Type: Web App
Deliverables: Research, Prototypes, Product Design, Testing
Role: Product Designer
Deliverables: Research, Prototypes, Product Design, Testing
Role: Product Designer
Streamlining veterinarian appointments
This project aimed to create an integrated online appointment booking system for an expanding network of veterinary clinics and hospitals. The initial landscape featured a disjointed funnel and page experience, resulting in a poor online booking process and no effective way to view appointment availability across various types of locations.
Project details are protected by a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), restricting the display of images and data.
This project aimed to create an integrated online appointment booking system for an expanding network of veterinary clinics and hospitals. The initial landscape featured a disjointed funnel and page experience, resulting in a poor online booking process and no effective way to view appointment availability across various types of locations.
Project details are protected by a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), restricting the display of images and data.
Role and Responsibilities
I served as the Lead Product Designer for this project, collaborating closely with a diverse team that included product managers, engineers, veterinary experts, and other stakeholders. My primary responsibilities encompassed competitive analysis, user research, product design, and testing.
Competitive Analysis: I performed a thorough competitive analysis, identifying patterns and features in similar applications. This analysis allowed us to pinpoint opportunities and create a user experience that leveraged best practices in the field.
User Research: I conducted extensive user research to gain insights into the pain points and needs of pet owners and hospital staff. This involved in-depth interviews, surveys, and the analysis of user data to inform the design process.
Design and Iteration: Leveraging the research findings, I created mockups and prototypes that aimed to address the identified issues and enhance the overall user experience.
User Testing: To validate and refine design concepts, I organized user testing sessions, both online and in-person, where I presented prototypes to actual customers. Their valuable feedback allowed for iterative improvements to the design.
I served as the Lead Product Designer for this project, collaborating closely with a diverse team that included product managers, engineers, veterinary experts, and other stakeholders. My primary responsibilities encompassed competitive analysis, user research, product design, and testing.
Competitive Analysis: I performed a thorough competitive analysis, identifying patterns and features in similar applications. This analysis allowed us to pinpoint opportunities and create a user experience that leveraged best practices in the field.
User Research: I conducted extensive user research to gain insights into the pain points and needs of pet owners and hospital staff. This involved in-depth interviews, surveys, and the analysis of user data to inform the design process.
Design and Iteration: Leveraging the research findings, I created mockups and prototypes that aimed to address the identified issues and enhance the overall user experience.
User Testing: To validate and refine design concepts, I organized user testing sessions, both online and in-person, where I presented prototypes to actual customers. Their valuable feedback allowed for iterative improvements to the design.
Collaboration
Product Managers: Vital in aligning the experience with the business objectives and ensuring that user needs were effectively addressed.
Stakeholders: Regularly presented design progress and findings to stakeholders, providing them with clear insights into the project's development and the rationale behind design choices.
Tech Leads: I worked closely with the engineering team to ensure the smooth implementation of the product design, maintaining a consistent user experience during development.
Stakeholders: Regularly presented design progress and findings to stakeholders, providing them with clear insights into the project's development and the rationale behind design choices.
Tech Leads: I worked closely with the engineering team to ensure the smooth implementation of the product design, maintaining a consistent user experience during development.
Challenges
Solutions and Approach
Results and Impact
The project presented a series of complex challenges. One of the central challenges was unifying information from various systems across different clinic and hospital locations to create a seamless scheduling experience. These diverse systems had unique data structures and appointment management protocols, making it a complex task to consolidate and present a unified view for users.
In addition to this complexity, it was crucial to address the challenge of users distinguishing between clinics and hospitals, simplifying the appointment types, and providing a solution that allowed customers to find the closest and most convenient appointment.
In addition to this complexity, it was crucial to address the challenge of users distinguishing between clinics and hospitals, simplifying the appointment types, and providing a solution that allowed customers to find the closest and most convenient appointment.
Solutions and Approach
Our approach was multifaceted, with a primary focus on enhancing the overall user experience. To address the challenge of users distinguishing between clinics and hospitals, we introduced educational components within the experience. This provided clear explanations of the differences, ensuring that pet parents could confidently select the most suitable option.
To remove friction points from the appointment booking process, we meticulously streamlined each step. This involved simplifying data entry, minimizing the number of steps required, and optimizing form fields to create a hassle-free experience. We also invested time on appointment type identification, allowing the system to help our customers make the right decision and match appointments with the most appropriate slots. This increased efficiency in our location’s schedules.
We empowered customers to locate the closest and most convenient appointment. This enabled users to effortlessly find and select appointments at the nearest clinic or hospital, making the process more user-centric and efficient.
Additionally, to combat the issue of appointment cancellations and no-shows, we implemented proactive appointment reminders and confirmations and allowed customers to manage their appointments. Through this, we reduced last-minute cancellations and minimized the instances of users missing their appointments, ensuring that both pet parents and clinic staff benefited from a more efficient and reliable scheduling process.
To remove friction points from the appointment booking process, we meticulously streamlined each step. This involved simplifying data entry, minimizing the number of steps required, and optimizing form fields to create a hassle-free experience. We also invested time on appointment type identification, allowing the system to help our customers make the right decision and match appointments with the most appropriate slots. This increased efficiency in our location’s schedules.
We empowered customers to locate the closest and most convenient appointment. This enabled users to effortlessly find and select appointments at the nearest clinic or hospital, making the process more user-centric and efficient.
Additionally, to combat the issue of appointment cancellations and no-shows, we implemented proactive appointment reminders and confirmations and allowed customers to manage their appointments. Through this, we reduced last-minute cancellations and minimized the instances of users missing their appointments, ensuring that both pet parents and clinic staff benefited from a more efficient and reliable scheduling process.
Results and Impact
After the implementation of the enhanced appointment system, both clinics and hospitals witnessed a significant improvement in user satisfaction. Pet parents can now effortlessly schedule appointments through a unified and intuitive platform, leading to an increase in booking rates. Notably, the ability to view appointment availability across various clinic and hospital locations was met with enthusiastic approval from users. Although specific metrics are confidential, the positive impact on veterinarian operations was evident.
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
Simplified User Experience: The project highlighted the importance of keeping complexity hidden from the customer's view. Successfully unifying information from various systems across different clinic and hospital locations demonstrated the significance of presenting a seamless scheduling experience to users without burdening them with the intricacies of data integration and consolidation.
Empowering Informed Decisions: The project emphasized the importance of educating users about the differences between clinics and hospitals. This not only prevented confusion but also empowered customers to make the best decision for their pet's health and their own financial interests. By providing users with the knowledge to choose the right location, customer satisfaction increased, as they felt they were receiving the service they genuinely needed, without unnecessary upselling. This approach contributed to a more transparent and customer-centric experience.
Proactive Management: Implementing proactive appointment reminders, and confirmations, and allowing customers to manage their appointments played a significant role in reducing last-minute cancellations and minimizing no-show instances, contributing to an efficient and reliable scheduling process.
These takeaways reflect the lessons learned from a project that successfully addressed complex challenges in healthcare scheduling, emphasizing user-centric design, efficient data handling, and proactive user management.
Empowering Informed Decisions: The project emphasized the importance of educating users about the differences between clinics and hospitals. This not only prevented confusion but also empowered customers to make the best decision for their pet's health and their own financial interests. By providing users with the knowledge to choose the right location, customer satisfaction increased, as they felt they were receiving the service they genuinely needed, without unnecessary upselling. This approach contributed to a more transparent and customer-centric experience.
Proactive Management: Implementing proactive appointment reminders, and confirmations, and allowing customers to manage their appointments played a significant role in reducing last-minute cancellations and minimizing no-show instances, contributing to an efficient and reliable scheduling process.
These takeaways reflect the lessons learned from a project that successfully addressed complex challenges in healthcare scheduling, emphasizing user-centric design, efficient data handling, and proactive user management.
