Client CHU-Saint Pierre

Improving patient onboarding with self-check in kiosks.

Checking into a hospital is often one of the most stressful parts of a patient’s journey.

The first moments of a hospital visit can feel overwhelming. Between queues, paperwork, and uncertainty, patients often face tension before even receiving care. Our goal was to redesign this experience — making check-in simple, inclusive, and reassuring from the very first touchpoint.

CHU's request to us

CHU asked us to digitally modernize the outpatient onboarding experience — reducing wait times, improving care, and boosting staff efficiency.

When I joined the project, the team had already gathered initial requirements from stakeholders and patient interviews, mapping journeys and defining personas. Building on this foundation, I helped translate insights into actionable design directions, bridging business goals with real user needs.

The project spanned two CHU sites — Alexiens and Porte de Hal — where patients frequently mixed up locations or had split appointments. Decentralized services added another layer of complexity, requiring kiosks that could adapt to different patient paths and accessibility needs.

Our solution

We designed and implemented 15 self-service kiosks at the entrances of both CHU sites to streamline the check-in experience. Patients can now view and confirm appointments, make payments, print visit details, and be guided to the right service or agent when needed. The system reduces waiting times, enhances patient autonomy, improves data accuracy, and lightens the administrative load for hospital staff.

The team

As the lead UX/UI designer, I oversaw the end-to-end design process and managed a service designer and UI designer to ensure alignment across research, strategy, and delivery. Working closely with a multidisciplinary team of analysts, architects, developers, and a Scrum master, I defined the user experience direction and maintained accessibility and visual consistency. Using tools such as Figma, FigJam, Stark Accessibility, and PEAT, I guided the team toward a user-centered and compliant solution.

The project

Patients need reassurance

Many patients expressed uncertainty about what to do upon arrival. Clear guidance and instant feedback during check-in were key to reducing anxiety.

Staff need efficiency tools

Reception staff said administrative load and frequent interruptions limited their ability to focus on patient care. Automation could help free their time for complex cases.

Navigation between sites causes friction

Patients often confused the two hospital locations or departments. Clearer language and visual cues during check-in could prevent delays.

Privacy matters

Patients valued being able to check in without discussing details publicly. A discreet interface design could help preserve dignity and comfort.

40+ interviews showed us that

Design Decisions Backed by Eye-Tracking

I led an eye-tracking study using Tobii to analyze patients’ gaze patterns while interacting with the kiosk prototype. The goal was to understand how users visually navigated the screen and which elements drew or lost attention. Heatmaps and fixation data revealed areas of cognitive overload and information blind spots. Based on these insights, we refined content hierarchy, adjusted key placements, and reduced nonessential information to create a clearer, more focused interface.

Designing for Inclusion

In line with the EU Accessibility Act, every element of the kiosk — from interface to hardware — was designed for inclusivity. The design system followed WCAG standards with strong contrast, clear typography, and minimal animation to reduce cognitive load. Kiosk height was defined using anthropometric data to accommodate both the average Belgian user and wheelchair accessibility. Given CHU’s multilingual context, we included French and Arabic interfaces. Usability testing with wheelchair users and elderly participants revealed valuable insights — such as longer press durations among older users — which informed adjustments to touch sensitivity and feedback timing.

Validating at Scale with Lyssna

To validate design decisions at scale, I conducted unmoderated usability testing using Lyssna. The study was shared with hospital staff, patients, and administrative teams to gather broad, data-driven feedback. The results helped us understand how clearly users distinguished between CHU’s two hospital sites and guided improvements in how we explained and visually differentiated them within the interface.

Learning from Patients

To evaluate the kiosk in real-world conditions, I conducted on-site usability testing with patients in CHU’s entrance halls and waiting areas. Sessions included a diverse group of participants — wheelchair users, elderly patients, and those with varying levels of digital confidence. Observing their interactions in context provided valuable insights into navigation clarity, accessibility, and overall ease of use. These findings helped refine the interface, ensuring it felt intuitive and supportive across all patient profiles.

From Requirements to
Real Journeys

To design the kiosk experience, I collaborated with functional analysts to translate business requirements into clear, user-centered epics and stories. I conducted competitive benchmarking across kiosks at Delhaize, IKEA, and local commune buildings to identify proven interaction patterns and usability standards. To capture real-world behaviors, I ran field studies in several hospitals, observing how patients navigated check-in systems and where friction occurred. Insights from these sessions — including unclear navigation, lack of feedback, and accessibility gaps — informed a streamlined, patient-friendly flow tailored to CHU’s context.