the basics that we needed to get right and improve upon.

Due to the industry-specific nature of the software and with new clients joining every week the time spent on training and subsequent costs had to be kept in check. The balancing act between learnability and efficiency had to be achieved.

The steepness of the learning curve and the efficiency of interaction would indicate how high is the productivity that users can reach once they've fully learned how to use the product. Implementing shortcuts seemed the most viable solution for carefully balancing learnability and efficiency.

Learning curve and the efficiency of shortcuts in the ordering flow.

Dentists have their own preferences and specific way of working so we decided to compile a 'best practices' report for each client and use it as a shortcut during the ordering phase. This will save them time by avoiding repetititve actions. Alternatively they will have the option of customising a case if they wish.

The progress bar feature was designed to offer more context by letting the users know where they are in completing a certain action. It also helps with learnability and memorability. We decided to try and integrate it in all our flows as a form of gamification and to minimize cognitive load.

Another concern was to offer users the possibility to place different type of products within the same order. Currently the software allows dentists to checkout multiple products but only if they're the same type of restoration and made of the same material (ie. metal, zirconia, etc.).

Taking a top-down approach to defining the overall framework of the experience required higher emphasis on planning and understanding how the new features will affect the system as a whole.

I generated stacks of ideas about the arrangement of UI, functional and data elements, and interactive behaviours. Starting broad, our vision began evolving into something tangible. A high‐level design language, interactions and minimalistic composition began to piece together.

I've created site maps to share with stakeholders and engineers with the purpose of establishing a common understanding of how the ordering process will look like.

Before moving to the design stage the developers suggested to map out the ordering system in its entirety so they can see how everything will fit in together. Thus I continued the site mapping for implant and restorative systems.

"Working together with the engineers using an Agile methodology allowed for adaptive planning and better time management."

The next hurddle was to turn these highly technical road maps into user friendly layouts that increase efficiency and improve navigation. Creating the blueprint allowed us to find patterns that can help devise workable solutions around every single piece of functionalty.

Understanding the usage contexts of the platform helped me develop a clear vision of the tonal expectations of our users. To communicate the personality of our app to our client and team, we developed a set of experience principles. These were used to sense‐check design decisions, articulate core values and describe key attributes the product should uphold for both the users and the brand. The principles were used constantly to drive the aesthetic, feel and overall tonal direction of the app.

Constant communication between departments has been pivotal in maintaing the vision and tone of our product throughout the design process. The deliverables for the clear aligner orders have been sent to the UI designers to refine the interface by adhering to our design system library.

We're planning to launch the new ordering flow for clear aligners to selected users first to gain feedback and fix any issues before fully going live.

These changes have improved the quality of service and there has been an increase in orders in the final quarter of 2022. The product that was in place before I joined the team was unidimensional and rigid. By demanding high standards from ourselves and the work produced we want to create a culture that seeks to earn trust through accountability, attention to detail and continuous improvement.

The approach of the company is for incremental developement of the SaaS platform based on research and feasibility. Besides delivering high quality dental restorations the company has to equally focus on the digital product that it's offering to customers. This challenge is not something that traditional dental labs have to deal with and is revolutionising the industry.

Improving the navigation and interface elements are an ongoing process. We learn from feedback and usability testing so we can further reiterate and minimise frictions. Now that we have a solid framework to build upon we can focus on developing the restorative and implant based systems on the platform. A unified internal system for communication between technicians and dentists is also in the works.