1
Trust signals first
credentials and safety info drive bookings
Healthcare · Marketplace · Trust
HerbaLink: Designing Credential Trust Into a Herbalist Marketplace
When your health is on the line, "trust me, bro" isn't good enough
- Booking increase
- 3×
- Match accuracy
- 85%
Overview Section
Overview
HerbaLink connects people with vetted herbalists and reliable resources. Many users relied on unverified sources, creating risks. The vision: build a discovery and booking platform with credibility at its core. The outcome: safe, trustworthy access to natural health practitioners and remedies.
Goals
- Enable search, filter, and booking for herbalists.
- Give users safe, reliable access to natural health care.
- Create new revenue channels for practitioners and the platform.
- Role
- Lead Product Designer
- Responsibilities
- Product design, booking flows, trust & safety UX
- Collaborators
- Me (Conversational Design Engineer + AI)
- Duration
- 1 year
Research Section
RESEARCH
Gathering insights
Gathering insights from users and practitioners
Emerging themes
THE TRUST CRISIS
"I found this herbalist on Instagram who promised to cure my anxiety with a $200 tincture. Turns out she had zero credentials and the herbs made me violently sick." – Sarah, 32, anxiety and sleep support
Drove: Problem: no credential verification, real safety risks.
INFORMATION OVERLOAD
"Every herbalist website has different information. I just want to know: Is this safe for me? Will it interact with my medications? How much should I take?" – David, 41, digestive issues
Drove: Problem: conflicting information, no standardized guidance.
EMERGING THEMES
Essentials to Know → Safety info (contraindications, interactions, dosage) must be immediate. Personalization Matters → Matching by conditions, modalities, and availability. Trust & Transparency → Verified credentials and visible sources build confidence.
Drove: Solution framework for trust-first herbalist discovery platform.
Problem Section
Problem
People seeking herbal care couldn't confidently find qualified practitioners or reliable guidance, leading to dangerous misinformation, safety risks, and abandoned treatment plans.
Problem
Problem to Solve
Exploration: Initial Concepts & Sketches
Sprint Zero / Exploration: Explored AI-powered symptom analysis, community reviews, marketplace browsing.
Decision Point
Decision Point: Trust was the core problem. Solution: verified practitioners with transparent credentials, not a self-serve database of unvetted options.
Key Insights Section
Key insights
2
Personalization wins
condition-specific matching is more effective than search
3
Continuity matters
booking + notes + follow-ups keep users engaged
My Thought Process Section
Approach & Decision Making
My Thought Process
I prioritized trust-building over flashy features. When health is at stake, credibility trumps convenience. The breakthrough was reframing herbalist selection as choosing a doctor, not shopping for supplements. Credentials, safety info, and guided matching came first, always.
Ideation Section
IDEATION
Multiple iterations
Multiple iterations on trust and discovery
1
Profile essentials
what users need immediately to trust a practitioner
2
Safety information
contraindications and interactions upfront
3
Match criteria
intake questionnaire → condition-specific scoring → instant booking
4
Booking flow
fewer steps, clearer expectations, immediate confirmation
Design Iterations Section
Core flow, low fidelity
What Didn't Work Section
What Didn't Work
Lessons Learned
My first approach was building a giant herbalist database with every possible filter. Users hated it. "This feels like trying to diagnose myself on WebMD. I just want someone qualified to help me." – Leah, 28, general wellness Fix: Guided discovery with expert-matched options instead of overwhelming filters.
User Testing & Validation Section
Validation & Testing
User Testing & Validation
Results: • 92% task completion • 4.8/5 trust score • 30s average booking time
92%
task completion
4.8/5
trust score
30s
average booking time
The Final Product Section
The Result
The Final Product
A platform where people can confidently: • Book verified herbalists with transparent credentials • Access safety information to avoid dangerous interactions • Track symptoms + progress over time • Book faster: 3× higher conversion rate
Outcome Section
Outcomes & Impact
Outcome
Leah's feedback: "I finally found an herbalist who actually helped my fatigue. The platform made me feel safe choosing someone, and the booking was so easy." Impact: • 3× booking increase • 85% match accuracy • 24hr average response time
3×
booking increase
85%
match accuracy
24hr
average response time
Healthcare
GenAI
Trust & Safety
Booking Platform
More Work Section
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Contact Section
Get in Touch
Tell me what you're working on and where it's stuck. Short messages are fine.