U-first was a Canadian tech startup in the billion-dollar health industry. They developed a SaaS platform with the potential to transform how healthcare services were delivered. I was first engaged to support branding and marketing, but my role quickly expanded into orchestrating the full customer experience and redesigning the software interface and shaping the strategy for adoption. U-first later rebranded as Tandem and was ultimately acquired by Telus Health, a move that validated both the technology and the approach we helped shape.
Design Goals
Improve Usability: Redesign the interface for clarity, accessibility, and ease-of-use.
Reduce Training Burden: Lower both hard and soft costs tied to onboarding.
Refocus Market Strategy: Identify the most scalable and receptive audience.
Support Growth: Align UX with fundraising, rebrand, and acquisition goals.
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Research and Alignment
Our first step was to understand the needs of both the business and its users. We conducted stakeholder interviews, reviewed the software’s workflows, and benchmarked against competitors. We realized that while doctors and clinics were the initial target market, their adoption barriers were high. At the same time, the platform’s functionality offered clear value to insurance providers, who could adopt it at scale. These insights provided the foundation for both design and strategy.
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UX and Visual Redesign
With alignment in place, we redesigned the platform’s interface to feel lighter, more intuitive, and more consistent. Complex workflows were simplified into clearer task flows, reducing friction and cognitive load. Accessibility principles informed our choices, from typography and colour contrast to iconography, ensuring that the design worked for a broad range of users. The result was a product that not only looked modern but also reduced onboarding complexity.
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Market Strategy Shift
Parallel to the redesign, we worked with leadership to reconsider the go-to-market approach. Research supported pivoting from individual clinics and doctors to insurance companies as the primary audience. This shift reduced the sales burden, created opportunities for broader adoption, and positioned the software as an industry-level solution rather than a piecemeal clinic tool. The UX decisions supported this move, ensuring the platform could scale effectively.
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Investor Readiness and Growth
The combined redesign and market pivot made a compelling case to investors. By demonstrating both usability improvements and a scalable business model, U-first was able to raise millions in its first round of funding. Rebranded as Tandem, the company gained visibility and credibility, eventually leading to its acquisition by Telus Health. The project became a proof point of how UX and strategic design, when integrated early, can accelerate both adoption and business growth.
Outcome
The collaboration reshaped U-first’s trajectory. A redesigned interface reduced training burdens and improved adoption, while a strategic pivot to insurance providers created a viable pathway to scale. Rebranded as Tandem, the company raised significant investment and was later acquired by Telus Health, validating the strength of both the technology and the user-centred strategy behind it. The case shows how UX can function not only as design problem-solving, but also as a driver of business transformation.