Adam Fenwick

National Booking Service - Covid-19

The COVID-19 pandemic required the rapid development of an MVP to allow high-risk groups (such as those aged 90+ and in critical risk categories) to book their vaccination appointments.

My role: Lead frontend developer and 1 of 2 UX designers.

Gathering critical user needs

We began by gathering insights into the most urgent user needs, focusing on:

  • Given the high-risk users, ease of use was the top priority.
  • We assessed the functionality that could be realistically delivered within a short time frame, ensuring a simple, efficient process for vulnerable groups.

Rapid prototyping user testing

To deliver a usable service quickly, I rapidly created a prototype using the NHS Prototype Kit to ensure our ideas could be quickly tested with users. This prototype was used in user testing, with some participants having low digital skills, to ensure accessibility and refine the design before the full rollout.

  • I concentrated on simplifying the booking process, improving navigation, and enhancing accessibility, ensuring the service was usable for those with limited digital skills.
  • I ensured the design adhered to WCAG 2.0 (most up to date at the time) standards to accommodate users with accessibility needs, making sure they could navigate and book appointments without difficulty

After each round of user research (UR), we iterated on the designs and prototype to address the feedback from users, making improvements to meet their needs and enhance usability.

User journey

The user flow was split into a few sections, following a 1 thing per page approach:

  • Initial user identification via NHS number or GP record
  • Location selection for vaccination based on postcode
  • Date and time selection for the appointment
  • Option to receive confirmation by email or SMS

External team collaboration

Some areas of the service were built by a third-party provider responsible for the booking system. To make this collaboration more easier, I delivered a prototype with live-quality HTML, CSS, and JavaScript while ensuring their implementation met NHS standards. I was also on hand to provide guidance and answer any questions to maintain consistency and accessibility across the service.

To achieve this, I conducted thorough accessibility testing using tools such as NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, and Dragon NaturallySpeaking, ensuring compliance with WCAG standards.

Key Achievements

  • Enabled high-risk groups to access vaccinations quickly and efficiently.
  • The prototype supported rapid testing and continuous improvements with each phased release.
  • Focused on ease of use, ensuring accessibility for those with low digital skills or additional needs.
  • Close collaboration with the third party ensured the service met NHS standards and was fully WCAG compliant.