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L  i  f  e    A  l  e   r  t

Changing Brand Perception with UX Design

Life Alert

 

Life Alert has a shrinking market share in the medical industry as competitors continue to enter the market.

The current Life Alert website struggles to communicate the available options and services to the new users and does not live up to the expectations of the current users

Problem 

Our Goals  

Identify the disconnect between the product and the users.

Identify emerging segment of new users and connect with them

Create an impactful web presence for existing and new users that can fulfill their goals

User Experience Student

My Role

User research/ Interviews

Competitive analysis

User sentiment analysis

Persona Study

Storyboarding

User flows

Information architecture

Wireframing

Usability testing

Techniques

Google Analytics

Sketching

White Boarding

Photoshop

Sketch

Tools

User research

Personas

Wireframes

Clickable prototype

Key Deliverables

Our Team

Swapna Kulkarni

Mari Hasu

Scope- 

Open

User Research

User Interviews

Our Test users

  • Young professionals who grew up watching Life Alert commercial on TV

  • Adults who pushed the boundaries of social norms to lead a purposeful and active life

  • Elderly who believed  in catching up with the internet times

All of them were aware of Life Alert -  In a totally different light. 

"Life Alert! what a joke! That's not for me!"

 

"I havn't fallen down and I don't need a Life Alert."

 

" Even my grandpa thinks Life Alert is dated!"

User identified with the Life Alert parodies than the actual brand

User Research

Current User Experience

  • Inconsistent Design Standards

  • Confusing navigation

  • Confusing discovery

  • Confusing User flows

  • Lack of Hierarchy

  • Lack of personal user space ( account) 

  • Fragmented information

User Task: Select a product suitable for you and purchase it

Answer to the every user query

Users could not complete a basic task of finding a product and purchasing it online

User Research

Quantitive User Surveys

How users felt about Life Alert?

Its not for me

I am too young for medical alert

Its for old, lonely people

Its for disabled people

Its for sick people

I don't need it

How users felt about the website?

Too much content

Too many colors

Too many fonts

Too many buttons

Too exhausting

Too confusing

Inadequate

Frustrating

What user expected from LA website?

Find more about LA products

Figure out which product is best

suited for me

Compare pricing

Buy product online

Most of our  test users said they will not have Life Alert as their primary medical alert system

User Research

Key Findings

Existing web presence of Life Alert did not connect with users functionally or emotionally

And the STIGMA associated with the brand was far more severe to the users.

 

Users associated Life Alert products  with a sign of weakness and old age

What if Life Alert was not a joke?

And we could actually motivate users to feel empowered with Life Alert?

Brainstorm & Ideation

Persona Study
  • Ambitious career woman, Tech-savvy

  • Has a job of her dreams

  • Often works late at night and walks alone

  • Does not want to give up on her career 

  • Personal safety is important to her

  • Does not want to call 911 every time she walks alone

Cathie, 46

Has a Demanding Career

Edith, 75

Strong, Independent Woman

  • Strong Independent Woman

  • Minor health problems

  • Enjoys living in her own home

  • Cultivates many hobbies

  • Enjoys spending time with friends

  • Wants to live life on her terms

  • Wants to be prepared in case of health emergency

Brad, 19

Wants an active life style

  • Young, Tech-savvy teenager

  • Has a medical condition

  • Wants to enjoy his life like other teenagers

  • Wants to be pro-active in case of emergency

  • Does not want his parents tobe worried about him. 

Brad's Scenario

Brad is always just one push away from appropriate help. When he pushes the help button on Life Alert mobile,  help can arrive already knowing his condition and how to treat it. 

Concept Map - Persona concerns, motivations, goals

Design Goals

  • Appropriate Hierarchy

  • Consistent design standards

  • Easy navigation

  • Easy user flows

  • Helpful discovery

Branding Goals

  • Brand Awareness

  • User Education 

  • Positive Association

  • Emotional Engagement

  • Strength , Courage , Hope

  • Address age related stigma

Site Map

Brad's User flow - Informative

Cathie's User flow - To the point

Edith's User flow - Traditional 

DESIGN

Initial Iterations
Home 1
Home 2
Product Listing Page
Product Detail Page
Simplified Check Out
Initial User Testing
  • Increase Discoverability

  • Tie user goals  to the appropriate products

  • Make user account visible

  • Too many calls to action

  • Work on the color guide

  • Checkout could be one easy flow

DESIGN

Initial Wireframes - Creating Hierarchy

Home Page

Product List Page

Product Detail Page

Brand Awareness

DESIGN

Low -fi mockups

Findability

Colors -

Calm, cool, peaceful

Images-

Happy, smiling

Confident, positive

Brand Awareness

Connecting with users of varied age

demographic

User Education

Most popular

Products

Clear call for action

Efficiency

Most popular products

Inclusive of all

age groups

Overview of products

Readability

Convenience 

See reviews. 

Product Overview

Pricing Information

For new users

For traditional users

Product features

explained

Brand Awareness

User Stories

Recommendations

User Feedback

  • Content structuring was helpful

  • Navigation was efficient

  • Products were easily discoverable

  • It was easy to learn which product was best suited

  • Comparing products and buying them online was easy

  • Sense of positive feeling 

  • Users from various age group could relate to the products

  • Search feature was missing

  • Call to action could be more clear on the home page

Key Takeaways

User research is the most vital part that can lead to correct design decisions. 

UX process can help enhance user experience as well as brand perception

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