Accessible Healthcare Appointment Booking System
OVERVIEW
This project explored how an accessible healthcare appointment booking system could support older adults in scheduling appointments more confidently. The interface was designed from scratch using accessibility-informed interaction patterns to reduce cognitive load and improve scheduling clarity.
my role
UX/UI Designer & Front-end Developer
Timeline
13 weeks
TOOLS
CHALLENGE
Older adults may experience difficulty navigating appointment booking systems due to changes in vision, working memory, and processing speed. Many digital booking interfaces rely on dense layouts and complex interaction steps, which can increase confusion and reduce confidence when scheduling healthcare appointments.
goals
Improve appointment clarity
Reduce cognitive load during scheduling
Support accessibility through contrast and typography
Provide clear interaction feedback
Simplify booking workflows
MY DESIGN PROCESS
RESEARCH
Designing for older adult users
Research into age-related visual and cognitive changes informed accessibility decisions across the booking interface, helping prioritise readability, clarity, and predictable interaction structure.
Visual accessibility
Changes in near-focus vision and colour perception can make it more difficult for older adults to distinguish interface elements.
To support readability, the interface prioritised:
high-contrast colour combinations
larger typography
simplified layouts that highlight key actions clearly.
Reducing cognitive load
Changes in working memory can make complex multi-step booking processes harder to follow.
The scheduling journey was structured into clear steps with minimal distractions to help users understand their progress throughout the interaction.
Predictable interaction patterns
Changes in near-focus vision and colour perception can make it more difficult for older adults to distinguish interface elements.
To support readability, the interface prioritises:
high-contrast colour combinations
larger typography
simplified layouts that highlight key actions clearly.
Competitor analyisis
Two existing healthcare booking platforms were analysed to understand common scheduling workflows and identify accessibility considerations for older adult users.
Patient Access
Observations:
Uses recognisable icons and structured navigation, supporting feature discovery
Maintains consistent branding, reinforcing trust in a healthcare context
Provides clear signup and login feedback
Presents too many navigation options simultaneously, increasing decision complexity
Uses small touch targets, reducing accessibility for users with limited dexterity
Displays dense information layouts, making key tasks harder to identify
Minimal warmth in visual tone reduces approachability
Swift Queue
Observations:
Includes a clear progress indicator, improving visibility of booking steps
Provides confirmation screens after key actions, reinforcing successful interaction completion
Uses small typography and limited contrast, reducing readability for older users
Displays dense blocks of information, increasing cognitive load
Positions feedback messages in areas that are easy to overlook
Shows irrelevant clinic options during appointment selection, increasing decision complexity
Key insights
Progress indicators improve confidence during booking workflows
High-contrast typography supports readability for older adult users
Larger touch targets reduce interaction errors
Prominent confirmation feedback improves task completion clarity
Simplified navigation reduces cognitive load during scheduling
These insights directly informed the structure and accessibility decisions across the final booking interface.
key user tasks
Three primary booking tasks were identified to guide the structure of the system and ensure the interface prioritised the most important interactions for older adult users.
Each was presented in a clear step-by-step flow to reduce cognitive load and supportive confident independent use.
DEFINE & IDEATE
Insights from research were synthesised into clear user needs, which informed the development of personas and a simplified site structure.
Personas.
Two primary personas were developed to represent older adults with differing levels of digital confidence, physical ability, and accessibility needs. These personas informed key design decisions around readability, navigation simplicity, feedback, and error prevention throughout the booking journey
I have a lot of dietary restrictions so clear nutrition information helps.
“
”
David Oliveira
59 years old
Technology Skills
Frustrations
Icons without clear labels or explanations
Inconsistent navigation
Overly small touch targets or menus
Values
Consistent structure and terminology
Step-by-step guidance
Predictable menu layout with clear icons
Teacher
He/Him
Wears Glasses
I have a lot of dietary restrictions so clear nutrition information helps.
“
”
Mia Thompson
70 years old
Technology Skills
Frustrations
Small icons and cluttered screens
Low contrast designs
Unclear confirmation messages after completing an action
Complex navigation
Values
High contrast colour palettes
Large text and generous spacing
Clear feedback
Retired
She/Her
Arthritis
Sitemap.
A simplified information structure was designed to prioritise essential booking tasks and reduce navigation complexity for older adult users.
The sitemap focuses on creating a predictable booking journey with minimal navigation layers. Core scheduling actions such as selecting appointments, confirming bookings, and managing reminders were grouped into a clear step-by-step structure to support usability and confidence during interaction.
design
The design phase translated research insights into a clearer navigation structure and a more streamlined purchasing flow.
Low-fidelity.
Low-fidelity wireframes explored layout structure and navigation flow based on insights from the card sorting exercise and heuristic evaluation.
Interaction decisions
Key interaction decisions focused on improving scheduling visibility, reducing cognitive load, and supporting confidence throughout the booking process for older adult users.
reducing cognitive load
The booking journey was structured into clear step-by-step stages supported by progress indicators and modal interactions. This reduces memory demands and helps users remain oriented throughout the scheduling process.
Clear visual hierarchy
A grid-based layout and consistent typographic hierarchy were used to guide reading order and separate primary actions from supporting information, improving scanability across booking screens.
Accessible interface design
Larger touch targets, high-contrast colour combinations, and simplified typography support readability and interaction accuracy for older adult users.
Supporting user confidence
Clear confirmation steps, transparent appointment summaries, and consistent terminology help reduce uncertainty and reinforce trust during scheduling interactions.
final design
The final interface guides users through a structured step-by-step booking journey designed to support readability, reduce cognitive load, and reinforce confidence throughout scheduling.
Select location
Select doctor
Choose date/time
Review
Confirm
Large touch targets and simplified card-based selection reduce interaction errors and help users quickly identify relevant clinics.
what i learned
This project strengthened my understanding of inclusive design and the importance of tailoring interfaces to users’ physical, cognitive, and emotional needs. Designing for older adults required prioritising clarity, predictability, and reassurance over visual complexity.
The project reinforced the value of accessibility-first thinking and demonstrated how thoughtful UX decisions can significantly reduce user anxiety in healthcare contexts.
