As the project lead and director, I spearheaded the development of a health app for the US Department of Veterans Affairs, focusing on improving veterans' health during the pandemic. This challenging yet engaging project involved strategic vision, rapid prototyping, and continuous collaboration with stakeholders, ultimately leading to a successful prototype and ongoing development.
The health app project for the US Department of Veterans Affairs was both challenging and deeply rewarding. As the project lead and director, I was responsible for ensuring a strategic vision that addressed both current goals and future scalability, all while focusing on improving the health of our nation’s veterans. This was undoubtedly one of the most meaningful projects I’ve ever been involved with.
The primary challenge was addressing the issue of veterans either being unable or unwilling to follow up with their doctors, a situation exacerbated during the COVID-19 and post-COVID era. This project aimed to bridge that gap and ensure veterans stayed engaged with their healthcare providers.
Veterans in the United States have worse health outcomes than non-veterans, even when adjusted for age and other factors. This is unacceptable for these brave individuals and their sacrifice.
As the head of user experience and execution, I was tasked with balancing an aggressive timeline to develop a functional prototype, while ensuring thorough data analysis and conducting ad hoc user interviews with veterans in our network. The pressure to deliver quickly was immense, but it was critical that we did so without compromising on quality.
Agile Iteration & Collaboration
Understanding the importance of this project, I led the team through an agile process that involved continuous research, user interviews, and iterative wireframing. This dynamic approach meant we frequently adjusted our designs based on the latest data—a true “building the plane as you fly it” scenario. The process was challenging, but also incredibly exciting and rewarding.
Weekly meetings with the VA stakeholders were particularly rewarding, as they were able to see the application take shape in real time. Our ability to collaborate across various departments, quickly create ID mockups, and test new ideas ensured we maintained a positive consensus throughout the project. This approach allowed us to bring everyone along on the journey, even when the direction needed to pivot.
One of the most exciting contributions I made was the concept of gamification within the app, designed to motivate veterans to engage with their healthcare providers by achieving goals related to fitness and follow-ups. This idea was well-received and added a unique element to the app’s functionality.
The reception to the clickable prototype was overwhelmingly positive, leading to continued budget allocation and planning for future development. This experience reaffirmed for me that perfection isn’t necessary to achieve powerful results. By moving quickly yet carefully, our team was able to deliver a solution that holds significant potential for improving veterans' health outcomes.
