Tono Health, Connect
Tono Health, Connect
Internal Referral Experience for Telehealth
Product Designer
Dec 2025 – Feb 2026
CEO, CTO, 3 Engineers
Tono Health is a telehealth dermatology platform connecting clinics and health systems to board-certified specialists. As the platform expanded, clinicians needed a way to refer patients to appropriate specialists in their area. Referrals were operationally required — but the experience lived in a dense, single-page interface that resembled a traditional paper referral sheet. Tono Connect was an early-stage initiative to explore whether referrals could become clearer, faster, and more cohesive within the platform.
4 week design sprint exploring different methods of referrals and onboarding clinicans onto tono connect.
Tono Health is a telehealth dermatology platform connecting clinics and health systems to board-certified specialists. As the platform expanded, clinicians needed a way to refer patients to appropriate specialists in their area. Referrals were operationally required — but the experience lived in a dense, single-page interface that resembled a traditional paper referral sheet. Tono Connect was an early-stage initiative to explore whether referrals could become clearer, faster, and more cohesive within the platform.
4 week design sprint exploring different methods of referrals and onboarding clinicans onto tono connect.
Problem
Problem
Clinicians prioritize speed.
Clinicians prioritize speed.
The existing referral interface placed all required fields on a single dense page with minimal visual grouping, no progress feedback, and heavy scanning demands.
The existing referral interface placed all required fields on a single dense page with minimal visual grouping, no progress feedback, and heavy scanning demands.
While the format was familiar and functionally sufficient, it compressed cognitive load and offered little structural guidance. The Chief Medical Officer raised a critical concern: a multi-step flow might feel longer than a single page, even if it improved clarity. This surfaced the core product tension: How might we introduce structure without slowing clinicians down?
While the format was familiar and functionally sufficient, it compressed cognitive load and offered little structural guidance. The Chief Medical Officer raised a critical concern: a multi-step flow might feel longer than a single page, even if it improved clarity. This surfaced the core product tension: How might we introduce structure without slowing clinicians down?
Solution
Solution
Breaking down the single page form into a 3-step process.
Breaking down the single page form into a 3-step process.
Onboarding onto Tono Connect.
Onboarding onto Tono Connect.
Explorations
Explorations
The original interface prioritized density and familiarity, consolidating all referral information into a single page. Breaking it down help users' focus and digest information easier.
The original interface prioritized density and familiarity, consolidating all referral information into a single page. Breaking it down help users' focus and digest information easier.
Iteration
Iteration
The referral flow iterated from: 5 steps → 4 steps → 3 steps
The referral flow iterated from: 5 steps → 4 steps → 3 steps
5 steps
5 steps
4 steps
4 steps
3 steps
3 steps
Each iteration reduced user perceived friction while preserving all necessary information. In healthcare, user perception matters.
Each iteration reduced user perceived friction while preserving all necessary information. In healthcare, user perception matters.
Validation
Validation
The referral system received internal validation from the CEO, CTO, and Chief Medical Officer.
The referral system received internal validation from the CEO, CTO, and Chief Medical Officer.
"wonderful" - Ethan Cohen, CTO
"wonderful" - Ethan Cohen, CTO
"beautiful" - Bryson T, CEO
"beautiful" - Bryson T, CEO
Next Steps
Next Steps
Tono Connect has been shipped. It is an ongoing project that is being used by clinicians and receiving feedback and validation.
Tono Connect has been shipped. It is an ongoing project that is being used by clinicians and receiving feedback and validation.