Guest Mode
vs Ghost Mode
Delineating EKG data for users. The absence of Guest Mode limits the experience for shared users, making it harder to design for real-world use cases and show inclusive, growth-oriented thinking.
- Role
- Product Designer
- Timeline
- 3 Months
- Team
- 1 PM, 2 Devs
- Metric
- Customer Retention
Context
Kardia is a leading personal electrocardiogram (EKG) device and app that empowers users to monitor their heart health. This project focused on improving the user experience for a specific feature: guest EKG recording.
What was the need for Guest Mode? The absence of Guest Mode limited the experience for shared users, making it harder to design for real-world use cases and show inclusive, growth-oriented thinking.
Missed Opportunity
Missed Opportunity to acquire potential users.
Negative Experience
Users not able to save recordings for others thereby creating negative shared experiences.
Data Integrity
Need for better shared experiences and more polished data for the primary user.
Current State
Currently, the user can only save the recording from the Instant analysis screen.
The Bottleneck
By forcing a “Save & Close” action at the end of a personal medical analysis, the app failed to account for shared users (guests), forcing them to pollute the primary user's data or abandon the flow entirely.
The Problem
Negative Shared Experience. The friction between the guest user and the Kardia system creates a disconnect, highlighting the need for a better shared experience.
Solving For
Low Visibility
Users were often unaware that guest recording was even an option.
Inaccurate Data
EKGs recorded by guests without proper identification compromised the accuracy and personalization of the app's insights for the primary user.
Missed Opportunities
The existing flow did not effectively capture information about guest users, hindering potential future marketing and user acquisition efforts which would add to business revenue.
Solution Space
Design Principles
Clarity and Simplicity
Building Trust
Minimal Friction
Value The User
The Solution
Process
Quantitative Research
Understanding the Kardia user base and identifying that Guest Users are typically spouses, significant others, family, and friends.
Explorations
Iterating through various mobile UI screens, integrating medical-grade accuracy with consumer-friendly aesthetics.
Usability Testing
Reiterating on feedback through user flows, brainstorming sessions, and ideations for the guest recording experience.
Narrowing the playfield
The user can potentially be identified at three different stages. All of these involve user to confirm via User Input based identification or Biometric identification.
Before Recording
From the research, it was clear that asking users who is recording the EKG before the recording even begins has faced resistance historically & does not serve the best user experience.
During Recording
Not the most ideal place to get an interaction in because at this point, users are connecting the Kardia device with the mobile, and hands are engaged with recording EKG.
Post Recording
Ideal to confirm who has recorded the EKG.
Ideations & Testing
UI Ideations
Ideation 1
Checkbox at the bottom of the result page before saving.
Ideation 2
Mid-page context box integrated with the clinical data.
Ideation 3
Explicit assignment via a clear dropdown selector before the primary action.
Usability Test Outcomes
Ideation 3 (Winning Flow)
Existing Flow
Outcome
The Sticky Bottom Selection
Based on internal discussions and the future roadmap, we selected Ideation 3. It reduced friction for existing users while keeping options open for Guest users by providing an explicit, inline selection before the primary action.
Before & After
Results
Guest recording over time (avg. figures, since Q3 2024)
Learnings & Challenges
Mental Models
User mental models are important to understand as they dictate how users will navigate through a flow.
Business Alignment
Understanding the constraints and business goals early on goes a long way in shaping the optimal design.
Reduce Friction
Better UI should not come at the cost of worse UX. Reducing friction is paramount.
The Pre-Recording Dilemma
I believe identifying a guest even before the recording begins needs to be tested more. The intent for a user before recording is vastly different than a user who just wants to view the result post-recording.