MEDQUEST: Design for Order Flow
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UI DESIGN: Enhancing Order Services Flow
EMPOWERING PATIENTS THROUGH JUSTICE
When patients turn to lawyers for help, they're often navigating some of the most challenging moments of their lives. At MedQuest, a legal services company, I had the opportunity to work on redesigning an ordering flow that streamlines complex medical cases by providing essential medical cases and legal services, giving lawyers faster, clearer insights- so they can focus on winning cases and securing justice for their patients.
THE PROBLEM
Although I wasn’t involved in the initial research, I received insights revealing that MedQuest clients found the ordering process for these legal services overly long and complex. To address these concerns, MedQuest collaborated with an internal UX designer to refine the flow. They then brought me on board to enhance the UI and ensure a more intuitive and streamlined experience.
WHAT DO THE USERS EXPERIENCE?
UNDERSTANDING THE ORDER SERVICES FLOW
Although our lead UX designer initially created this flow, I joined the project mid-way and wanted to gain firsthand insight into the users and their tasks. To do this, I conducted a task analysis to better understand the order services process. MedQuest identified that the primary users were paralegals and legal support staff who sign up on behalf of attorneys.
To ensure our design decisions aligned with user needs, I developed user personas, including Daniel, a representative paralegal, to guide my analysis. By stepping through the order flow from Daniel’s perspective, I uncovered key usability issues that hindered efficiency and clarity.
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PAIN POINTS DISCOVERED IN THE NEW FLOW
LACK OF PROGRESS INDICATOR
Users had no clear sense of navigation or where they were in the process.
UNCLEAR STEP NAMING
Steps were too vague, failing to set expectations for what users needed to do.
CTA Inconsistencies
Button labels varied, creating confusion about next steps.
OUR GOAL: ADDRESSING INITIAL USER PAIN POINTS
Despite these new pain points, the flow did serve its fundamental purpose–users previously found it too long and expressed feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of service options. To address this, our lead UX designer introduced a filtering step to narrow down legal services based on case type or practice area—making the selection process more manageable for our users.
The question remained: Would this new step be intuitive for users?
I was determined to answer this after applying the UI design
UI DESIGN VISION: Branding Style Guide
THE VISION
To maintain brand consistency and scalability, I aligned my designs with MedQuest’s established branding guidelines. This ensured that the visual identity remained cohesive while also enhancing usability. To ensure a strong design foundation, I conducted competitive research on legal services companies and identified key design principles:
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WAS OUR DESIGN INTUITIVE? Somewhat...
USABILITY TEST: OBJECTIVE AND PROCESS
Research Objective: How successfully can users use the flow to order their services in a timely manner and receive final confirmation? Do they understand the options presented to them, as in the division between by practice type and by case type? Is this the clearest way possible for them to order services?
USABILITY TEST FINDINGS: WHEN YOU GET MIXED REVIEWS
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PROPOSED SOLUTIONS: The Service Selection Preference
RETHINKING OUR APPROACH
Our initial solution wasn’t as successful as we had hoped. While one user liked the distinction between case type and practice type, another was indifferent, and an experienced user found it unnecessary. So, how could we create a solution that worked for all?
To tackle this, I collaborated with our UX designer in a design brainstorming session, where we explored ways to balance flexibility and usability. Our solution: The Service Selection Preference—a one-time selection at the beginning of the flow that lets users choose how they want to order services: by practice type, case type, or all services.
This approach gave users control over their experience while preventing unnecessary friction in future orders.
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APPLYING OTHER SOLUTIONS: INFORMATION ICON & FILE SIZE
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DESIGN CHALLENGES: Adjusting for Development
Constraints
A TIME CRUNCH AND A TOUGH DECISION
When I joined the project, we were working under a hard deadline. While the UI was completed on time, our developers faced unexpected challenges. During one of our weekly meetings, they raised a critical issue: implementing guest checkout—which allowed users to order services without creating an account—would require significantly more time than the company was willing to invest at this stage.
To keep the project on track, we made a strategic decision: pause guest checkout for now, launch the platform as soon as possible, and revisit this feature in version 2.
BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD: STREAMLINING ACCOUNT CREATION
Since users now had to create an account before ordering, we recognized an opportunity to simplify the order flow. Originally, Step 1 required users to fill in all their contact information—but if they were already providing these details during account creation, this step became redundant.
Our solution? We extracted Step 1 from the order flow and repurposed it into a quick, two-step account creation process. Now, instead of re-entering their details, users would simply review and confirm their information at the start of the order process—creating a smoother, more efficient experience.
We even added autofill options so users could easily find their firm and attorney with ease, making the sign up process efficient and succinct.
THE REVISED STEP 1 OF THE ORDERING FLOW
SUCCESSES & REFLECTIONS
Through iterative design, user testing, and collaboration with developers, we transformed MedQuest’s order flow into a more intuitive, user-friendly experience.
IMPROVED USABILITY
Users had clearer expectations at each step, thanks to better progress indicators, revised UX copy, and intuitive modals.
REDUCED CONFUSION
Key areas of misunderstanding (e.g. service distinctions, file size) were addressed with strategic tooltips and recommendations.
MORE EFFICIENT FLOW
By refining account creation and eliminating redundancies, we streamlined onboarding while still aligning with development constraints
NEXT STEPS
While the guest checkout feature was postponed, it remains a priority for Version 2. Future iterations will focus on:
Guest Checkout
Implementing the "Guest Checkout" so users can easily purchase services without having to create an account beforehand.
Save Your Work
Including a "Save" option so users have the ease of coming back to their order at any point and time.
Dashboard Experience
Optimizing the dashboard experience once users have logged into their accounts so repeat users can ensure faster reorders.
This project reaffirmed my belief that great design isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about adaptability. By balancing user needs with technical constraints, we built a system that works now while remaining scalable for the future.