Nihon Kohden + Defibtech
🔒 Confidential Case Study Notice:
This case study is shared strictly for interview and evaluation purposes. It is protected under NDA and contains work done for Nihon Kohden, Defibtech and KDDI via Station Digital Media. Please do not reproduce, share, or distribute this content outside the hiring process. For access, a password is required and provided upon request. Thank you for respecting the confidentiality of this project.
TL;DR / Executive Summary
As the lead UI/UX product designer, I took charge of turning dense medical device data and complex B2B/B2C needs into clear, actionable dashboards and mobile tools for the Nihon Kohden/Defibtech AED Management Portals. Under a tight 5-day sprint, I refined and expanded partially built designs, making them presentation-ready for a high-stakes sales opportunity.
Key Achievements
-
Transformed early drafts into polished, client-ready prototypes for AED fleet tracking, device management, and emergency alert flows.
-
Created reusable design components and clear UI logic to ensure visual consistency across desktop and mobile touchpoints.
-
Quickly pivoted design direction to meet late-stage feedback—switching from patient monitoring to AED management while maintaining stakeholder alignment.
-
Clarified and visualized complex data (device status, alerts, geofences) to support real-world field technician and admin use cases.
My Role & Approach
-
Ownership of UX/UI design: I unified and refined early wireframes, establishing a clear design system and brand alignment for both web and mobile.
-
Strategic iteration: I adapted quickly to feedback from PMs, BAs, and design leads—ensuring final designs met both user tasks and business goals.
-
Fast, pragmatic delivery: Without direct user testing, I leaned on competitor benchmarks, visual references (like Tesla app flows), and atomic design to meet tight deadlines.
To support a high-priority sales opportunity secured by KDDI (the parent company of Station Digital Media), our team delivered a 5-day sale support for Nihon Kohden, showcasing how we could help realize their vision for connected healthcare through B2B/B2C portals and mobile apps.
I led UX/UI for four key deliverables: a hospital-facing Patient Monitoring Portal for Nihon Kohden, and an AED Admin Portal, Fleet User App, and End Consumer App under the Defibtech brand—Nihon Kohden’s subsidiary with its own name and identity.
I revised the AED Admin Portal originally started by another designer, leveraging my prior designs and reusable components to save time and maintain consistency. I also independently designed both mobile apps, using Tesla app references to accelerate key interaction decisions under tight deadlines.
Client
Nihon Kohden, KDDI
Team
Stakeholder - Nihon Kohden & KDDI Team, Station Team: CEO, Project Manager (2), Business analysis team (2), Design Team (3)
Location
Long Beach, CA
Tokyo, Japan
Role
UI/UX product designer
Tools
Figma, Jira, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft 365
Duration
Full-time
4.28 - 5.2.2025 (5 days)
Day-by-Day Breakdown
Click on each card to view the details of each section
Day 1&2 - False Start & Reframe
Teams: Project managers, BA team & design manager Jonas, UI/UX product designer Sophie
Goals
Rapidly design a high-quality, functional Patient Monitoring System Portal for Nihon Kohden’s hospital-facing use case. The objective was to showcase how we could digitize hospital workflows—including device monitoring, patient management, and doctor directories—as part of a broader connected healthcare vision.
Challenges
Initial guidance from KDDI (parent company of Station Digital Media) led us to believe the client’s top priority was an inpatient monitoring system. I began solo work on the hospital portal, while another designer started on the AED Admin Portal. Late on Day 1, design learned the actual focus was AED management across B2B/B2C platforms, creating a temporary misalignment. Despite the shift, our design manager, Jonas, asked me to complete the monitoring portal to support broader solution storytelling in the sales pitch.
Solutions
I completed four core screens in record time with production-level quality:
-
System Dashboard
-
Monitor Dashboard (core feature)
-
Patients List & Detail
-
Doctors List & Detail
To move fast without direct user research, I applied a Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) framework to identify essential tasks for hospital staff. I also conducted quick competitor benchmarking to align UI structure and interaction patterns with industry norms. Though the client’s focus had shifted, the completed monitoring portal was included in the final presentation to showcase our range of capabilities and value as a long-term design partner.
Workflow
1. Receiving Sale Support Requirement
On Day 1, we received limited sales support information via a Teams message from the product manager, summarizing updates from KDDI’s KAM team regarding Nihon Kohden’s priorities. Based on the message, we understood the immediate focus was on hospital-based patient monitoring systems, with a broader long-term vision of building a globally connected platform. AED management was briefly mentioned as a secondary interest. Here is the original message from the product manager in the first place:
"I got all the updates from KAM team about Nihon Kohden's visit and their desired project.
Paraphrasing here: Nihon Kohden is currently focusing on its core medical device offerings, particularly patient monitoring systems. You can find more details on their bedside monitoring solutions here: https://us.nihonkohden.com/clinical/bedside-monitoring/
At present, Nihon Kohden has connected patient monitoring systems deployed in some hospitals. However, these systems are limited to integration within the same local area network (LAN). Their long-term vision is to develop a globally connected patient monitoring system that can integrate countless devices across multiple locations worldwide. That said, this is just an initial concept from Nihon Kohden. We are not limited to this idea—if you have other potential solutions or innovations that may align with their goals, we can present those during the visit.
Additionally, Nihon Kohden is also exploring AED (Automated External Defibrillator) management—such as locating AEDs, monitoring their battery status, and managing a network of AEDs deployed in various public spaces. Currently, their AEDs are not connected in this way."
2. Design Process - Competitors Research
To kick off the design process, I aligned with design manager Jonas on the core screens for the Hospital Monitoring System Portal:
-
System Dashboard
-
Monitor Dashboard (core feature)
-
Patients List & Detail
-
Doctors List & Detail
I then conducted rapid competitor research, reviewing dashboards and portals from Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, HashStudioz, Trima, and Terumo. To complement that, I explored trending medical UI patterns for visual and interaction design inspiration.
Below is a curated mix of competitor insights and UI references that guided the design of the portal.
Note: Click on the image or arrow to view it in a larger size or to see more slides below.
To quickly grasp the structure and function of Nihon Kohden’s bedside monitors, I used ChatGPT to interpret the clinical data types displayed on their devices. This accelerated my ability to design a functional monitoring dashboard tailored to real-world device outputs.
Note: Note: Click on the image to view it in a larger size.
3. High-Fidelity Portal Design
Using the insights above, I completed four core pages of the portal with production-level quality. Both the design manager and product managers were impressed by the speed and depth of execution—delivering fully functional, high-fidelity designs within a remarkably short timeframe.
Note: Click on the image or arrow to view it in a larger size or to see more slides below.
4. What to Improve?
Even though the portal designs were completed quickly and delivered at a high level of polish, there are a few areas I’d refine with more time:
-
Prioritizing User-Centered Design
Over Assumption-Driven UIThe UI was built fast, but mostly based on assumptions. With more time, I’d validate key workflows—like how hospital staff actually use patient dashboards and monitors—through quick interviews or usability tests.
-
Clearer Scope Upfront
The project kicked off with mixed signals, which led to parallel work on two different priorities. A quick stakeholder sync or kickoff workshop could’ve helped align everyone sooner and saved time.
-
Make Dashboards More Actionable
The dashboard looks great visually, but could be more useful if focused on things like critical monitor alerts, high patient loads, or expiring devices—stuff admins need to act on quickly.
-
Role-Based Views
Right now, everyone sees the same thing. In future iterations, I’d explore role-specific views—for example, a nurse might need quick patient check-ins, while an admin cares more about system status.
-
Smarter Chatbot Flows
The AI assistant has potential, but the UI is still pretty basic. I’d expand it with real tasks like pulling patient trends or surfacing urgent monitor alerts to make it more of a clinical sidekick than a simple helper.
Day 3 - Pivot to AED Management
Teams: Project managers, BA team & design manager Jonas, UI/UX product designers Benny & Sophie
Goal
Refocus the design effort to deliver a high-fidelity AED Management Admin Portal aligned with Nihon Kohden’s real business priority: managing a distributed network of AED devices under its Defibtech brand. The goal was to demonstrate how we could support fleet operations, real-time status tracking, and regional device oversight.
Challenges
-
The design team received late clarification that AED management—not patient monitoring—was the client’s core interest.
-
I had to immediately pause the monitoring portal work and shift priorities mid-sprint.
-
The initial AED Admin Portal design included a basic user flow and early screen drafts from another designer Benny, but it lacked visual hierarchy, structure, and consistent components—requiring significant refinement to meet the quality needed for client presentation.
-
We had limited time and no direct user access to validate the admin use cases.
Solutions
-
Collaborated with the team to reprioritize deliverables and shift focus to the AED Management Admin Portal.
-
I took the initial user flow and early screens designed by another designer Benny and refined them into a more cohesive, high-fidelity experience—enhancing layout clarity, applying consistent components, and improving overall usability to meet presentation-level quality.
-
Focused on core features that would be critical to B2B clients managing fleets:
- AED location tracking
- Real-time battery and device status dashboard
- Regional assignment and device grouping
- Alert system for malfunctioning or low-power units
This allowed us to stay aligned with the client's needs while maintaining design quality despite the pivot.
Workflow
1. Project Alignment & Whiteboard Briefing
On Day 3, the project manager and BA team provided updated clarification about the sales support structure during a team meeting. They walked us through a whiteboard overview outlining the relationship between Nihon Kohden and Station, key client pain points, technical challenges, and a general CX approach. This clarified that Defibtech AED management—not patient monitoring—was the primary business focus for this engagement.
Note: Click on the image to view it in a larger size.
2. Geofence Map References
To support the Defibtech AED tracking experience, the team shared a few geofencing map references with the design team. Additionally, the design manager pointed another designer Benny to a previous POC project I had created for Sony, which featured similar mapping and admin workflows. These references helped inform the layout and interaction design for features like device location, alert zones, and regional assignments.
Note: Click on the image to view it in a larger size.
3. Design Review & Iteration
With the new direction confirmed, I quickly shifted focus to the AED Admin Portal and reviewed the initial design created by Benny. Using the updated business context, I revised and enhanced the layout—improving usability, visual hierarchy, and feature clarity. I applied reusable components for speed and consistency, and updated the color scheme to align with Defibtech’s branding by referencing their official website palette.
Note: Click on the image to view it in a larger size.
-
Search Bar Lacked Visibility
Pain Point: The search bar blended into the interface and lacked visual hierarchy, reducing discoverability.
Solution: Introduced a clear input box with increased contrast and padding to create a stronger focal point, improving findability for device or location queries. -
Inconsistent Global Navigation Styling
Pain Point: The sidebar and active menu styling did not align with Defibtech’s visual identity, creating a disconnect between the brand and the product UI.
Solution: Updated the color palette to match Defibtech’s brand guidelines, improving brand consistency while enhancing the legibility of active states. -
Poor Contrast in Geofence Map Pins
Pain Point: The geofence pins and regions were visually blended, making it difficult to distinguish between pin markers and coverage areas.
Solution: Adjusted pin color contrast and size to clearly differentiate location markers from background map zones, supporting faster visual parsing and improved accessibility. -
Pin Icon Too Small for Readability
Pain Point: The small pin markers on the map were hard to interpret, especially for users needing quick device status checks.
Solution: Enlarged and restyled the icons to improve visual clarity and scannability, supporting real-world usability in field or admin settings. -
Chart Visualization Misaligned with Data Purpose
Pain Point: The line chart was directly lifted from a prior project (Sony POC), with misaligned dots and unclear value representation.
Solution: Removed unnecessary data points, cleaned up the visual lines, and adjusted positioning to reflect meaningful daily usage trends. -
Color Misuse Created Error-State Confusion
Pain Point: The color red was used for "Not Monitored," which unintentionally implied an error or urgent status.
Solution: Updated the label color to a neutral gray, aligning with standard UI conventions and reducing false urgency in the user’s mental model. -
Poor Grouping of Settings and Logout
Pain Point: Placing “Settings” directly above “Logout” increased the risk of accidental logouts and felt out of place in the menu structure.
Solution: Moved “Settings” to the top group with functional items, and isolated “Logout” at the bottom to match expected UX patterns and reduce user error. -
Placeholder Text Lacked Readability
Pain Point: Low-contrast placeholder text in input fields made them difficult to read, especially for accessibility needs.
Solution: Increased text contrast and weight to meet accessibility standards (WCAG AA), improving clarity for all users.
Impact
By refining the initial design as lead designer, I brought the AED Admin Portal to a professional standard—improving clarity, accessibility, and brand alignment. These changes created a stronger, more intuitive experience for internal teams and supported a more compelling client-facing sales demonstration. Other design revisions are shown below.
Note: Click on the image or arrow to view it in a larger size or to see more slides below.
4. Prototype
Click the link below to view and interact with the live prototype (password: xing):
5. What to Improve – AED Management Portal
While the AED Admin Portal came together quickly and looked polished, there are a few key areas I’d improve if we had more time and room to go deeper:
-
Get Input from Real Users
We based most design decisions on internal assumptions and competitor benchmarks. In the next phase, I’d want to test this with actual AED coordinators or field techs—especially around how they manage geofences, track device status, and handle alerts. Real feedback would help fine-tune the workflows. -
Support Role-Based Views
Right now, the admin dashboard is one-size-fits-all. But realistically, a fleet manager and a regional technician probably don’t need the same view. I’d design for role-based access—so each user sees what’s relevant to them without clutter. -
Plan for Scale with Geofences
The current map design works well for a small fleet, but if we scale to hundreds of devices, it’ll get messy fast. I’d explore clustering pins, smarter filters, and group-level controls to keep the UI clean and usable at scale. -
Smarter Alert System
Device status indicators are there, but right now everything feels equal in priority. I'd introduce alert levels (critical, warning, low battery, etc.) and make sure the system surfaces what really needs attention first. -
Build a Design System
I built a few components from scratch and reused others to move quickly, but a proper design system—with defined tokens, states, and interaction patterns—would take this further. It would make future updates more consistent and scalable, especially as more designers or engineers get involved.
Day 4&5 - End User & Fleet Mobile Apps
Teams: project managers, business analysis team & UI/UX product designers Jonas & Sophie
Goal
After a late update from the PM at the end of Day 3, I learned we also needed to design two mobile apps: one for End Users (B2C) and one for Fleet Technicians (B2B). The goal was to quickly create intuitive, branded mobile experiences that supported AED tracking and device management, and could be presented as part of the sales POC.
Challenges
-
We weren’t initially told that mobile apps were in scope—this requirement surfaced just before Day 4.
-
I had to design both apps solo within a single day.
-
The only mobile designs we had were three rough screens created by Benny, which were styled like mobile-responsive web pages—not user-friendly native app experiences.
-
No time or access to end-user research, personas, or real usage data.
-
Needed to align the mobile UI with Defibtech’s brand and ensure consistency with the admin portal.
Solutions
-
I jumped straight into design, using Tesla app screenshots shared by the design manager (Jonas) as fast visual references—especially for map-first layouts and clean mobile interactions.
-
Redesigned the experience from the ground up, replacing the web-responsive mockups with true mobile-native UI tailored for each audience.
-
Focused on key user actions:
- End User App (B2C): AED locator, device health check, emergency call
- Fleet App (B2B): Regional device list, route info, device status -
Created a small library of reusable mobile components (cards, overlays, buttons, map markers) to speed up the process and ensure visual consistency.
-
Applied Defibtech’s branding across both apps for a clean, professional, and on-brand mobile experience.
Workflow
1. Reworking the Mobile Experience from the Ground Up
The original mobile direction included just three screens designed by Benny. While they served as a starting point, they closely resembled a responsive web portal, not a true mobile app experience. The layout lacked mobile interaction patterns, had minimal touch affordances, and made it difficult for users to interact with the geofence map or quickly scan device information. Overall, the flow felt more like viewing a portal in a phone browser than using a dedicated app.
Note: Click on the image to view it in a larger size.
2. Mobile Redesign: Native UX for Consumers and Fleet Teams
On Day 4, once I received the go-ahead, I redesigned the entire mobile experience for two user roles:
-
End Consumers (B2C) needing quick AED access
-
Fleet Technicians (B2B) managing device health and routes
Drawing inspiration from the Tesla app and our existing web portal UI, I created fully native mobile flows that better reflected user needs and mobile-first behaviors. These new designs included clear navigation, map-first layouts, and detailed AED device views—featuring real data fields provided by the BA team such as battery life, inspection logs, model number, and contact info.
By aligning design decisions with native app standards, real-world AED maintenance tasks, and Defibtech’s branding, the new mobile experience felt purposeful, user-friendly, and ready to scale.
Note: Click on the image or arrow to view it in a larger size or to see more slides below.
What to Improve
-
Validate Flows with Real Users
The user journeys were built on assumptions and quick references (e.g., Tesla app), not grounded in actual user behavior. With more time, I would conduct quick interviews or field testing with AED end users and fleet technicians to ensure the flows truly reflect their pain points, needs, and mental models. -
Build Out Edge Cases and Microinteractions
Due to time constraints, I focused on the core flow screens. In future iterations, I’d expand on edge cases like lost GPS signal, low battery warnings, failed sync states, or offline mode—all common in emergency or field-based apps. -
Define a Scalable Mobile Design System
I created a few shared components to keep things moving, but we didn’t have a dedicated mobile design system. Defining design tokens, navigation behaviors, and component states would improve long-term consistency and make future handoff or collaboration easier. -
Clarify Feature Boundaries Across Roles
Some functionalities (like device editing or emergency alerts) could blur between the consumer and fleet app. With more discovery time, I’d work with the BA team to clarify what features belong to which user role and ensure there’s no redundancy or overlap in interaction models. -
Consider Authentication and User Account Flows
For speed, login and permission flows were skipped. In a real product scenario, I’d map out secure onboarding, role-based access control, and emergency bypass logic—especially important for apps tied to public safety infrastructure. -
Design for Accessibility and Diverse Contexts
The current designs look clean and intuitive, but haven’t been tested across accessibility standards (e.g., large text, color contrast) or low-connectivity environments. I’d plan for those in the next iteration to improve inclusivity and field reliability.
Day 5 - Polish & Presentation Prep
By Day 5, I delivered high-fidelity mobile designs for both user types, and a clickable prototype for the AED Admin Portal only, due to time constraints. The mobile designs showcased key interactions such as:
-
AED Locator (map-first experience)
-
AED Device Detail (status, battery, model info)
-
Emergency Call (for B2C)
-
Device Management & Inspection History (for B2B)
-
Route Assignment & Inbox Alerts (for Fleet)
While the mobile flows were static, the clickable AED portal prototype helped round out the full suite of deliverables for the sales presentation—spanning admin, portal, and mobile touchpoints.
Design System
UI/UX product designer Sophie
Rapid Design Library for Cross-Brand Consistency
To accelerate the 5-day sprint and maintain visual consistency across two distinct platforms—Nihon Kohden’s Monitoring System Portal and Defibtech’s AED Management Interfaces—I created a compact, reusable design library.
The system included:
-
Cards & Tables: Flexible patient/doctor/device cards with responsive layouts and real-time vitals integration
-
Search & Input Fields: Streamlined forms and geolocation search bars for quick filtering and lookup
-
Charts & Data Visualization: Simple, scannable trend lines and status indicators designed for clarity under pressure
-
Navigation Patterns: Sidebars for desktop portals, and bottom tabs for mobile apps, tailored to user roles
-
Buttons & States: Styled for accessibility and brand alignment, including emergency CTA states
-
Icons & Labels: Role-specific icon sets and status chips for quick interpretation (e.g., “Admitted,” “Ready for Use,” “Error”)
-
Color Palettes: Distinct themes for each brand—cool, clinical blues for Nihon Kohden; bold, safety-focused mustard and red tones for Defibtech
-
Typography: Scalable type hierarchy optimized for dashboards, tables, and mobile content readability
This mini design system allowed me to move fast without sacrificing structure, ensuring brand clarity, consistency, and smoother handoff if the project moves into development or scaling phases.
Design Methods & UX Strategy
UI/UX product designer Sophie
Despite the extreme time constraints, I adapted modern product design methods into a lean, execution-focused framework that balanced speed, clarity, and quality. My approach prioritized flexibility, cross-functional alignment, and strategic reuse—hallmarks of senior-level product design under pressure.
Design Sprint Lite
I led a condensed version of the Google Ventures Design Sprint to quickly align stakeholders and move from ambiguity to actionable prototypes. While we couldn’t include end-user validation, we still moved through the core phases:
-
Rapid understanding of goals and constraints
-
Sketching divergent solutions (portal and mobile flows)
-
Internal validation with PMs, BAs, and design leads
-
Iterative high-fidelity prototyping based on continuous feedback
Atomic Design System (Just-in-Time)
To maintain consistency and speed across platforms, I established a mini design library using atomic principles. Components—buttons, cards, charts, nav tabs—were reused across:
-
Nihon Kohden’s Monitoring System Portal
-
Defibtech’s AED Admin Portal
-
Fleet and End-User Mobile Apps
This approach allowed me to work at scale without sacrificing visual or functional cohesion.
Task Flows over Personas
With no time for formal UX research, I built the experiences around role-based task flows—focusing on real-world context (e.g. hospital admins, field technicians, emergency responders). This ensured each screen supported a specific, outcome-driven action, from finding AEDs to reviewing battery status or assigning devices by region.
Cross-Functional Rapid Syncs
Daily standups with the PMs, BA team, and fellow designers helped us stay tightly aligned. I proactively asked questions to resolve ambiguity in real time, prioritized features based on impact, and quickly pivoted when project priorities changed (e.g., from patient monitoring to AED management).
Visual Benchmarking for Acceleration
To fast-track mobile UX, I used Tesla’s app UI (provided by our design manager) as a design benchmark. It helped me establish interaction patterns like map-first navigation, card views, and quick-access CTAs—especially useful for emergency use cases with limited cognitive bandwidth.
This blend of strategic compression, component reuse, and outcome-driven thinking allowed me to deliver production-level designs across six platforms in five days, while keeping quality, clarity, and stakeholder confidence intact.
Outcome & Strategic Value
UI/UX product designer Sophie
In just five days, I delivered high-fidelity designs and a clickable prototype spanning four core product surfaces:
-
Nihon Kohden’s Patient Monitoring Portal
-
AED Management Admin Portal (Defibtech)
-
Fleet Technician Mobile App
-
End Consumer AED Mobile App
Reframing the Sales Narrative
The design deliverables helped shift the client conversation from vague digital ambitions to concrete, product-ready solutions. By visually demonstrating how AEDs and monitoring systems could evolve into a connected digital ecosystem, we gave Nihon Kohden leadership a clear vision to rally behind.
Proof of Execution Speed & Excellence
The project validated the design team’s ability to deliver under extreme time pressure without sacrificing quality or strategic clarity—reinforcing trust with both Station Digital Media and their parent company, KDDI.
Scalable Design Foundation
Beyond the immediate sales support, the system of reusable components, consistent UI logic, and branded visual language laid a strong foundation for future productization—whether internal POCs, client pilots, or long-term healthcare SaaS platforms.
Strengthened Stakeholder Confidence
The polished, cross-platform output positioned design not just as a support function, but as a strategic driver capable of influencing business direction, accelerating sales, and reducing product ambiguity.
Reflection
UI/UX product designer Sophie
This project was a high-stakes sales support initiative in a highly competitive space—made even more challenging by Japan’s tough economic climate and conservative procurement cycles. Selling digital innovation in the medical device sector is rarely straightforward, and success depends not only on functionality, but also on trust, clarity, and speed.
While the client ultimately chose not to move forward with our team, they expressed strong appreciation for the depth, quality, and clarity of the designs. The work reframed how they thought about connected healthcare and proved that we could rapidly execute complex ideas into cohesive, user-focused interfaces.
From vague intake to four platform-ready design surfaces in five days, this project became a proving ground for:
-
Leading design under ambiguity and pressure
-
Translating business goals into usable product logic
-
Aligning cross-functional teams around a shared, executable vision
Even without direct user research, I built focused, functional solutions by applying lean UX, fast component systems, and strong product intuition.
🔒 Confidential Case Study Notice:
This portfolio piece is password-protected to respect confidentiality agreements and client privacy. It's shared solely for evaluation during the hiring process. Thank you for keeping this content private and secure.