BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Test Instructions
Spring 2021
Role: Visual Designer, Illustrator
Team: Danny Nou (Human Factors), Lisa Lange (AM), Alexandra Johnson (PM), Sam Rolli (AD)
In 2021, the BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Self-Test had recently been released in Europe and Asia. The instructions that were included with the test had been developed quickly due to the global demand for the tests. The design was based on the instructions provided to medical professionals, who perform rapid tests often and don’t require much visualization to perform them successfully. The result was that non-medical professionals conducting the self-test were having difficulty understanding the instructions and were receiving errors or inaccurate results. In addition, there were issues with language barriers and lack of visualization due to the diversity of markets in need of the test. I collaborated with the human factors team at Abbott to develop the new instructions, which were produced and distributed in the Europe and Asian markets in early 2021.
Before*
The instructions were sandwiched on the page between dense legal precautions, making it difficult for the user to see where the instructions began and ended. The instructions were also written in columns rather than rows due to being translated from a Chinese design, and needed to be adapted for left-to-right readers. It was difficult to differentiate the numbered steps within each phase of the process due to lack of hierarchy in the type treatment. In addition, it was unclear to users what the four stages (A, B, C, & D) of the process were. The imagery was heavily detailed and overwhelming, and the various angles of the card made it difficult to see where to place the drops and sample. In addition, the results section was causing significant problems for the user in determining their test result, which was anxiety provoking and frustrating.
*Small note: There are several different types of tests and brands underneath the BinaxNOW™ umbrella. I chose examples that would best demonstrate the design work, but note that this top version is a nasal swab test and the bottom version is a blood test. This design was implemented on several versions of the test throughout 2021, including the Panbio™ test.
After
I separated the legal information from the instructions themselves so when the user was reading the instructions it would be clear where to start. I also turned the columns into rows to better separate each individual step and to increase readability for left-to-right readers. We decided to color code each row and use large labels for each section. I simplified the iconography as much as possible, omitting any unnecessary shading and detail in the hands, only utilizing color when needed so the color-coded rows would stand out as much as possible. The results section was also simplified.
Results
This design was well-received by all teams involved, including legal/regulatory, marketing, and human factors. This design was executed across several products within the rapid diagnostics sector at Abbott and is now used as a template across the company.