Dentbird Connect
Designing prosthethics ordering and lab communication for Japanese dental market
Timeline
December 2023 – Present (Ongoing Development)
Role
UX research, localization, UI design
Team member
Me, product manager, Front end team, Ci-Medical
Overview
Dentbird Connect is a new dental prosthetics ordering digital platform in Japan
Users can manage orders, establish strong communication and integrate AI CAD crown design through Dentbird solutions
Challenges
Manual workflow inefficiencies
Paper based order forms are error prone and time-consuming.
High rework rates
Frequent design errors lead to costly rework.
Delivery delays
Physical impression shipping increases turnaround time and delivery times.
Research
Conducted research with growth marketing team and Ci Medical and the product manager to understand the Japanese dental market. Analyzed workflows, traditional order forms, and competitor solutions to identify pain points and opportunities for innovation.
Target users
Dental clinics
Key needs
Simplify workflows to reduce administrative burden.
Minimize errors and delays in the ordering process.
Enable real-time tracking for better transparency.
Dental labs
Key needs
Clear, standardized order specifications to reduce ambiguity.
Efficient tools for managing workloads and trends.
Real-time feedback loops to collaborate effectively with clinics.
Understanding Japanese dental market
Digital workflow adoption is rapidly growing in the Japanese dental market, driven by increasing demand for efficiency and aesthetic treatment. This shift reflects a broader move toward faster, more accurate, and collaborative dental practices.
Dental clinics
70,000+
Digital dentistry
4.75% annual growth
Denistry service
5% annual growth
Competitor research
Analyzed traditional dental order forms and a competitor (Emium). Identified inefficiencies and insights to further understand the areas of improvement for Dentbird Connect.
Traditional dental order forms
Prone to errors
Time-consuming
Lacks standardization in data entry
Emium
Cluttered with too many details on a single page
No clear step-by-step structure to guide users
Users need to process a lot of information at once
How might we
How might we simplify and streamline the dental prosthetics ordering process to reduce errors, enhance transparency, and build trust for clinics and labs transitioning from traditional workflows?
Ideations & Iterations
Building an intutive ordering flow
Me and product manager tried to create the most intutive ordering and order responding experience for dentist office and dental lab users.
Simplifying order flow through iterations
Through iterative design improvements, we optimized the order flow by reducing complexity and improving usability, making it easier for users to navigate and complete their tasks.
Challenge (Previous)
The original design featured a three-column layout combining teeth selection, product options, and patient information on a single page. This caused cognitive overload and poor readability, making navigation difficult for users.
Iteration (After)
The layout was redesigned into a two-column structure with clear sections. Patient information and order details were moved to earlier steps, while teeth selection and product options were placed on separate pages.
Receiving feedback from early testing users
As this service rolls out in Japan, we’ve taken advice from preliminary tests with Japanese dentists and lab operators to better tailor it to the local setting.
Outcome
Clinic side
Easy & simple file importing process
Simplifies the complex dental ordering process with an intuitive, guided workflow.
Intuitive prescription process
Enables users to confirm or request adjustments for designs, reducing rework rates.
3D Design review and confirmation
Users can easily review design and confirm or talk to the lab
Lab side
Patient page - upload and responding to orders
When clinic side orders, labs can respond to these orders easily by uploading.
