Hippo Scribe
The platform uses ambient listening or dictation to capture patient visits, automatically generates notes and integrates with existing Electronic Medical Record systems. Despite its promising AI technology, the initial MVP faced significant usability challenges that hindered user adoption and satisfaction.
May 2024 - Jul 2024
Lead Product Designer
UX research, usability, opportunity solution tree, UI design, clickable prototype, branding impovements
1 Product Designer, 1 Engineer
User needs
User problems
Creating template for patient's form
We simplified the templates section by merging preview and creation onto one screen, adding a video tutorial, and reducing unnecessary AI instructions. Users can create form templates for voice-to-text generation after patient visits, with a step-by-step guide for extra help.
Recording visit
We prioritized mobile UX since users record visits on their phones during the workday and later add them to EMR systems from their computers.
Hippo Scribe is a pre-seed startup with a limited budget and tight deadlines. To ensure we addressed the right problems from the start, I used the Double Diamond design thinking approach. By understanding user needs first, we prioritized impactful features and design changes. This iterative process allowed us to quickly prototype and test ideas, making sure our final design resonated with users.
In the discovery phase, I analyzed user feedback and conducted a heuristic evaluation to pinpoint the most critical areas for improvement in Hippo Scribe's user interface.
Heuristics
Violation
Recommendation
Severity
1. Visibility of system status
Aalways keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time.
Users are unclear about the progress of AI-generated text improvements.
User are unclear about recording status.
Implement a clear progress indicator for AI processing.
Add notifications/hints about status of recording.
3
2. Match between system and the
real world
Follow real-world conventions, making information appear in a natural and logical order.
Technical jargon in template creation confuses non-technical users.
Template page doesn’t correspond look like user can edit it.
Use plain language and healthcare-specific terms familiar to providers.
Redesign template view more similar to patient form
1
3. User control and freedom
Users should leave the unwanted state without having to go through an extended dialogue. undo and redo.
Difficult to undo or modify actions in template creation/visit page.
Add clear "undo" and "edit" options throughout the process.
3
4. Consistency and standards
Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing.
Inconsistent design patterns across different features: templates>patient forms, names (documentation/notes), color of buttons, states (primary default buttons have colors of hover state).
Develop and apply a consistent design language throughout the app.
2
5. Error prevention
Either eliminate error-prone conditions or check for them and present users with a confirmation option before they commit to the action.
Users can accidentally discard recording. It’s not possible to delete visit that was created accidentally.
Implement autosave and confirmation dialogs for critical actions.
4
6. Recognition rather than recall
Minimize the user’s memory load by making objects, actions, and options visible.
Content of templates and visits is not visible. User needs to make 3 extra clicks to see content from preview.
Make content of templates/visits visible and easily accessible.
4
7. Flexibility and efficiency of use
Accelerators. Allow users to tailor frequent actions.
Lack of shortcuts for experienced users in template creation.
Introduce advanced options and keyboard shortcuts for power users.
1
8. Aesthetic and minimalist design
Dialogues should not contain information which is irrelevant or rarely needed.
Cluttered interface with too many options visible at once. Too many nested forms that cause cognitive overload
Simplify the UI, prioritizing the most used features.
3
9. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
Error messages should be expressed in plain language (no codes), precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution.
Vague error messages during template creation/visit recording.
Provide clear, actionable error messages with suggested solutions.
2
10. Help and documentation
Even though it is better if the system can be used without documentation, it may be necessary to provide help and documentation.
Lack of easily accessible, context-sensitive help for key features. No hints for innovative features (e.g. Magic edit)
Implement an interactive guide and tooltips for complex features.
3
To understand and assess market trends, I reviewed competitor products, listing their features and identifying underutilized or problematic aspects.
Feature
Voice-to-text generation
Photo-to-text generation
Templates of notes
EMR integration
AI Edit using dictation
AI generated treatment plans
Real-time transcription
Session analytics
Support of multiple languages
Videocall within the platform








Burdensome documentation is a significant issue, ranked as the #2 reason for burnout among physical therapists.
Users value the AI-powered documentation that generates draft notes in 30 seconds after recording, significantly reducing documentation time up to 4 hours.
The ability to use Hippo Scribe directly within web-based EMR systems is a key feature for users.
HIPAA Compliance: Users are concerned about data security.
Users typically use recording apps across various platforms: desktop, mobile, and Chrome extensions.
Template customization
Users find the process of creating and modifying templates challenging.
The interface is not intuitive enough.
Interaction with AI
Users don't understand what to do to improve generated notes without support. They lack clear guidance on optimizing the AI for their needs.
Integration and sync
Despite offering EMR integration, users face difficulties in setting up
and sync to their EMR systems
Time spent on documentation per patient visit has been reduced from 20 minutes to 8 minutes, representing a significant 60% improvement in efficiency.
While the majority of users find value in the product, there's room for improvement in the onboarding experience and overall user satisfaction to reduce the 25% churn rate.
Number of clicks/steps to complete common tasks decreased from 15 to 7. This streamlining of the user journey is a direct result of thoughtful UX design.