Introduction

Designing an intuitive and user-friendly vaccination booking system was essential to ensure smooth access to vaccines during the pandemic and afterwards. This project focused on creating a streamlined experience for users with diverse technical skills, promoting accessibility, efficiency, and clarity.

Project Overview

Project Name: COVID-19 Vaccination Booking System
Date: 2022 – Present
Role: UX/UI Designer
Tools Used: Figma
Team Members: User Researchers, UX/UI Designers, Full Stack Developers, Testers, Business Analysts and Project/Delivery Managers
Client: National Health Service – NHS

1. Problem Statement

COVID-19 vaccines needed to be distributed efficiently, but many people faced challenges booking appointments online. The booking system needed to be:

Accessible to all demographics, including seniors, low literacy users, and less tech-savvy users.
Scalable to handle high volumes of users.
Clear in presenting available times, locations, and necessary eligibility information

2. Research

User Research

Target Users:
- Elderly individuals
- Individuals with low digital literacy
- Low literacy users
Methods Used:
- Surveys
- Interviews with potential users
- Analysis of existing booking systems

Key Findings

Many elderly users struggle with complex websites.
Users wanted detailed information on available appointment slots.
Clear guidance on next steps online and offline (confirmation, notifications) was crucial to avoid confusion.

3. Design Process

a. Personas and Empathy maps

Developed personas “Seniors with Limited Digital Skills”, “Users with Access needs” and “Non English speakers” representing key user groups.
Created empathy maps to better understand their pain points, needs, and motivations.

b. User Journey Mapping

Mapped the ideal user journey from discovering the users ideal site to completing the booking and receiving confirmation.

4. Wireframes & Prototypes

a. Wireframes

Low-fidelity wireframes focused on simplicity and minimal navigation to keep the process straightforward.
Key screens: Service homepage, Eligibility check, Site selection, Time slot selection, and Confirmation.

b. Interactive Prototypes

Created clickable prototypes for usability testing.
Focus on accessibility features like larger titles, one function/question per page and a clean, uncluttered interface.

5. Usability Testing

a. Process

Conducted usability tests with multiple participants across different demographics based on persona research
Measured task success rates (e.g., booking an appointment within 5 minutes) and gathered qualitative feedback.

b. Key Feedback

Positive: Clear user flow, simple UI, and easy to follow for low literacy users.
Improvements Needed: More confirmation needed regarding notification confirmations. More access needs options. More options for landline-only users.

c. Iterations

Added optional confirmation page before submitting if the user doesn’t want to receive appointment notifications.
Increased the list of access needs based off on clinical research

6. Design System – NHS / GOV.uk

The NHS and GOV.uk Design systems are the service manuals to build consistent, usable services for the public. Each component goes through rigorous testing with accessibility at the forefront of every element. All components must adhere to WCAG strict AA/AAA criteria, this ensures that every public-facing service is accessible to the huge demographic the NHS deals with.

7. Final Design

Key Features

User-friendly interface: Simple booking flow with minimal steps.
Real-time availability: Users can see available time slots updated daily.
Accessibility: Colour-blind support, text size adjustment for various devices, and support for screen readers.

8. Outcome & Impact

Success Metrics:
- Users requiring a COVID-19 vaccine were able to book
- All demographics and user needs were catered for
- 119 service were able to use the service to handle over the phone bookings
Client/Stakeholder Feedback: Received positive feedback regarding ease of use and accessibility features.

9. Retrospective & Learnings

Challenges: Balancing simplicity and accessibility with the need for detailed information.
Key Takeaways: Iterative design and consistent user feedback were crucial to creating a system that worked for all users.

10. Next Steps

Exploring adding additional services to the booking system. As of 2024, the Flu vaccination has moved from a GP/pharmacy-only service to a national online booking service using this system. 2025 onwards, all vaccine types are to be moved to this system for online bookings.
Further accessibility testing with more diverse groups (e.g., individuals with rare disabilities including physical and mental).

Conclusion

The COVID-19 vaccination booking system project was a rewarding experience, helping me improve my skills in user-centered design and accessibility. Creating a streamlined booking system ensured that people could access vital services during a critical time and well into the future. I also know that in the future, if another pandemic were to happen, I have helped to build a service that will help every individual in England.