Zocdoc
Gen Z students face friction in finding and booking care. I conducted research and provided recommendations to make Zocdoc’s digital experience more accessible, transparent, and trustworthy for young users.
UX Research
Project Overview
Client: Zocdoc
Industry: Digital Health, Marketplace
Timeline: Spring 2025
My Role: Product Strategy & Research
Problem / Context
College students are navigating healthcare independently for the first time, often without a clear understanding of insurance, costs, or how to choose providers. Independence varies widely, with many students still relying heavily on parents or peers for validation.
At the same time, Gen Z evaluates healthcare experiences through the lens of consumer apps, creating high expectations for clarity, transparency, and ease of use.
How might Zocdoc better support Gen Z students as they navigate healthcare independently while building trust and confidence?
Research / Insights
Methods:
Qualitative interviews with 10 college students across majors, years, and independence levels
Affinity mapping to synthesize themes
Quantitative survey design and deployment (N = 254)
Synthesis:
Student archetype development
Journey mapping across care navigation stages
Clustering insights around trust, access, and decision-making
Key Insights:
Social media shapes expectations, but rarely drives provider choice
Independence varies widely across students
Parents remain a primary trust validator
Clear, consistent communication builds confidence
Transparency in insurance and pricing is critical
Ideation / Strategy
We translated research insights into strategic opportunity areas for Zocdoc.
Strategy Focus Areas:
Reduce ambiguity for first-time healthcare users
Support collaborative decision-making with parents
Surface trust signals tailored to student needs
Match booking experiences to Gen Z digital expectations
Frameworks Used:
Insight-to-opportunity mapping
Archetype-based experience alignment
Journey-based friction analysis
Concepts & Opportunity Areas
Rather than designing final screens, we proposed concept-level product opportunities informed by research.
Key Recommendations:
Highlight real patient stories over generic star ratings
Add “Trusted by Students Like You” badges or filters
Flag incomplete or vague provider profiles
Label “First Appointment Friendly” providers
Enable one-tap sharing to support parent–student collaboration
These concepts focus on trust, clarity, and shared decision-making rather than surface-level UI changes.
Final presentation link for full research and recommendations
Impact & Implications
Product Impact:
Helps Zocdoc better serve first-time healthcare users
Aligns platform trust signals with Gen Z expectations
Reduces friction caused by insurance and provider ambiguity
Strategic Implications:
Positions Zocdoc as a guide, not just a booking tool
Supports long-term trust and retention among younger users
Creates a foundation for future student-specific features
Learnings & Reflections
This project deepened my understanding of healthcare as a trust-driven ecosystem rather than a purely transactional experience. I learned how perceived independence can differ significantly from actual decision-making behavior, especially in high-stakes domains like healthcare.
It reinforced the importance of grounding product strategy in real user mental models, and designing systems that balance autonomy with guidance.