© 2020 by Julia Snyder.
Julia Snyder
Human-centered designer based in Seattle, WA.
I revel in the opportunity to connect the big picture and the tiniest of details. I value the process of unraveling complex problems with the help of quantitive and qualitative data and strong teamwork.
Work
Portfolio pieces published here are from 2020 and earlier.
Contact me to request a recent work sample.
Emergency Room Suicide Intervention
This suite of tools is designed for use in hospital emergency room settings by patients experiencing a suicide crisis. The product line includes a web-app for in-hospital tablet use and a companion mobile app for continued patient use post-discharge.
The tablet app features a video library and a guided assessment via chat interface. Answers from the guided assessment populate a provider-facing decision support tool, to promote use of evidence-based care by emergency room physicians and staff.
The app is currently undergoing a randomized controlled trial.
Challenges:
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Connecting with users despite stigma, varying states of distress and isolation, and trauma of the experience of the emergency department setting.
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Balancing ease of app access for patient with protection of sensitive patient information.
Successes:
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Providing options for either realistic human guide or cartoon guide allows users to connect based on their preference.
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Reduced attrition and increased overall response rate on assessment after switching from multipage form interface to single page scrolling conversational interface.
Contributions:
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Defined full scope of project including research and design phases in direct collaboration with CEO.
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Conducted over 50 user interviews and usability tests with people seeking care in hospital emergency departments and inpatient units throughout the design and build process.
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Synthesized insights from users to inform initial designs as well as revisions and updates throughout development.
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Designed conversational user interface for assessment, including multiple iterations of user feedback.
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Collaborated with development team to write specifications for features.
Parent-Youth Paired Mobile App
With funding from the NIMH and a limited timeline, our team designed, built, and tested a paired mobile app that used GPS tracking to support adults caring for teens with conduct disorder and other externalizing behaviors.
Based on self-determination theory, gamification, and multi-systemic therapeutic approach, caregivers set up challenges for teens. Teens then accrue streaks and points by meeting the caregiver defined expectations.
The app is currently concluding a randomized controlled trial, results are promising.
Challenges:
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Designing rewards economy, testing streaks/success/failure to appropriately motivate and engage teens.
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Complicated quality assurance testing to validate GPS accuracy and reliability.
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Providing caregivers appropriate balance of structure and flexibility.
Successes:
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Pilot testing showed parents used the app on average 2.4 times per day, and teens used it 4.0 times per day. (Results from trial currently in analysis)
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Both parents and teens reported high satisfaction using the app over a 4-week period.
Contributions:
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Interviewed over 20 teens and parents throughout the design and build process.
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Engaged experts to ensure the influence of the latest scientific contributions.
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Managed 4 person development team, testing process, and releases.
Therapist-Patient Treatment Portal
Through this web tool, therapists can collect and track patient reported outcomes through assessments, as well as record session notes over time. Patients can use the portal to complete measures, enabling reminders as desired.
I inherited this therapist-patient portal product after the bulk of design and development. As PM on this project, I oversaw maintenance including system upgrades and bug fixes. During my time on this project, we also redesigned two main features: a new clinic management view and a mobile-responsive patient portal.
Contributions:
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Led process to define features and specs for new clinic management view.
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Designed mobile responsive patient portal.
Additional Projects
Skills
User Centered Design Process
Proficient facilitator & interviewer, eager experimenter,
empathic designer.