HEARINGLY
HEARINGLY
Bringing trust, clarity, and accessibility to the hearing aid shopping experience
Bringing trust, clarity, and accessibility to the hearing aid shopping experience
ROLE:
ROLE:
Head UX Designer
Head UX Designer
TIMELINE:
TIMELINE:
2024 - 2025
2024 - 2025
TEAM:
TEAM:
Founders, Devs, Graphic Designer
Founders, Devs, Graphic Designer
Hearingly.com
Hearingly.com
Background
Background
A modernized, accessible way to buy hearing aids online
A modernized, accessible way to buy hearing aids online
Hearingly is a Canadian hearing care provider that connects patients with audiological testing, expert advice, and affordable hearing aids. They wanted to launch the business and a build a platform that allows their patients to access hearing care, learn about hearing loss and to purchase hearing aids.
Hearingly is a Canadian hearing care provider that connects patients with audiological testing, expert advice, and affordable hearing aids. They wanted to launch the business and a build a platform that allows their patients to access hearing care, learn about hearing loss and to purchase hearing aids.
My Role
I led the 0-1 design of Hearingly's digital experience, spanning the marketing site, hearing-health education, product discovery, onboarding, and e-commerce journey. I translated a complex healthcare service into a clear, approachable experience for customers at different stages of their hearing-care journey.
Discovery
Discovery
Defining key issues
Defining key issues
I helped the client define site’s purpose, organize goals, and identify target user habits. We focused on uncovering key pain points in purchasing hearing aids
I helped the client define site’s purpose, organize goals, and identify target user habits. We focused on uncovering key pain points in purchasing hearing aids
Social stigma
Social stigma
Associations of hearing aids with aging or disability
Associations of hearing aids with aging or disability
Cost concerns
Cost concerns
High prices made users hesitant to commit
High prices made users hesitant to commit
Health avoidance
Health avoidance
Reluctance to confront yet perhaps another health issue
Reluctance to confront yet perhaps another health issue
Process fatigue
Process fatigue
Frustration with handling appointments and insurance
Frustration with handling appointments and insurance
Understanding our users:
Understanding our users:
Informed by our founder’s ENT expertise, we knew our primary users were middle-aged and senior first-time buyers. Early research also revealed several user groups with different goals and contexts. Some were ready to purchase, others still seeking advice or needed a hearing test.
I helped balance these journeys by identifying shared motivations and designing a flexible flow that worked for most users, without overcomplicating the experience by catering to every edge case.
Informed by our founder’s ENT expertise, we knew our primary users were middle-aged and senior first-time buyers. Early research also revealed several user groups with different goals and contexts. Some were ready to purchase, others still seeking advice or needed a hearing test.
I helped balance these journeys by identifying shared motivations and designing a flexible flow that worked for most users, without overcomplicating the experience by catering to every edge case.
Design
Design
The product challenge: a custom and flexible check out
The product challenge: a custom and flexible check out
Hearingly needed to make hearing care feel approachable online while balancing the requirements of a healthcare product and a relatively unfamiliar purchase.
One of the most complex parts of the experience was the hearing-test requirement. Customers needed test information to fulfill an order, but requiring it too early risked interrupting the purchase journey.
Design Considerations:
Design Considerations:
Accommodating different journeys
Accommodating different journeys
Buying and customizing the aid had to work for a user who has test, user who needs test, and user who skips test.
Buying and customizing the aid had to work for a user who has test, user who needs test, and user who skips test.
Aligning business goals
Aligning business goals
The “skip the Dr.” direction shifted. Users without a hearing test were encouraged to visit a clinic to support industry relationships.
The “skip the Dr.” direction shifted. Users without a hearing test were encouraged to visit a clinic to support industry relationships.
Reducing drop-offs
Reducing drop-offs
Many users didn’t have a test yet. and pausing to find or take a test disrupted the shopping experience.
Many users didn’t have a test yet. and pausing to find or take a test disrupted the shopping experience.
Enhancing customization
Enhancing customization
The experience had to feel personalized and high-tech, while providing clear, accessible technical information.
The experience had to feel personalized and high-tech, while providing clear, accessible technical information.
Initial direction
I prioritized getting test information as necessary, in your face step 1 since it was crucial data.
But it was overwhelming, trying to communicate too much, required multiple distinct versions, and distracted from completing or even starting a purchase.
I prioritized getting test information as necessary, in your face step 1 since it was crucial data.
But it was overwhelming, trying to communicate too much, required multiple distinct versions, and distracted from completing or even starting a purchase.
Final direction
Rethinking flow order
Rethinking flow order
I moved the hearing test upload step to after purchase, allowing users to complete checkout without interruption. This gave them flexibility to decide how and when to share their test results, while clearly communicating that results would still be required to finalize their order.
I also simplified and reordered the selections list so that users could start with the easier engaging selections first.
I moved the hearing test upload step to after purchase, allowing users to complete checkout without interruption. This gave them flexibility to decide how and when to share their test results, while clearly communicating that results would still be required to finalize their order.
I also simplified and reordered the selections list so that users could start with the easier engaging selections first.
Post check out continuity
Post check out continuity
I designed a modal for the post purchase screen where the customer can provide their test results. The user’s selection during checkout is recalled here, but they have the flexibility to change their mind if they wish.
I designed a modal for the post purchase screen where the customer can provide their test results. The user’s selection during checkout is recalled here, but they have the flexibility to change their mind if they wish.
The change created a smoother checkout experience, reducing drop-offs and building trust by giving users flexibility without compromising medical accuracy.
The change created a smoother checkout experience, reducing drop-offs and building trust by giving users flexibility without compromising medical accuracy.
Designing the broader experience
Designing the broader experience
I designed across the full customer journey, from learning about hearing loss to selecting, purchasing, and getting started with a hearing aid.
Impact
Impact
Removed a major source of friction
Removed a major source of friction
Moving hearing-test collection out of checkout allowed customers to complete their purchase before providing the information required to fulfill the order.
Removed a major source of friction
Removed a major source of friction
Customers could move forward whether they already had a hearing test, needed one, or had yet to obtain one.
Increased user confidence and clarity
Increased user confidence and clarity
It was a business priority that users felt supported and informed in making their decision to purchase an expensive piece of medical equipment. I made flexible flows that could meet users where they were depending on their hearing care needs and health care preferences.
It was a business priority that users felt supported and informed in making their decision to purchase an expensive piece of medical equipment. I made flexible flows that could meet users where they were depending on their hearing care needs and health care preferences.
Ivy
Kolb