IZEL MARAS
Information
Resume
Linkedin
Read.cv


Head of Design 
Roon
2021 - 2024

Lead Designer
Verizon
2016 - 2020

Visual Designer
frog Design
2014 - 2016

AIGA Mentor

Tech Crit Advisor at 
Cornell Tech

Brooklyn 




Roon AI-Driven
Health 
Search & Ask 

WhatHelp users found medically vetted answers to their questions

Personas
Armchair Arman
  • Reads and learns at own pace
  • Extreme attention to detail
  • Aims to know as much as their doctor
  • Creates documents
  • Tries to understand research papers

social sandy
  • Navigates with others
  • Values community over information
  • Joins FB groups
  • Follows health influencers
  • Active on social media and Reddit

pay-it forward pen
  • Advocate
  • Experienced a challenging time
  • Has hard-won insights
  • Wants to help others

remote rajiv
  • Lacks access to quality care
  • Worried about health
  • Seeks information

Diagnosed Denise
  • Recently diagnosed
  • Overwhelmed by learning
  • Doesn't know where to start
  • Feels alone, sad, and anxious
  • Struggles with emotions



chronic carl
  • Long-term condition
  • Knows basics of management
  • Seeks improvement in quality of life
  • Doesn't want condition to define him

navigation nancy
  • Caregiver for ALS patient
  • Reads extensively about condition
  • Manages appointments
  • Stressed by caregiver role
  • Financially distressed
  • Puts own needs second



User Feedback & Metrics

On a weekly basis, 11% of active users perform a search.
The search exit rate shows how users use search to find videos. Search exit rate has been on decline by 20% each month, indicating users can’t find videos with search.Number of active users dropped 44% in the past 4 weeks, indicating, people can’t find the content they need, and exit the app.Users are confused around where to ask and where to search. “I thought that was ask” “I’d go to here to search [showing ask bar]”


Problems to Solve 

Product Issues
  • On a weekly basis, 11% of active users perform a search.
  • The search exit rate shows how users use search to find videos. Search exit rate has been on decline by 20% each month, indicating users can’t find videos with search.
  • Number of active users dropped 44% in the past 4 weeks, indicating, people can’t find the content they need, and exit the app.
  • When we asked users what they needed the most, they explained they need in 30 character or less.
  • Users are confused around where to ask and where to search. “I thought that was ask” “I’d go to here to search [showing ask bar]”

Usability Issues
  • Medically vetted content on Roon is hard to find through the current navigation.
  • Users can’t locate the search bar.
  • Users confuse the ask and search functions.
  • Users can’t find the Search Landing Page (SLP).
  • Many users are unaware of the different types of content available.
  • There's no way to search for experts, topics, or subtopics.
  • Many users can’t find the 'Ask an Expert' feature.



Goals

Reduce search drop off rates by 20% 
As measured by conversion of search page view to search result press


Increase search engagement by 20%
As measured by increase in unique weekly searches by active users


Reduce ‘Doctor Ask’,

As measured by reduced questions submitted to Roon.


Integrate AI to aid users find content 
As measured by video watches and use of AI-powered feature




Solution A
Improve Search answers by using AI to serve reliable and accurate content to user queries. 
  • Fine tuned Chat GPT with our question and answer library transcripts, and created a prompt that ensures all the answers are generated only from Roon’s medically vetted database.
  • Created an interface that allows users to ask a question to Roon and get answers with sources to our proprietary medically vetted video content
  • Added an entry point from home
  • Added an entry point from search


    Before





    User Problem
    Roon has medically vetted content, but they are hard to find from the current navigation







    User Problem
    Users can ask doctors questions, but wait times for answers are too long.










    User Problem
    Some users don’t even know where to start, what to ask, need to be guided. 






    User Problem
    Users want trustworthy answers to their medical questions.









    Solution B
    Make Search more accessible from high-traffic pages and improve navigation and query suggestions.


    • Merged topics tab and search tab and called it explore with search icon.
    • Made search function accessible from tab bar 
    • Redesigned a tabbed search landing page, where users can get topic, subtopic and expert match



    Before





    User Problem
    The search function is confusing, and difficult 
    to find. 







    User Problem
    There's no way to search for experts, topics, or subtopics. Many users are unaware of the different types of content available.






    Impacts & ResultsAI-powered Search is helping users ask meaningful questions and find answers with deep medical expertise.

    Search



    We observed a 24% increase in users clicking through a question instead of closing the Search page, well above our original goal to reduce Search drop off by 20%





    We observed a 9% increase in search page visits by active users.





    We observed an 85% decrease in users asking doctors questions, as AI now answers most questions accurately.





    AI-powered Ask



    80% of AI answers are voted up, indicating users are finding answers they need with the AI-powered ask.






    AI-powered ask e has increased by 6.29% since it’s launch on March 2024.





    AI-powered ask has been stealing traffic from global search.





    Users ask 2-3 questions a day to AI-powered ask.





    Lessons Learned
    • AI can be used to generate questions that users are likely to ask, that can be displayed as “Related Questions” suggestions to make search more efficient.
    • Design with search and AI computation times in mind, using motion to mask delays.
    • Clearly communicate AI limitations to users, preparing them for potential hallucinations and misleading answers.
    • Educate users on how to effectively use AI to achieve the best results, focusing on instructional guidance.


    Summary     ChallengeUsers found it challenging to locate answers using the current search function, which underperformed significantly. Many expressed a preference for quick answers rather than full video content, and the distinction between AI-powered Instant Answers and Search was often unclear. Furthermore, the process of asking doctors questions was confusing and slow. This issue was crucial, as Roon aimed to become the leading online platform for patients and caregivers seeking reliable health information.
    AudienceOur primary focus was on users and caregivers, particularly those aged 60 and above, who often have limited tech knowledge.
    ContextUsers primarily accessed our app on mobile devices to gather information before doctor appointments. Since patients and caregivers are often on the go and may not have time to watch videos, it was crucial to design a platform for Web Mobile, Desktop, and iOS (excluding Android) that offered quick access to medically vetted information.    SolutionWe revamped the search function by categorizing results into questions, topics, subtopics, and experts. The new design allowed users to ask Roon for instant answers directly while retaining the "ask a doctor" feature. To enhance accessibility, we placed prominent entry points for the Instant AI Ask experience at the top of the page.
    ResultsThe Instant Answer feature has been a success, receiving 80% upvotes from users. This indicates that our content library and AI effectively answer most questions, reducing the need for users to turn to external sources such as Google, Facebook groups, or Reddit.
    Year2024
    CollaboratorBen Powell 

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