Altera Digital Health — Sarah Bucko

Sunrise CarePath: Patient Portal App

Summer 2022 | GA Release Summer 2025

Role

Designer, researcher

Duration

11 weeks

Tools

Figma

Miro

Confluence

Overview

I worked as an HX Design intern with Altera Digital Health in 2022 where I, alongside another intern, designed a mobile application for a healthcare patient portal. We started with user interviews, research synthesis, personas, and journey maps. Following a 30/60/90% iterative design process, we created sketches, wireframes, prototypes, and final high-fidelity designs to hand off to developers and the current design team. I worked closely with my intern partner, the UX design and research team, product, and development.

I participated in weekly design share meetings, co-create sessions, and stakeholder presentations. We conducted usability testing throughout each phase of the design, incorporating user feedback to help shape the portal into the most usable and intuitive app it could be. This project culminated in a patient portal app that provided a holistic, personalized experience to engage and empower healthcare consumers. Our designs remained mostly unchanged, and the app, named Sunrise CarePath, is part of a GA release coming summer of 2025.

Research

Our design process for the patient portal app began with synthesizing prior research conducted by health informatics interns, which provided a foundational understanding of user needs and behaviors. Building on that, we conducted a series of targeted interviews across three key demographic groups: individuals in their 20s, parents in their 30s–40s, and older adults aged 60 and above. These conversations allowed us to gather deeper insights into each group's expectations, challenges, and preferences when engaging with digital health tools.

We translated our findings into personas and journey maps to build empathy and clearly visualize users’ thoughts, feelings, and real-world experiences. These tools guided the creation of storyboards, which illustrated potential scenarios of users interacting with the patient portal. From there, we developed design concepts that incorporated essential features, functionality, and content. Our prototypes were then tested with both U.S. and international users to validate usability and ensure the portal met diverse needs.

Process

After initial sketches, we used Figma to create wireframes and prototypes designed to meet the needs of both U.S. and international users. Through an iterative process of implementation, testing, and 18 feedback sessions, we continuously refined the designs to enhance the overall user experience.

Takeaways

1. Prioritizing Accessibility

Ensuring accessibility was a foundational element throughout the design process. From initial research to final implementation, accessible design choices were prioritized to create an inclusive experience for all users, regardless of ability.

2. Designing with Empathy

Empathy played a critical role in understanding and addressing the unique needs of patients. By placing users at the center of the process, the design aimed to empower and connect with them on a human level.

3. Ensuring Brand Consistency

Design decisions were aligned with existing company products to maintain brand consistency. This not only enhanced recognition and trust but also streamlined collaboration during the design handoff process.

4. Cross-Functional Collaboration

Collaboration with an interdisciplinary team—including researchers, developers, product managers, and stakeholders—was key to shaping a holistic, user-centered solution that met technical and business requirements.

5. Balancing User and Business Needs

A thoughtful balance was maintained between delivering a compassionate, user-focused experience and meeting business goals, ensuring long-term sustainability and impact.

6. Designing for a Global Audience

International considerations were incorporated to ensure the app could adapt to diverse cultural, linguistic, and regulatory contexts, supporting a broader range of users.

7. Communicating Through Storytelling

Mastering storytelling techniques helped articulate design decisions clearly to a variety of audiences, making the value and rationale behind each choice accessible to all stakeholders.

8. Embracing Change

The design process remained flexible and responsive to change. Feedback and evolving requirements were leveraged as opportunities to refine and improve the overall user experience.