January Update

Projects still truckin’ along:

MOSS HID Den pilot site.   The design work for the Global Trigger Tool is completed, as well as v1 of the BRD – now I’m awaiting the assignment of a developer to work with on it.  The Oregon region website work is still pending.  I completed the review of the applicant pages and handed off my findings and recommendations – the customer was very pleased with my work.  The Reportal project is heating up with some solid work on metadata creation coming next week.

The only new project as of today is helping with a new intranet FAQ tool’s GUI standards.  Sounds interesting, but I haven’t received any details yet.

Continue to work on our iDUX sharepoint site, and study, study, study!

MOSS, GTT, PHOR, HR & Reportal, oh my!

The MOSS implementation continues.  I’ve been working with a Web Content Coordinator on a MOSS pilot of the HID Den as a way of showing and testing with users some of the features that MOSS will bring to the PeaceHealth intranet.

 The Global Trigger Tool is coming together well.  I’ve done a second mock-up of the UI and am waiting for customer sign-off on the design before going ahead with a developer (though there may be some added functionality being requested here soon…).  Also working on the BRD for this one.

 Looks like I may be doing some user testing for the Oregon region’s .org website as they integrate new Riverbend content.  It’ll be a great opportunity to match navigation and terminology to user’s tasks and goals on the internet side of operations.

 System HR wants us (WUDs) to do an expert review of their applicant system vendor product to help make it more user friendly.  This one is exciting because they asked for our involvement and it’s fairly high profile.

And I continue to help with the Reportal project as needed, as backup during contextual interviews, thought partnering the processes and solutions, and offering any insights that I can from my tangential perspective.

Tumor Board and Vascular Screening

My latest project is working on the creation of a database application for vascular screening.  It’s the first project I’ve been able to do from the start, meaning that I’m working with the customers and nailing down their tasks and workflows before passing the findings on to the developer.  I just finished writing up my findings and handing them off today.  It’s a fairly simple app/workflow/task set, but it also feels really satisfying to be shaping the User Experience from the get go for this app.

The Tumor Board app has been finished, but I’m still waiting to hear whether it’s been released to the customer yet.  When it has I’m planning on doing some testing with them to make sure their tasks can be completed and that the app is usable.  I’m also working on getting data sets from a vendor app into this app in order to avoid having data typed in manually by the radiologists – a process that’s not only time consuming but error prone.

I closed the Form Tool Redesign survey and passed on the findings to the the developer.  No amazing new discoveries, and an unfortunately small survey response (only three!), but better than nothing I suppose.  Not sure what the status of that project currently is, but it’s in the developer’s hands now.

The intranet directory redesign has been rolled out to much acclaim and positive feedback.  I’m gratified to have had a small part in making it a usable tool.

D and I have been involved in coming up with a long term URL naming strategy that takes into account a new production environment (moving from FrontPage to a MOSS/SharePoint environment) and new servers.  There exists a palpable tension between making the URL’s user friendly and the transition seamless and having the solution be technically feasable and doable (from an introducing new workflow stance) for the developers.  We’re still working through all the complications and concerns.

Also continuing to work with D on the Vision2012 Communication websites – many more interviews, conceptual models and requirements gatherings to go.

Looks like I may be travelling down to Eugene, OR at the end of July to take part in an Information Architecture discussion with MS about the new MOSS environment.

Getting Busier

The forms tool redesign is still moving along – I wrote a survey and sent it out to some forms users.  Three responses so far – now I have to decide how long to keep it up, or if I should send it out to others, or go with what I have.

Helped J.O. on a minor navigational question on a Med Recon form.

Did an expert review of a redesign of a directory.

Also did a short user interview and expert review of a Tumor Board meetings form.  Still working on that one – I’ll be talking with radiologists who also use that tool next.

It’s been very interesting working with the developers, getting to know their communication styles, and them getting used to having a usability designer as part of their process.  So far I’ve been “parachuting” in on these projects, but with the radiologist component of the tumor board I’ll be a bit closer to the beginning of the redesign.

We’re pretty well set up now with Morae – had a web tutorial on it last week, and on UserVue today.  We also purchased two webcams (Logitech Pro5000’s), and two Sony lapel mics.

Upcoming topics of interest include the pattern library, UI standards, and more UX training.  So far, so good.

Work In Progress

Let’s see.  I’ve consulted on an EIC Training Center required courses form, done an expert walkthrough of the new Quality/Vision 2012 site, and have started on my own usability project – a redesign of a forms tool.  I’ve conducted one user interview for that one and plan to do more this week.

We’ve also purchased Morae 2 and are going to “play” around with it this week.  Other than that I’m still in learning mode, keeping my feet under me as I grok the PH culture and make relationships, as well as keeping my usability chops sharp by studying up.

 -Miguel

Plugging Away

My start date was delayed until Friday 4/20 due to some unforseen complications with my background check (nothing I did!), so today is my third on the job.  I have my own office(!) and am slowly learning more about the organization.  I know I have a steep learning curve ahead of me as I explore both the PeaceHealth culture and health care in general – but I’m very excited and interested in it.

Dawn has been of great help getting me set up and comfortable here, and everyone I’ve met has been very positive.  I’ve invited Dawn to participate on this blog, and hope that Jon (and others?) from WWU UDT will also be active – this will be a great way to keep our orgs informed and move us toward future collaborations.

Right now I’m working on a proposal for software we can use for remote and on-site usability testing.

-Miguel

New Job!

I’ve been hired as a Web Usability Designer at PeaceHealth here in Bellingham.  My last day at WWU will be April, Friday the 13th(!), and I start at PH on the following Monday.

 I’ll miss working with everyone here at WWU, but I’m really looking forward to this new position.  I’ll be able to focus solely on usability, and it will be challenging, meaningful work.  I’m excited about working in an environment that is striving to be patient and family centric, and that is working towards a healthy community.

PeaceHealth works with a group of hospitals from Alaska to Oregon, so my work may also involve some travel.  As well, part of my job will be introducing and promoting user centered design tenets to the designers, content creators and stakeholders of this organization.

I plan on keeping my ties with the UDT here at WWU strong, and hope that opportunities to collaborate present themselves.  I think we can all benefit from working together towards our usability goals.  I’ll continue posting to this blog, as will Jon, and probably my new co-worker Dawn.

Forward!

-Miguel