2020

Redefining the orthodontist-patient experience through remote healthcare service design.

Case Study

Grin

Disrupting the Disruptors

A rise in "DIY" Direct-to-consumer medicine, advertising low-cost options and operating without proper oversight and clinical touchpoints have lured patients away from traditional orthodontics.

Grin partnered with us to design a digital health alternative that brings patients the convenience and responsible care they've come to expect while keeping licensed, local orthodontists at the center of their treatment.

A Hybrid Approach

Together, with Grin, we developed a unique treatment journey for patients and practitioners to address all levels of teeth-straightening needs through a combination of in-office visits and remote monitoring technology.
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Patients can match with and access quality professional care from the convenience of their smart device. At the same time, Orthodontists remotely monitor patients via virtual check-ins to reduce chair time, increase patient volume, and identify problems earlier than traditional intervals.

Learning From Our Customers

We combined national surveys and 1:1 interviews in NYC, the site of our upcoming pilot program, to learn from practicing Orthodontists and Patients both with and without treatment history.
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This research was foundational to Grin's positioning and service design and our understanding of the dental economy, the frustration with misinformation and DIY felt from all sides, and the factors most carefully considered when seeking and establishing treatment.

The Grin Service

We visualized the entirety of the Grin journey from initial awareness to completion of treatment and continued support to outline all operational activities. By capturing the physical and digital opportunities and in-person and remote touchpoints for all parties involved, including patients, practices, and manufacturers, our service blueprint guided the development of the patient and provider apps, remote monitoring scope, and brand.

A Mark of Proficiency & Progress

The brand's sophisticated nature stands out in a sea of overt orthodontic startups to reflect and elevate the doctor's role at the heart of Grin patient care. We know everyone's orthodontic treatment path is different, but all strive towards the same goal of a straight, confident, and healthy smile. We built upward curves of different trajectories into a custom serif wordmark to visualize the many different types of orthodontic pathways Grin's hybrid approach can treat.

Scanner in Your Pocket

The app and remote monitoring scope bring detailed scanning into the comfort of the patient's home. Patients attach the scope to their phone, face a mirror, and upload videos directly to the chat with their Orthodontist. The App’s straightforward, automated stepped journey scans their teeth in a seamless physical-digital interaction.

A Conversational UI

Grin delivers care to patients through conversation with real orthodontists. The heart of the experience is chat-based, encouraging compliance with their treatment, documenting all scans, and keeping records from beginning to end.

Keep Track of Progress

The backbone of patients’ relational care is the timeline of their treatment. Patients can look forward and learn what to expect, go back and see their history of milestone scans, and track their progress over time.

Designed to Work With Orthodontists

Milestones, Streaks, and Grin Support help reduce overhead for the provider and allow them to focus on messaging with their patients when needed. Inline patient history and scans create holistic representations of their patients in one place, allowing orthodontists to provide truly relational experiences to their growing number of patients.