Zo Pancoast – The Better Lab

My Summer at The Better Lab

by Zo Pancoast, Scripps College ’25

My name is Zo Pancoast, and I graduated from Scripps in the Spring of 2025 with a double major in Human-Centered Design and Politics. This summer, with support from the Hive, I had the opportunity to work as a design research intern at The Better Lab, a Human-Centered Design (HCD) research lab based out of the trauma surgery department at UCSF. 

I first learned about the concept of design within healthcare sitting on the white stools of Studio 1 in the Intro to Human-Centered Design class offered by the Hive. Professors Fred Leichter and Asha Srikantiah shared with us the example of the University of Pittsburgh Hospital, which used HCD methodologies to redesign their MRI machines from the traditional, sterile, sleek machines requiring high levels of sedation for children, to playful themes like pirate ships, underwater worlds, and outer space. This redesign not only significantly reduced sedation percentages but also transformed many kids’ experiences in going to the hospital, to the extent that one girl even asked, “Can I come back tomorrow?” I became fascinated with how even small design interventions can have a significant impact on health outcomes and on patients’ levels of trust in receiving healthcare services.

During my time at Scripps, I continued to pursue both Human-Centered Design and issues of health equity. I took classes like Advanced HCD, 2D Design, Design and Equity, Misrepresentation of Women by Science, and Urban Health Equity. This quintessential liberal arts course load culminated in my thesis project for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH), where I employed HCD methodology to improve Hepatitis C care for individuals living in recuperative care facilities in Los Angeles County (read more about my thesis project here). Part of my thesis research involved exploring existing models of HCD applied within a large-scale health system. Through this effort, I spoke with Pomona alum Abbe Don, who introduced me to the work of The Better Lab. I knew I wanted to get involved with their work after learning about the ways they prioritize users’ needs with a commitment to co-design processes. 

At UCSF, everyone has a name card on their desk with their name and their department. It is fun to walk around the building and see all of the different research that is taking place.

This summer, at The Better Lab, I worked specifically on the launch of a project called WrapApp. This app is the result of five years of codesign with case managers, violently injured patients, and surgeons to support patients’ healing journey both during and beyond their stay in the hospital at UCSF. The goal of WrapApp is to reduce hospital recidivism rates by supporting client (violently injured patients) and case manager communications, goal setting, and resource sharing. This app is part of the Wraparound Project, a national public health model for violence prevention that connects clients to risk-reducing resources. 

In my role, I have focused on enhancing user experience during the rollout of WrapApp and improving it as it is introduced to initial case managers and clients. I began by gaining a deeper understanding of analogous apps that case managers use and researching best practices in technology for this field. A significant portion of my work has been conducting extensive testing of the app functionalities to identify bugs and opportunities for redesign based on the case managers’ daily practices. I created instructional guides for both clients and case managers on how to use WrapApp. Additionally, I have been working with the Violence Prevention Providers (VPPs), who are case managers specialized in violence prevention, to train them on WrapApp, gather feedback, and identify areas for improvement. Throughout the process, I have been working with colleagues as an advocate for the users when communicating with the third-party app development team. This experience has underscored the importance of involving users at every step. Each time I sit down with the VPPs, I learn more about their daily routines and life experiences that reveal insights that shape how the app should function. Working with the VPPs has been the most fulfilling part of this experience. Seeing the care and dedication that they pour into their clients inspires me to continue working to improve the user experience of WrapApp so that it integrates seamlessly to support their daily work.

Example of the instruction guides that I created for clients and Violent Prevention Providers (VPPs).

It has been inspiring to learn about the broader work that The Better Lab is doing to improve people’s experience navigating their health care systems. Their commitment to “try early, iterate often” has stuck with me. This internship has deepened my desire to work in healthcare design and shown me that while the healthcare system can be daunting, there are pockets of opportunity where people are committed to developing more equitable healthcare systems and improving patient experiences.

I am grateful to my supervisor, Adrienne Greer, the whole team at The Better Lab, Abbe Don, and the Hive for supporting me in this experience! 

Feel free to reach out to me at zopancoast@gmail.com with any questions or to chat!