Background
Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) Health and Wellness Centre sought to improve the accessibility and user experience of their appointment booking system. The existing system required students to schedule appointments in person or over the phone, which was inefficient and time-consuming.
Research Question
How might we create an intuitive mobile app that simplifies the process of booking wellness appointments and accessing related services for WLU students?
Solution Highlight
Wellnest
The solution we created and tested was Wellnest, a mobile app designed to allow students to easily book appointments with Wellness Centre practitioners, explore wellness services, access relevant events, and find resources.
Discovery
Research
Initial research included both qualitative and quantitative methods. We analyzed user needs by conducting interviews and surveys with students who had experience with the Wellness Centre. Additionally, we reviewed competitive apps to understand industry standards and trends in wellness-centered mobile design.
Key Insights
- Students expressed frustration with the current in-person or phone-only booking system.
- A significant demand for a digital platform that centralizes wellness services, events, and resources.
- Users expected a simple, intuitive design with minimal friction in the booking process.
- Accessibility and mental health resources were crucial priorities for the student demographic.
Mapping User Journey
Based on the research, we mapped out the typical journey a student would take from discovering the Wellness Centre’s services to booking an appointment and managing their wellness resources. This helped identify key interaction points, pain areas, and opportunities for improvement throughout the user flow.
Design
Visual Ideation
We began with visual ideation using mood boards that focused on wellness and positivity. The goal was to create an inviting, calming design to enhance the user experience. The final design used Laurier’s secondary colors, which resonated more with the wellness theme than the school’s primary academic colors.
Low Fidelity
We started with low-fidelity wireframes and prototypes to visualize the app’s structure. These early designs focused on user flow, placement of key features (appointment booking, practitioner profiles, wellness resources), and navigation.
- Homepage with a quick overview of services and events.
- Booking flow to select services, practitioners, and appointment times.
- Wellness resources for students seeking mental health or emergency assistance.
Testing
User Feedback
Two rounds of usability testing were conducted: one on the low-fidelity prototype and one on the medium-fidelity prototype. In the low-fidelity usability test, we used a Think-Aloud protocol and moderated sessions to observe user interactions with the app.
Key Improvements
- Merging the "Services" and "Booking" pages
- Adding descriptive text for services and practitioners.
- Improving the visibility of appointment details
Wrap-up
Conclusion
The final high-fidelity prototype of Wellnest successfully integrated the core features required by students. It streamlined the appointment booking process, improved the discoverability of wellness services, and provided easy access to resources. The design addressed key pain points identified in the initial testing, such as navigation issues, lack of clarity around service descriptions, and challenges in finding appointment details.
Future Recommendations
Although the app is now well designed, we recommend continuing to test it with a larger group of students to ensure broad usability and to further refine minor details, such as ensuring that buttons are consistently functional and adjusting the aesthetic to match user preferences. Additional features, such as in-app notifications and deeper integrations with the university’s calendar system, could be explored in the future.
Lessons Learned
Iterative design is crucial. Testing early and often, especially with low-fidelity prototypes, helps identify issues before they become more costly to address in later stages.
User-driven decisions are key. Continuous user feedback steered the design process, ensuring the final product met the students' needs and was easy to use.
Clear content is essential. Providing clear, concise, and relevant information on every screen significantly improved user satisfaction.
