OneVillage · Health · Contract

Research that helped a company pivot from selling products to caring for people.

OneVillage started as an e-commerce site for the cancer community. I joined on contract at a pivotal point, interviewed the people it serves, and presented pain points that helped reshape it into a concierge care-navigation service that employers can offer as a benefit.

Organization
OneVillage · contract
Role
UX Researcher & Strategist
Timeline
Contract
Scope
Interviews · Usability testing · Strategy
The problem

OneVillage sold products for people affected by cancer, but products weren't their biggest need. Patients and caregivers were overwhelmed by diagnoses, insurance, finances and coordination.

What I did

Interviewed patients and caregivers, ran remote usability testing with a think-aloud method, synthesized pain points, and presented a strategy that put navigation and human support ahead of products.

The impact

The research helped OneVillage pivot to a concierge model: 1:1 patient and caregiver navigation, delivered as an employer benefit so support can be covered for employees and their families.

Business pivot
1
from product shop to care concierge
Average task success in testing
80%
Research participants
5
different backgrounds
New model
B2B
offered through employers
01Context

A shop for the cancer community, at a crossroads.

OneVillage began as an e-commerce site catered to the cancer community, offering community support and physical products. The business was at a pivotal point and needed to know where it could make the biggest difference, and where it could grow.

How might we support people through cancer in the way they actually need, and make that support something they don't have to pay for alone?

The question that framed the work
02Research

Listening to patients and caregivers.

I spoke with the people OneVillage serves and watched them use the product, with a method designed to rule out our own assumptions.

Method

Interviews

Conversations with people affected by cancer and the caregivers supporting them, about what their days actually looked like.

Method

Remote usability testing

A formative study with 5 participants from different backgrounds, recorded with video on to read body language and expression.

Method

Think-aloud

Participants said their thoughts and feelings out loud at every step, so we could rule out our own assumptions.

Method

Who we heard from

A mix of ages, family situations and nationalities, based in the New York and Northern Virginia areas.

Usability report
Usability test report — summary, goal and method
03Pain points

Products weren't the problem people needed solved.

The strongest reactions weren't to the products. They were to people: personal stories and the chance to reach a real concierge. What participants struggled with was everything around a diagnosis.

◷

Navigating care is a second job

Understanding a diagnosis, treatment options and appointments took time and energy people didn't have.

❉

Insurance and finances

Coverage, benefits and costs were confusing and stressful for patients and families.

♡

Caregivers carry it too

Family members supporting a loved one needed guidance as much as patients did.

☏

People want people

Personal stories and a concierge contact were the most loved parts of the site — participants asked for more guidance, not more products.

In testing, task success averaged 80% and ease of use 73%. The changes people asked for were clearer copy and calls to action, more guidance, and a warmer look and feel.

04Strategy

From selling products to navigating care.

I presented the pain points to the OneVillage team with a clear recommendation: lead with human support. The business pivoted toward a concierge model, with products as a supporting piece rather than the core.

Concierge

Personal concierge

A single place to book a call or chat, so no one has to figure out cancer care alone.

Navigators

Healthcare navigators

Nurse navigators who help patients understand a diagnosis and care plan, and benefits navigators who help families through coverage and costs.

Support

Coaches and community

Experts in areas like rehabilitation and caregiving, plus a community built around personal stories.

Commerce

Shop and wishlist

Still there — now in service of the care journey instead of leading it.

05For employers

Care that can be covered, as an employee benefit.

The pivot also changed who pays. By offering OneVillage through employers, 1:1 patient and caregiver navigation becomes a workplace benefit, so employees and their families can get support without paying out of pocket.

For employees

A dedicated care team

Expert support for them and their loved ones, whether they are the patient or the caregiver.

For employers

Support when it's hardest

Fewer benefits questions landing on HR, and real support for employees during one of the hardest times in their lives.

For HR teams

Visibility & onboarding

Eligibility, enrollment and sessions at a glance, with onboarding checklists and wellness challenges.

For the business

A scalable B2B model

A clearer path to growth than product sales alone.

Research turned a product catalog into a care team, and a care team into a benefit people can actually use.

Let's grow something

Not sure what your users actually need?

I run the research that tells you where to focus — and turns it into a strategy you can act on.

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