DaVita Patient Portal

Expanded the patient portal to mobile, improving accessibility and flexibility for clinical teams

Role: Product Design (UX/UI)

Date: Sketch, InVision, Sympli

The Problem

The DaVita Patient Portal was designed for desktop, but teammates were increasingly accessing it on mobile devices in real-world clinical settings.

This created usability issues, inconsistent experiences, and limited accessibility for users who needed to move between clinics and work on the go.

The challenge was to bring a complex, desktop-first application to mobile while preserving core functionality and usability.

Why this was challenging

  • No standardized device ecosystem across the organization

  • Wide range of phones and tablets in use

  • Desktop workflows not optimized for smaller screens

  • Need to determine which functionality should be retained, adapted, or removed

  • High volume of screens and interactions to redesign

Approach

I partnered with a business analyst to define a scalable mobile strategy.

Key decisions:

  • Identified core functionality that needed to be preserved for mobile use

  • Established responsive breakpoints to support a wide range of devices

  • Designed for flexibility across unknown device types

Breakpoint Strategy:

  • 1280px+ — Desktop

  • 768px+ — Tablet

  • 576px+ — Mobile

These breakpoints provided coverage across most devices despite the lack of standardization.

Solution

We redesigned the Patient Portal to function seamlessly across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.

The system:

  • Adapted complex workflows into responsive layouts

  • Optimized typography, spacing, and touch targets for smaller screens

  • Ensured key functionality remained accessible across all device sizes

  • Reduced friction for users working across multiple environments

Key Tradeoffs

Not all desktop functionality translated effectively to mobile.

  • Messaging features were removed due to low usage and implementation complexity

  • Certain interactions were simplified to prioritize usability and performance

These decisions ensured a more focused and efficient mobile experience.

Implementation & Iteration

The redesign required over 170 screens and was delivered in three phases.

Challenges included:

  • Inconsistent rendering across devices

  • Limitations of browser-based testing tools

  • Need for real-device validation

To address this:

  • A range of physical devices was used for testing

  • Layout and responsiveness were refined through iterative testing cycles

Outcome

The mobile expansion transformed how teammates interacted with the Patient Portal.

Results:

  • Enabled full functionality across mobile and tablet devices

  • Increased flexibility for nurses working across multiple clinics

  • Reduced dependency on desktop environments

  • Established responsive design patterns used in future applications

The redesign was well received by stakeholders and became a foundation for future mobile-first initiatives.