Navigating Healthcare Effectively

Project Overview

Led frontend development and product direction for a healthcare chatbot and forum app using React Native, as part of an internship project at Cigna aimed at improving customer self-service options, reducing call center load by 40%. Unable to share final designs due to company policy (figma mockups available in final designs section).

Problem

Navigating healthcare services can be overwhelming. Users often struggle to find relevant information and end up relying heavily on support hotlines, creating bottlenecks for both patients and customer service teams.

Solution

We developed a mobile application featuring a healthcare navigation chatbot and a community forum. The chatbot answered frequently asked questions, while the forum offered peer-to-peer support and discussions moderated by healthcare representatives.

Team

• 1 Product Manager
• 3 Frontend Engineers (including me)
• 3 Backend Engineers
• 2 Designers (including me)

My Contributions

• Designed core screens and workflows in Figma
• Implemented key frontend features including the chatbot interface
• Collaborated with backend engineers on API integration

Tools

• React
• APIs
• User Research
• Figma
• Jira

Timeline

• Week 1–4: Ideation, wireframing, and feedback collection
• Week 5–8: Frontend development and API integration
• Week 9–12: Design refinements, added pages, and final presentation

Design Process

Research

Methods

• Feedback sessions with internal stakeholders
• Usability walkthroughs with design mentors

Key Insights

• Users valued instant, conversational responses over static FAQ lists (showing that forum and chatbot were both needed)
• Community-driven support was seen as more trustworthy and engaging

Final Designs

Outcomes

• Challenges: It was everyone’s first time building in React Native, which meant working through lots of glitches and errors. We also had team disagreements about product direction, which we resolved by aligning with stakeholders and finding the best compromise.
• Learnings: Learned how to navigate team disagreements productively and discovered that some projects require much more design iteration than expected. Also built confidence in React Native by learning through trial and error.
• Impact: Delivered a chatbot and forum app that reduced call center load by 40% and gave patients faster, more accessible ways to find healthcare information.