Over 90% of NuSmile’s 12,000 users—primarily pediatric dental assistants and administrators—now access our content via mobile. However, they often struggle to find product information, register for educational webinars, and manage orders efficiently on the go.

We discovered a key problem: fragmented workflows further added friction by forcing users to switch between multiple platforms.

Target Audience

• Primary Users: Pediatric dental assistants and administrators

• Region: North America & Canada

• Demographics: 65% male, 35% female (noting a growing trend of female dentists in younger generations)

• Age Range:

  • Pediatric Dentists: 40-50 years old

  • Dental Assistants/Admins: 25-35 years old

• Key User Needs:

  • Easy-to-navigate, quick-access platform

  • Seamless shopping and ordering experience

  • Effortless webinar and workshop registration

  • Reliable mobile-first approach for efficiency

User Research Questions

To understand user behavior and pain points, we conducted surveys and interviews with key stakeholders, focusing on:

• How do users engage with the NuSmile shop?

• What challenges do users face when accessing education and promotions?

• What are the most important features for streamlining product discovery and purchasing?

• How can we improve the webinar and workshop registration experience?

Persona & Empathy Map

Dr. Laree Johnson (51) – Pediatric Dentist & Business Owner

• Pain Points: Managing product orders, attending CE webinars, and tracking promotions require multiple platforms, leading to inefficiencies.

• Goals: She needs a mobile-friendly solution that allows her to browse offers, register for weinars and workshops, and purchase dental products without disrupting her daily workflow.

• Quote: “Ordering supplies and managing education shouldn’t take up this much of my time.”

MVP - Minimum Viable Product (Prioritized Features)

After conducting user research, we identified the core features that would provide the most value to users. The NuSmile App MVP includes:

• Product Catalog + Quick Ordering

• CE Webinars + Education Hub

• Case Studies + Expert Resources

• Account Management (Orders, Invoices, Support)

Nice-to-Have (For Future Iterations, Beyond MVP)

• AI-powered recommendations

• In-app support chat

• AR product try-on

• Professional community

• Inventory management

Initially, our goal was to create a fully integrated app that streamlined product ordering, education management, and inventory tracking for pediatric dentists. However, after conducting extensive stakeholder discussions and market research, we identified that developing a robust inventory management system would require a significant resource investment and shift our focus into a different segment of the tech industry. Given NuSmile’s current growth trajectory, stakeholders and I determined that prioritizing an efficient e-commerce and education platform would provide the highest value to users without overextending development efforts.

Since there are no direct pediatric dental competitors (e.g., Kinder, Cheng, Sprig) with an all-in-one centralized app, we adapted our competitive analysis to examine existing medical inventory tracking software. This allowed us to explore functionality gaps and usability insights from related industries that could inform our design approach.

Key Findings

• Complex inventory tracking systems dominate existing solutions – Most platforms cater to large-scale medical procurement, which isn’t a direct fit for NuSmile’s niche market.

• Competitors lack a centralized user experience – Many dental professionals use multiple disconnected platforms for ordering, tracking, and education, leading to inefficiencies.

• Customer support is a major friction point – Users often experience delays in getting help with orders, which could be mitigated with an in-app chat feature.

Instead of competing directly with inventory management software, NuSmile’s value proposition focuses on: a centralized, mobile-first experience optimized for pediatric dental professionals’ workflows.

Focused on Key Aspects: Card Sorting → Sitemap → User Flows

To create a seamless and intuitive user experience, we conducted a card sorting exercise with five pediatric dental professionals to refine the app’s navigation structure. The goal was to understand how users naturally categorize features, ensuring that the final navigation system aligns with their mental models and workflows.

Card Sorting Methodology

We used closed card sorting, where participants were provided with predefined categories (Home, Shop, Cart, Education, and Account) and were asked to sort key features into these groups. This method allowed us to validate whether the predefined categories made sense and identify any potential areas of confusion or overlap.

Key Findings & Navigation Structure

Participants grouped features into five distinct sections:

• Home – Quick links to orders, education, and promos

• Shop – Browse + product discovery

• Cart – Standalone checkout experience

• Education – Webinars, CE content, case studies

• Account – Order history, support, profile

Insights from Card Sorting

• Users expect shopping and checkout to be separate experiences – The Cart section was universally seen as purely transactional, confirming that users differentiate between browsing products and finalizing purchases.

• Education features should be centralized – All participants grouped Webinars, CE Registration, and Case Studies under Education, reinforcing the need for a dedicated learning hub rather than scattering these features across multiple sections.

• Support and profile management belong together – Features like Help Center, Order History, and Chat Support were consistently grouped under Account, ensuring that all administrative and assistance-related functions remain easily accessible.

Dendrogram & Similarity Matrix

To further analyze the relationships between features, we conducted a similarity matrix study, which provided a visual representation of how often users grouped certain features together.

Dendogram Analysis

The dendrogram helped us identify strong clustering patterns, such as:

• Checkout, Payment, and Order Confirmation naturally belong together.

• Webinar-related features (Past Webinars, On-Demand Webinars, Webinar Calendar) form a single educational flow.

• Profile management and customer support are closely linked, justifying their placement under Account.

Sitemap

Based on card sorting insights, we created a structured sitemap that defines the NuSmile App’s information hierarchy. The sitemap ensures that:

• Navigation is straightforward, allowing users to find key features quickly.

• The shopping and checkout experiences are intentionally separate to reduce cognitive load.

• Users can seamlessly switch between browsing, learning, and purchasing.

Once the sketches were finalized without any major issues, I transitioned to creating wireframes in Figma. To streamline the process and improve efficiency, I utilized wireframe kits to quickly develop high-fidelity wireframes. This approach enabled me to produce a clean and structured set of wireframes in a short amount of time, ensuring they were ready for user testing and iteration.

Once the sketches were finalized without any major issues, I transitioned to creating wireframes in Figma. To streamline the process and improve efficiency, I utilized wireframe kits to quickly develop high-fidelity wireframes. This approach enabled me to produce a clean and structured set of wireframes, ensuring they were ready for user testing and iteration.

To validate the NuSmile App’s usability, I conducted moderated remote user testing (MRUT) online, allowing participants to share their screens while navigating the Figma prototype. This approach enabled me to observe their interactions in real-time, ask follow-up questions, and gather both qualitative and quantitative insights on usability.

Testing Process & Setup

• Platform Used: Zoom (Screen Share + Session Recording)

• Participants: The same five pediatric dental professionals from user research

• Test Duration: Each session lasted 30-45 minutes

Testing Flow

1. Introduction & Task Explanation – I explained the testing session’s goals.

2. Screen-Sharing & Think-Aloud Protocol – Users navigated the app prototype while verbalizing their thoughts.

3. Task Completion & Observation – I recorded interactions, hesitations, and pain points.

4. Follow-Up Discussion – Asked questions to clarify confusion and collect feedback.

User Tasks & Key Findings

• Account Registration & Login

  • Objective: Evaluate how quickly users can register and log in.

  • Findings:

    • 5/5 users registered successfully within 30 seconds.

• Shopping & Checkout Process

  • Objective: Assess the ease of product browsing, adding to cart, and checkout.

  • Findings:

    • 2/5 users requested a ‘Reorder from Past Orders’ option for faster repeat purchases.

    • Buy Now vs. Add to Cart distinction was unclear, prompting button label adjustments.

• Webinar Registration & Education Hub

  • Objective: Measure how quickly users can find and register for webinars.

  • Findings:

    • All users registered for a webinar in under 1 minute.

    • Some expected past webinars to be more visible.

• Customer Support & Issue Resolution

  • Objective: Test accessibility of customer support options

  • Findings:

    • 100% of users accessed support without difficulty.

    • 3/5 users mentioned they would have preferred a live chat option, recognizing the convenience of instant messaging for quick inquiries.

      • However, after internal discussions, stakeholders decided not to implement live chat at this stage due to the additional manpower required. While chat remains a potential future feature, NuSmile’s focus remains on phone-first and email-based support to align with their current operational model.

Moderated remote testing provided rich, real-time insights, allowing me to observe natural user interactions, clarify confusion immediately, and gain a deeper understanding of user frustrations. This approach enabled me to analyze user behavior, thought processes, and pain points more effectively, identifying opportunities for improvement throughout the entire testing session.

Although this project was not handed off to developers, I structured my Figma files, design components, and documentation to ensure a seamless transition to development if needed in the future.

Handoff Preparation & Deliverables

To maintain clarity and consistency, I prepared:

• High-Fidelity UI Designs & Prototypes – Interactive Figma files with clear flows.

• Component Library & Style Guide – Standardized typography, colors, buttons, and spacing.

• Annotations & Design Specs – Documented measurements, padding, and interaction details.

• Prototype Demonstrations – Clickable user flows showcasing expected behaviors.

By following developer-friendly handoff practices, this project remains scalable and implementation-ready, ensuring that if development moves forward, there will be no ambiguity in design decisions.

How did the product accomplish the project objectives?

The goal of this project was to create a centralized platform that allows users to make purchasing decisions seamlessly, increase sales conversion by reducing platform switching, and enable fast, intuitive navigation that supports the fast-paced workflows of dental professionals.

To measure success, the NuSmile team continues to track sales conversions using promotion codes and Google Tags, monitoring user activity from mobile devices. Since research revealed that platform switching significantly contributed to sales drop-offs, tracking through geo-tags and promo codes will help determine how effectively the app is reducing friction and improving conversion rates.

Additionally, NuSmile will conduct regular follow-ups with dental professionals to gather insights on workflow efficiency, usability, and overall impact on daily operations. This ongoing data collection will ensure that the app remains aligned with user needs and continues to optimize purchasing experiences in a clinical setting.

What would I have done differently?

If I had more time and resources, I would have conducted a larger-scale user research study with a broader sample of dentists, dental assistants, and office administrators. Instead of grouping them into one large user category, I would have analyzed their unique workflows, decision-making processes, and specific needs to create a more tailored user flow and research framework.

Additionally, I would have explored the differences in ordering behaviors, workflows, and pain points between independent clinics and DSOs (large multi-practice organizations). Understanding these distinctions would allow for a more personalized user experience that caters to the unique challenges of each practice type.

Finally, with a deeper understanding of stakeholder concerns, I would refine the UI and overall system design to better align with their priorities—optimizing efficiency while balancing business needs, usability, and long-term scalability.