HOW DO YOU EMPOWER CONSUMERS TO TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR HEALTH?
While Butler’s revolutionary in-home HIV test kits should have offered users some important answers, the kits’ confusing design and instructions led to fear and user error instead. Unwilling to let the kits’ reduced accuracy level go unchecked, Butler turned to THRIVE for a more user-friendly solution.
DISMANTLING THE PRODUCT EXPERIENCE
While studying the product experience, we found that, at best, the process was uncomfortable; and at worst, the potential for error made it terrifying. More specifically, many potential users were anxious about their ability to use the test correctly, so they didn’t buy it at all. Meanwhile, those who did buy the test were often so confused by its directions and overwhelmed by its spill-prone vials that false negative or positives were common and user confidence remained low.
STEPPING UP THE SIMPLICITY TO STOP USER ERROR
Addressing user error and user avoidance head-on, we started by rethinking the test’s comfort, clarity and ease of use. We decided we wanted something that could be completed one-handed with very little reading. In turn, we created a toothbrush-like swab that stimulated saliva production and a box that stood the vial upright for one-handed usage. Then, we filled the package’s lid with simple instructional graphics that illustrated the process more clearly.
PASSING THE TEST
In the end, by considering the form, function and emotional fallout of this vitally important test, we designed a product that succeeded on multiple fronts. First, it organically led testers toward more accurate outcomes. Second, its clarity and accuracy led to growing user confidence. Finally, and most importantly, the test’s trustworthy results and user-friendly design put sales on the rise.
