3M Treatment Tracking App
An updated redesign for the 3M Treatment Tracking App
3M Clarity Aligner patients needed to have an app that helps them have peace of mind when it comes to their treatment
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Disclaimer -
I’m not affiliated with 3M in any capacity, and the views for this case study are strictly my own. Since I don’t have full access to all the user data that influenced their current design, this case study is not fully comprehensive. This case study was done to enhance my learning experience and challenge myself to redesign it to serve a specific purpose.
The 3M Clarity Aligner App also goes by two app names:
3M Treatment App | 3M Tx Treatment App
What are 3M Clarity Aligners?
3M Company develops, manufactures, and markets various products worldwide. It operates through four business segments: Safety and Industrial, Transportation and Electronics, Health Care, and Consumer.
Clarity Aligners gradually move your teeth - but without any metal wires or braces. Clarity Aligners treatment uses a system of removable, nearly invisible plastic trays designed to help guide your teeth into the ideal position and get the beautiful, healthy smile you want.
Treatment using Clarity Aligners starts with a custom, digital treatment plan that shows you exactly how your teeth will move and how long it will take to reshape your smile. You get a series of clear aligners that should be worn for about one to two weeks each—depending on your custom treatment plan. It is recommended aligners be worn 22 hours a day, or as prescribed by your provider. The clear aligners are nearly invisible so you can go through your treatment and look good doing it.
What does the 3M Treatment Tracking App do?
The 3M Treatment Tracking app can: track aligner wear time and brushings, opt in to receive reminders, take progress photos and watch your smile transform, and monitor your progress with charts.
Why this redesign?
This is a personal one for me. I recently decided to get aligners for my teeth after years of putting them off. Turns out this technology is awesome and despite the cost, the results have been amazing! I did a lot of research going into this and found out that most aligner companies have apps that can track progress, help remind users that they should be wearing their aligners for 22 hours per day, and even send the progress photos to your dentist. But when I downloaded the 3M Treatment Tracking App – as a user experience designer I wanted more. I figured others wanted more too because not a lot of people with these aligners use the apps from each company – they use a Tray Reminder app. But I can envision something better for the users. I needed to do some research though and see if others felt the same way.
Goals and Motivations for the redesign
My goals for the redesign
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To deliver an intuitive user experience and interface that lets the user fully explore how their alignment treatment is going as well as provide the tools to review the process.
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Propose a more engaging and seamless experience when using the 3M Treatment Tracking app.
My personal goals
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Take full ownership of the various roles involved in designing a product such as a User Researcher, User Experience Designer, and UI Designer.
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Enhancing my learning experience by challenging some design decisions and addressing their solutions.
Project Scope
Mobile Redesign
My Role
Tools
Figma, Balsamiq, OptimalSort, Usability Hub, Google Forms, Adobe Photoshop
UX/UI Designer
Skills
Duration
November 2021 - December 2021
Research, Personas, Task Analysis and Task Flows, Information Architecture, Wireframing, Prototyping, Usability Testing, UI Design
Design Process
As the user experience designer for this project, I was responsible for both strategies and visual design.
Market Research
There are so many companies that specialize in how to straighten your teeth in 2021. I would usually start by doing a SWOT analysis, but I thought to myself, 3M is such a wildly different company from the other normal companies that specialize in teeth. So for this case study, I specifically went straight into how each app works for the users. My main goals for my research were to figure out what apps people are using, why or why won't they use other apps, and how do they feel about each of them. I learned 3M is fairly new and orthodontists are referring patients to them because it's the “same” as Invisalign but a few hundred dollars cheaper, but what they don't say is you lose out on certain perks when you choose 3M. Invisalign has been an industry leader for years now, and they have built an app users like, but they don't use it enough. I found TrayMinder - which most users will use for their progress photos and to be reminded to swap trays or put their trays back in. I decided to go right into the analysis of each app to figure out what they were all about.
3M Treatment Tracking App
When I got my first clear aligner trays, I immediately downloaded the app and found out there was not much to do. It was very simple, had a few features, and I didn't think I could use this app at all.
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The login and sign-up pages seem like they could use an upgrade. Having a good onboarding experience can let the users know what they are signing up for.
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The feature for Today's Wear Time is a little unneeded for the homepage, it's big and is not very interactive.
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The photo feature doesn't do much. You take a photo, it saves just like in a gallery, and that's it. This needs to evolve.
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The stats are okay, It shows how much time you use the trays, how much time you spend brushing, etc.
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The message feature is kind of hilarious. I just waited for someone to talk to me, I typed, and then I realized this doesn't even work. This could evolve into a possible virtual assistant feature or maybe a link to your orthodontist/dentist.
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The settings didn't do much either, I typed my treatment ID in and nothing happened. I expected a more personalized experience.
Trayminder Analysis
Trayminder is one of the most used apps by people who use clear aligners. It's mainly used for its easy-to-use before and after feature, which allows the ability to do a video of the experience. It also has a better ability to track time than other apps.
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Trayminder has a long but great onboarding experience. A lot of the questions are "Which aligners do you have?" "When did you start?" "How many trays in total?" - it makes for a more personalized experience.
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The picture/video feature is the best experience for most users. It is simple and smart. When you upload a photo, it tracks the metadata and adds the date and time that you took that photo.
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After the pictures have been uploaded – you can do a video/gif of the treatment. This is great for the social and happiness of the user.
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The settings menu is great because it gets straight to the point with the features it offers.
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One of the best features of TrayMinder is the Help/Introduction videos it offers. Most patients have a ton of questions about their treatment, and this answers all the best frequently asked questions users have.
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The calendar is simple and effective – it reminds users when to change their trays. Some trays might be a week, others two, others every month.
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The statistics screen is all about tracking how much time the user has had their aligners in.
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Social media is a great idea to add to this app because it is a company that is in the process of growing. I think it would benefit more by having some before and after videos/photos highlighting TrayMinder's features.
Invisalign Analysis
Unfortunately, since I am not a patient with Invisalign - it is hard for me to see everything the app offers. But from my research, it's not much different from all the other apps on the market. If anything, it just does a better job relaying information and giving updates to the orthodontist.
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Invisalign has a great onboarding experience that allows you to enter if you are either thinking about signing up for the treatment or if you have just started the treatment. This splits the app in two directions.
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The home experience offers videos, stories, and different tips and tricks for using Invisalign - as well as being a promotional tool for possible patients.
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Smile View is sort of a gimmick - it feels like a Snapchat filter. The user takes a photo of themselves, and then the app fills in a nice smile for the user.
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Finding a doctor is a great feature because it allows users to specifically find a dentist who might be in their area.
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The profile is very straight to the point. The ability to have custom information per aligner is helpful for the users to understand when to swap their trays.
Invisalign ClinCheck and the 3M Oral Care Portal
When I envisioned how my treatment would be, I saw this application in my head. The ability to see what my teeth are doing weekly makes patients feel like they made a good decision. The first weeks are the hardest when you first start your treatment. This gives the patient peace of mind. The great feature with Invisalign is allowing patients to check their updates via a 3D model, while 3M requires you to go into the dentist's office to check this feature out.
Analysis Takeaways
After going through each of the apps, I realized they all do the same thing. They track progress, give stats, and add the ability to take a photo, but they don't feel very personalized for an individual. I would like to see an app link directly with your dentist/orthodontist, with the ability to see and interact with a model of your teeth throughout the treatment, as well as a better experience for using the before/after feature with photos. The key takeaway is making the user feel good about their investment.
Understanding the Users
Demographics
Only 35 percent of adults have well-aligned front teeth, which leave 65 percent who could be using braces to perfect their smiles. The problem with our teeth is they are constantly moving throughout our lives and even if you got braces as a teenager - you might need to get them again as an adult if you didn't take proper care of your teeth. With the power of technology, 3D scanning and printing, we can help a vast group of people feel better about how they smile. The ages range from early teens to seniors.
Conducting a Survey and User Interviews
I started my user research by conducting a twenty-question survey to gather some basic information about people who have used or have thought about using clear aligners. It was tough to find a group of people who actively wear them. What helped me the most was finding a group on Reddit that actively talks about wearing them, as well as posting before and after photos.
The next part was conducting user interviews with five users, who varied from young adults to adults in their 40s, to understand how different users go about using the features on their clear aligner mobile apps.
Survey Results
I had a total of 44 responses for the survey I conducted. The results of the survey were highly valuable and aided me to understand the users and their needs and pain points. Users needed one app to do everything for their treatment.
Sample Questions: Link
Key Takeaways
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Half of the participants enjoy their smiles – this is an opportunity for more business down the line.
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Almost 65% of participants said that they would get braces of some sort if money was no concern – with an overwhelming majority picking Clear Aligners over any other method.
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Unfortunately for 3M, they are one of the least recognized companies for clear aligner braces.
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Over half of users would like an accompanying app with their treatment. I think this would be more if users understood what features would come with an app beforehand.
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The features users would want in an app were a 3D model, statistics, a timer, an appointment calendar, a journal feature, and a progression tracker with some animation visuals.
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Most users use TrayMinder for the easy photo upload features and timer features. But many do not use their chosen clarity aligner brand app.
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An overwhelming number of users would like to have a 3D model of their treatment displayed.
Interview Results
I conducted a total of five interviews. The male interviewees’ age ranged from 19 to 45 years old, while all 3 females ranged from 25 to 45 years old. All the participants have either used clear aligners or currently are going through their treatment. I used a mixture of in-person and remote interviews using Zoom.
Key Takeaways
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All users have been tracking their progress via TrayMinder. They upload their photos a few times per week and only half use the timer feature.
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All the participants want to be able to check their progress on a 3D model every time they change their weekly or bi-weekly aligners.
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They don’t feel like one app has everything they need and end up using two apps to check different features.
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Only two participants have used 3M Clarity Aligners, and the other three participants did not know about them - but would get them if their dentist told them about it (Mostly because of the price difference).
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Two participants would not use 3M Clarity Aligners because Invisalign offers a better app and user experience (Mostly for the Invisalign Clincheck feature).
Usability Testing: 3M Tx Tracking App | Current Version
After the user interviews, I asked the same participants to test the 3M Tx Tracking App. I conducted both virtual and in-person usability testing. I wanted to see how they would interact with the features. I gave them four specific tasks using my account information.
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Login to the account.
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Upload a picture of your teeth by using the camera feature.
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Navigate to the statistics page.
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Toggle the feature that tells the app your aligners are not on.
The results were as expected. It matches a lot of the reviews I have read about the app. They had no trouble logging into the account, but wanted different methods for logging in. They tried to use the picture feature, but felt it was too boring. They liked the statistics screen because it tracked a lot of positive habits. They had no problem finding the toggle aligners on/off - but felt it was unnecessary.
Understanding the current users
As of 2021 - the 3M Treatment Tracking app is sitting at
2.9 ⭐ (Google) | 2.7 ⭐ (Apple)
I needed to understand how others felt about the app, so one of the best ways I could do this for this particular app was by checking on the reviews on both operating systems. The app needs more work as well as a boost from the marketing department.
Defining the Problem
I had to figure out some common pain points by using everything I had learned with the survey, interviews, and app review research. I started by combining all the feedback, insights, and pain points and grouped them into categories. This helped me brainstorm and develop potential ideas and gave me a clearer view of what was important to the users while keeping in mind the business goals and objectives.
Affinity Map
Using the interview data I had to map out how the user thinks, feels and how they use different clear aligner apps. I made an affinity map to help me categorize all the data. Now I can piece together pain points and think of a better redesign for the 3M Treatment Tracking app!
Pain Points
Pain Point 1 - Incomplete Mobile App
Many users feel like they need to use two or more apps when they are going through their treatment. They feel like one app has stronger features than the other, but missing needed features. The 3M Treatment Tracking app lacks features users would use daily.
Pain Point 2 - Not being able to see an interactive 3D model
Invisalign is the only app that can offer a 3D model of the treatment process, but it still lacks other features. For 3M Treatment Tracking to be better than its competitors, it needs to offer users the ability to see their treatment by using an interactive 3D Model.
Pain Point 3 - Photo mode has issues
The photo modes in most of the apps are very simple, they require you to use its software to take a photo, which usually ends up being a blurry photo or unaligned photo. Most don’t offer the ability to make a GIF, or video or even make it social media friendly if users would like to do that.
Pain Point 4 - Inability to relay information to and from the dentist
One of the most sought-after features is the ability to reach out to the user’s dentist, or at least a dental professional. Most apps do not offer this feature. A lot of the frustrations from the users come from the experience of using their trays, they have to rely on having questions answered on the internet by strangers and not health professionals.
Pain Point 5 - Extra fees for services
User’s refuse to pay for any extra features that they believe should come with their treatment. For customer loyalty, a company should not charge any extra fees for features included in an app.
Needs of the Users
For this redesign, I wanted to focus on three major needs of the user.
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The user must be able to interact with a live interactive 3D model of their teeth from Day 1.
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The user has to be able to take or upload a clear photo of their teeth for future before and after media, with the ability to turn them into a gif/video or before and after photos.
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The user must have the ability to interact and share progress with their dentist (this will help both parties when the user has an appointment)
Thinking of the User
Now is my favorite part! Storytime begins! I went through all the research data I've collected, and now I have to create a person who realistically would use the 3M Treatment Tracking App. Let's meet Michelle!
User Persona
I wanted to keep Michelle someone whom we all could empathize with. We all have things we are self-conscious about, but since technology has advanced so rapidly through the years - we don't have to rely on metal braces to get the smile we all desire. Michelle is beginning her journey with 3M Clarity Aligners and wants to use the app that comes with the treatment.
User Journey
For Michelle - I needed her to be happy when she comes home after her treatment and installs the 3M Treatment Tracking app. Allowing Michelle to enter her personalized treatment into the app to let her view her live interactive 3D model would help Michelle feel like she made a good choice by spending the money and getting the treatment.
User Flows
For the user flows - I needed to think of how a user might use the mobile app to do three major tasks. I wanted to focus on the needs of the users and give them their most requested features.
Card Sort
Card sorting was done to categorize all the features under different sections, which will further help in organizing the information architecture. I chose to do a hybrid card sort with six participants. I presented the participants with multiple cards with the five navigational categories. The results gained from the card sort were overwhelmingly aligned with my plan.
Information Architecture
It seems like the best plan for the information architecture is to keep this app simple, since most users will range from teenagers to seniors. I wanted to make sure that everyone could use it. I went with the idea of having a five icon navigation bar with a homepage that has the most frequently used features.
Wireframes
This is where things really get creative. When I envision what the app can look like, I start by using a pencil and a piece of paper to figure out how the app would function. After, I use Balsamiq to make simple mid-fidelity wireframes - this can help to test early and design with those results.
Paper Sketches
Mid Fidelity Wireframes
High Fidelity Redesign
UI Kit
Usability Testing
After I finished designing and prototyping my high fidelity mockup - I thought I would use a mixture of past interviewees, new participants, and feedback from my dentists and their associates at my dental office.
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I was super excited to show my dentists my redesign! They were blown away with how the design was very user-friendly for all ages, they loved the ability to interact with the 3D model and had some suggestions for future iterations.
Interested in viewing the prototype?
Lets have a little fun!
I wanted to think of the future for how 3M could innovate the way we can alter our smiles. I added notifications and widgets, so users could always interact with their treatment daily. I also thought of two different ideas that could be plausible one day, but I wanted to keep it as realistic as I could. I am thinking of artificial intelligence and the advancement of computing power in the distant future.
Widgets and Notifications
After gathering research data from my interviews and surveys, one of the features I realized is an absolute must is widgets and notifications. The main complaint users had was going into an app to turn a timer on and off was not time efficient. The easy fix is just to have a widget on their phone's home screen.
Our user Michelle can simply tap the timer or flip the switch. If she forgets, she can easily edit the time in the app.
Notifications will also notify Michelle if she has an appointment with the dentist or a reminder to change their aligner trays for that day, or if she needs to put their aligners back in because they are getting close to the 22-hour mark.
Apple iMirror
Smart mirrors are getting just a little smarter each day, with companies and smart home enthusiasts pushing the boundaries of what a mirror can do for us. Most of us have to use the mirror multiple times per day, and I can picture that in the next five to twenty years these mirrors will be able to do way more than just display the weather and a calendar.
I thought of filters, I know some mirrors have a feature where you can press a button and the lights will change to either - Office, Outdoor or Indoor lighting. But then I thought, well what about the filters we use on our phones with Instagram or Snapchat? What if you could interact with multiple filters and companies could use them to push their products?
Introducing a new way to see how you can achieve the perfect smile!
With 3M Clarity Aligner's mirror app - we can now have you pose in front of your mirror and see how your current smile will change over the course of your treatment. Using Artificial Intelligence and the latest camera technology, we can now build your smile in seconds. Feel free to pause, go back, or even enter the 3D Model view to see how your teeth will change over time.
3M At Home 3D Printed Teeth
In a few short years, artificial intelligence has been helping humanity solve many issues across several industries. I have been thinking… What if we can somehow scan our teeth, and let artificial intelligence do the work of a dentist by mapping out countless treatment plans and finding the right one for the user. Then, using an at-home 3D printer, print out clarity aligners. The only thing that would need to be thought out for this is the attachments for the teeth. This also might lose money for the dentists themselves. This could be a real thing for the future, considering the growth in population and the innovation across all these technologies.
What was the main challenge in this project?
Patients go through a lot when they go through something like getting braces - every age has anxiety issues about it. When I reflect on the biggest challenge I faced, I think it's really about making that person who just decided to sign up for a year or more of clear aligner braces happy with the choice they made. I needed to supply them with peace of mind.
Reflection and Lessons Learned
I love the way life works… I spent weeks trying to figure out what could I redesign to test my UX/UI skills. Then after I got my 3M Clarity Aligners and installed the 3M Treatment tracking app, at that moment of myself being a user, I knew how others could feel at that exact moment. UX is about empathizing with humans you've never met and designing a new experience to put a smile on their faces.
What this app opened up for me was understanding if 3M pushed for a more user-friendly app, mixed with great marketing and a lower price than its competitors - they would grab a good percentage of the clear aligner market share. Which would generate more profits for 3M in the long run. Going deeper, if you research how humans' mouths have changed in the last couple of thousand years, our mouths are devolving because of the mass amount of processed foods that we eat. When you have generations of people who care more about their appearance and how they smile every day, there will always be people who need to fix their teeth.
Random thought too - 3M Treatment Tracking or 3M Clarity Aligner Companion app should be the name of the app on the Play/App stores. The Tx Tracking app is not very user-friendly.
I had a lot of fun working on this case study. As with the UPS case study I did, I wish these apps could be real. They made me realize how much I love being a UX/UI designer.
Thank you for reading!
If you have any feedback or want to chat with me, drop me a message at KBrackenUX@gmail.com or connect on LinkedIn.