National Directory
of Healthcare:
Proof of Concept
Client: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Role: Lead Designer responsible for research, strategy, design, prototyping, and mentoring a junior designer.
Overview: A one-month proof of concept exploring untapped opportunities for their existing National Directory of Healthcare pilot, demonstrating the long-term potential of a national digital resource.
The Challenge
While the original pilot focused on enabling providers to update their own directory data online, I was tasked with envisioning the product’s potential—envisioning a scalable, public-facing tool that could serve not just providers, but also consumers, healthcare systems, and the broader public.
My Role
As the project lead, I owned the design direction from start to finish. I conducted research, led ideation, developed wireframes and high-fidelity designs, facilitated expert feedback sessions, and produced prototypes. I also mentored a junior designer throughout the process, helping them grow their skills in real time while delivering high-quality work on a tight timeline.
Week 1:
Research & Discovery
Rapidly immersed myself into the current pilot to understand its scope, limitations, and technical underpinnings
Identified stakeholder goals, user pain points, and regulatory governmental constraints
Analyzed provider vs. consumer use cases to surface broader product opportunities and needs
Benchmarked similar types of healthcare-related sites and services to identify further strategic opportunities and pitfalls
Week 2:
Ideation & Wireframing
Developed core user flows based on synthesized research findings
Created low-fidelity wireframes that prioritized content clarity and ease of use
Established structural foundations that could scale to support a public-facing experience
Week 3:
Feedback & Iteration
Led the facilitation of feedback sessions with healthcare and policy experts
Gathered insights on data usability, accessibility, and long-term viability
Identified and incorporated improvements based on feedback to refine interaction patterns
Adjusted features to enhance user relevance
“I used to work for the VA, and parking was huge - with PTSD, they would be exhausted by the time they got in the door.”
“Maybe a text message with a direct link–in addition to the email–would be helpful. This may be especially helpful for correcting data input errors quickly and easily.”
* Assets are intentionally blurred to protect IP
Week 4:
High-Fidelity Designs & Prototypes
Designed high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes while incorporating accessibility best practices
Refined content structure
Delivered a polished vision to stakeholders that clearly communicated our proposed functionality and future-focused opportunities at scale.
Outcome and Impact
The final proof of concept received strong stakeholder feedback and demonstrated the potential of the directory beyond provider use. Stakeholders were impressed by the strategic thinking, attention to user needs, and clarity of vision. This proof of concept laid the foundation for future iterations — and showcased my skills in UX leadership and scaling ideas quickly and effectively.
