B2B & Healthcare
Medical Direct
An online marketplace that connects manufacturers and sales representatives with medical businesses, providing them a platform to directly market and sell their products.
Duration
Collaborators
Tools
15 Weeks | Jan - May 2023
Figma, Miro, Qualtrics, Lucidchart
Researchers, Designers, Product Managers
Project overview
In the fast-evolving healthcare industry, the need for innovation is crucial. Medical Direct aims to address inefficiencies in the medical device market by offering a direct platform for manufacturers and sales reps to connect with medical businesses. This streamlined approach reduces costs, improves transparency, and accelerates access to critical technologies.
Metrics
Increased customer satisfaction post survey
20%
User Adoption Potential
75%
85%
Improved Communication
Contributions
01
Designed ADA-compliant prototypes for a B2B medical sales platform delivering data-driven recommendations to stakeholders.
02
Conducted benchmarking studies, 100+ surveys and 15+ interviews, to inform design strategy and map user journey.
03
Leveraged user-centric methods to optimize B2B medical sales process and boosting customer satisfaction by 20%.
Problem
01
Inefficient Distribution Channels
Complex Purchasing Process
The medical device market is dominated by wholesalers and distributors, leading to inflated costs and slow, inefficient supply chains.
The current system is time-consuming and overly complex, delaying quick access to needed products.
Manufacturers and sales representatives struggle to directly reach medical businesses, limiting their ability to market and sell products.
Lack of Direct Access
02
03
Solution
End-to-end design of marketplace
The marketplace is divided into two main sections: Products and Communication, each with unique access for manufacturers and medical sales representatives. Users start by exploring products and requesting a quote (RQR), which is integrated with the general messaging system—the primary communication channel. Once all product details are gathered, the process is straightforward: adding items to the cart and completing the purchase. Additionally, the platform features a Medical Events Page, showcasing industry events in the area, allowing users to network, market their products in person, and build connections. This structure ensures a seamless experience for both manufacturers and sales representatives, streamlining communication, transactions, and professional networking.
In the dynamic landscape of the healthcare industry, innovation is not just a choice but a necessity. After the secondary research we observed following trends that highlights current scenario of medical device market.
As the global medical device market continues to expand exponentially, with millions of products flooding the market, it's imperative to navigate through this vast landscape efficiently.
The compound annual growth rate of the medical device market is projected to surge, indicating a growing demand for streamlined distribution channels.
A significant portion of this market is monopolized by wholesalers and distributors, often leading to inefficiencies and inflated costs.
Process
Surveys and Inteviews
Qualitative research
To gain deeper insights into the challenges faced by medical businesses in procuring medical devices and to inform the development of Medical Direct, a series of surveys and interviews were conducted.
Participants were asked about their current suppliers, methods of submitting purchase orders, and their pain points in the procurement process. Additionally, questions delved into the specific features and functionalities they deemed essential in an online marketplace for medical devices. These surveys and interviews provided invaluable feedback and shaped the strategic direction of Medical Direct, ensuring it meets the needs of its target users effectively.
A significant portion of respondents expressed frustration with the inefficiencies and delays associated with the current procurement process.
There is a strong desire among medical businesses for a more streamlined and transparent method of purchasing medical devices directly from manufacturers.
Participants highlighted the importance of having access to a wide range of products and brands on a single platform, allowing for easy comparison and selection.
Concerns regarding product authenticity, reliability, and after-sales support were frequently mentioned, indicating a need for robust quality assurance measures.
Surprisingly, the current top three methods of purchasing orders include emails, phone calls, and navigating through various online websites, suggesting a fragmented and less efficient procurement landscape.
Many medical businesses rely heavily on traditional methods for procuring medical devices, such as working through established wholesalers and distributors.
Key insights emerged from evaluation of survey responses and interviews
Starting off with understanding the current medical device distribution landscape
Most manufacturers sell to distributors at large volumes
Pros
Increased reach to a wider range of customers
Reduced sales and marketing costs
Lower costs for large healthcare organizations
Cons
Reduced control over pricing
Loss of direct contact with customers, which increases miscommunication and delays information
Reduced brand recognition
Increased competition between other manufacturers Dependence on distributors for sales
Understanding US medical distribution system
Contextual Research
and feature ideation
Benchmarking
In order to position Medical Direct effectively within the market landscape, a comprehensive competitive analysis was conducted. This analysis aimed to gain insights into the strengths, weaknesses, and strategies of existing online marketplaces catering to the medical device industry.
By evaluating key competitors, their product offerings, pricing models, and customer engagement strategies, we sought to identify opportunities for differentiation and innovation within Medical Direct. This process involved thorough
Examination of competitor websites
Customer reviews
Industry reports
to inform our strategic decision-making and enhance the value proposition of Medical Direct.
B2B Marketplace | Content
The search bar is divided into products & manufacturers, implying that many users will filter through manufacturers
Very detailed company profiles
Gives manufacturers more interfaces to introduce their company information and available products Emphasis on the display of corporate images
*Users look for long-term partnerships*
Marketplace | Price and bargaining
Product prices are affected by:
Quantity purchased
Type of product purchased
Lead time to receive product
Negotiation between the sellers
There is an emphasis on communication between sellers and buyers in order to negotiate the best prices.
*Giving buyers option to negotiate prices would be beneficial to both the parties*
B2B Marketplace | Communication
Dedicated chat system within the webpage to create your own contact list for sellers to maintain business relationships
Request for quotation from seller of the entire site
Sellers can be contacted in a variety of ways
*Relationships need to be maintained between sellers and buyers after the transaction*
Competitors | Product Search
Products on websites are classified by
Product application area
Manufacturing brand
Product type
Users can search by brand for:
Instructions on using the device
Supplemental information is included as PDFs
Standardization allows for clarity
*Current medical device distributor websites have consistent organization*
Competitors | Product Search
Products on websites are classified by
Product application area
Manufacturing brand
Product type
Users can search by brand for:
Instructions on using the device
Supplemental information is included as PDFs
Standardization allows for clarity
*Current medical device distributor websites have consistent organization*
Information Architecture
Through discussions with experts, we gained valuable insights into how users engage with AI-driven systems, including their expectations, preferences, and pain points. By considering expert perspectives on human-AI interaction, we identified key factors for designing intuitive interfaces and seamless user experiences.
Understanding the strengths and limitations of generative AI models allowed us to implement features that not only boost user engagement and satisfaction but also minimize potential sources of frustration or confusion.
Style guides
Leveraging Midjourney, we curated themes and designs that resonate with the target audience, ensuring a cohesive and impactful visual identity that reflects professionalism and trustworthiness in the medical sales sector.
Final Designs
Simultaneously while working on Designs our development team explored some really cool things like Controlnet morphing, frame interpolation for large motions, and even played around with Controlnet plus dream booth.
Reflection
Reflecting on designing a direct medical sales platform has been pivotal in my growth as a designer. Initially challenged by the intricacies of the medical industry, we conducted thorough secondary research and stakeholder interviews to uncover key insights and user needs. The service design brainstorming sessions were instrumental, helping us map consumer interactions—from initial product discovery to delivery—while strategically aligning with stakeholder roles.
Iterative prototyping and stakeholder presentations refined our solutions, emphasizing user-centric design and operational efficiency. This experience underscored the importance of empathy in design and the value of collaborative client engagements. It deepened my skills in research, ideation, and prototyping, reinforcing my dedication to creating impactful design solutions that resonate with users and meet business goals effectively.
