Kamana
Enterprise Healthcare Staffing Platform
"During DockYard's time at Kamana, we not only successfully developed, deployed, and implemented a product that addressed complex business processes for our $1B+ parent org, but also doubled our user base and ARR (annual recurring revenue). Without DockYard, this would not have been possible."
The Origin of Kamana
Kamana originated when one of its founders identified a critical flaw within the nursing profession: healthcare staffing was repetitious, slow, and inefficient. This inefficiency resulted in wasted resources and missed opportunities for both healthcare facilities and workers.
Kamana's initial solutions were two-fold:
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A digital wallet enabling healthcare professionals, such as travel nurses, to securely store credentials and rapidly transition between different facilities.
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A platform for staffing agencies to quickly find, qualify, and place workers.
The Kamana–DockYard Partnership
When Kamana first launched, it was a technological leader in simplifying healthcare staffing. However, with the emergence of new competitors, Kamana recognized the need to accelerate development and significantly enhance its digital wallet to maintain its market advantage. As their user base grew rapidly, the team sought a partner to help design a top-tier product and speed up the development timeline
Design Audit and Pain Point Identification
I collaborated with Kamana's internal designer and DockYard engineers to conduct a comprehensive review of the product. Using user data, we were able to identify critical usability and accessibility issues. We then strategically prioritized the design backlog, focusing on improvements that promised high impact with minimal implementation effort.
Findings & Insights
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Slow load times detrimentally affected the overall user experience.
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Inconsistent UI patterns led to visual and interaction discrepancies.
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Accessibility flaws limited the product’s usability for many users.
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Confusing and non-standard workflows created friction and hindered task completion.
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Backend constraints, particularly with credentialing and real-time features, limited overall performance and responsiveness.
Bridging Design and Technology
By thoroughly examining the technical framework, particularly how LiveView operated, we were able to identify simple yet highly effective solutions. This enabled the design team to develop solutions that expertly balanced an optimal user experience with robust technical performance.
For example, we adjusted the approach to credential status sorting. Instead of providing real-time, live sorting, we gave users the control to decide when to conclude their workflow and manually organize their list.
Building a Cohesive Design System and Ensuring Accessibility
To ensure feature consistency as the product scaled, we developed Kamana's updated product style using an atomic design system. Our priority was creating reusable components that established a unified look and feel across both user areas, resulting in a single, cohesive product voice.
We also updated the brand's gradient design to meet WCAG standards. This involved implementing semantic HTML and meticulously checking contrast levels, all while efficiently navigating complex backend rendering constraints
Usability Tests and Documentation
We conducted usability tests in Maze with over 20 users to validate our prototypes. A key improvement, the update to credential archiving, successfully reduced user scrolling time by 50%.
Furthermore, we created comprehensive documentation and handover guidelines. These covered our processes, key design decisions, and atomic design principles, providing essential support for Kamana’s internal team as it expanded from 13 to over 50 members.
Documentation & Handoff
We created guidelines covering processes, design decisions, and atomic design principles to support Kamana’s internal team growth from 13 to over 50 members.
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Outcome
The redesigned platform was launched featuring a cohesive Tailwind library, significantly faster load times (achieved using Flame On monitoring), and new user-focused features that alleviated workflow friction.
These efforts resulted in a 2x increase in user growth, a doubling of Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), and positive user feedback regarding the ease of recruiting. Crucially, the project also established repeatable, scalable processes, solidifying Kamana's position as a leader in healthcare technology.