Creating Website for
Sunrise Homecare Pharmacy
How can a pharmacy website be designed to effectively address user needs, improve accessibility, and encourage engagement?
Organization Sunrise Homecare Phramcy
Overview
Sunrise Homecare Pharmacy is a newly established business offering a unique combination of pharmacy and homecare services. The goal of this project was to design a user-centered website that effectively promotes its services while catering to the diverse needs of its customers. The final product is a fully functional website designed to enhance user experience while achieving business goals. My role encompassed both UX research and UX design, ensuring that the end result was user-centered and aligned with the pharmacy's vision.
Team
1 UX Researcher/ Designer,
1 Developer
My Role
UX Researcher/ Designer
Duration
8 weeks
Tools
Figma
Skills
Research,
Interviews,
Wireframes,
Prototype,
Usability testing
Process
1. Discover & Defining
Understanding Needs and Identifying the Target Audiences
The project began with defining the scope and goals of the Sunrise Homecare Pharmacy website. I conducted brainstorming sessions to identify the target audience, their needs, and how the website could address them. Sunrise Homecare Pharmacy was established to bridge the gap between traditional pharmacy services and home healthcare support. Given the nature of its dual-service model, the business required a digital presence that effectively communicated its offerings while ensuring accessibility for a wide range of users, including elderly customers, caregivers, and individuals managing chronic conditions.
Key Needs
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Clear Service Communication: Many potential customers may not be familiar with the combination of pharmacy and homecare services. The website needed to clearly convey the range of services offered.
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Ease of Navigation: Given the diverse audience, the website had to be intuitive and user-friendly, ensuring that users could quickly find information about prescriptions, homecare products, and consultation services.
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Accessibility and Inclusivity: The platform needed to be accessible to users with varying levels of digital literacy, including audience that are more familiar with social media updates instead of website. This meant incorporating straightforward navigation and links to social media.
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Seamless Online Support: Customers seeking homecare solutions often have urgent or sensitive needs. A responsive customer support system—whether through live chat, easy-to-find contact details, or an FAQ section—was crucial for building trust and reliability.
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Business Growth & Engagement: Beyond serving existing customers, the website needed to attract new visitors and convert them into loyal users through an engaging, informative, and trustworthy design.
Conducting User Interviews and Building Personas
To gain deeper insights, I conducted user interviews with potential customers. These interviews aimed to uncover users’ behaviors, preferences, and expectations when interacting with pharmacy and homecare services online. The key findings and insights were synthesized into user personas, and served as reference points throughout the design process.
Preparation
I created a set of 15 open-ended questions to guide the interview:
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Users’ experiences and needs with pharmacies and homecare services.
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Key points when accessing medical or homecare products.
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Preferences for online vs. in-person pharmacy experiences.
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Expectations for a seamless online pharmacy and homecare experience.
Participants
I interviewed three individuals from different age groups to capture a broad range of perspectives and to ensure the product would acccomodate diverse needs.
Findings
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Preference for In-Person Visits: Most participants preferred visiting the pharmacy in person, as it allowed them to receive quick responses for urgent medication needs and consult directly with a pharmacist for better clarity and guidance.
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Essential Information: Participants emphasized the importance of having easy access to the pharmacy's location, operating hours, and real-time updates on holiday closures.
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Service Clarity: Knowing the range of services offered by the pharmacy was seen as crucial for meeting their needs effectively.
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Trust Through Professionalism: A well-designed, professional website was considered essential for establishing trust, particularly for a newly opened pharmacy.
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Health Tips and Resources: Participants expressed interest in having access to helpful health tips and educational resources.
Competitive Analysis
To better understand the market landscape and identify opportunities for differentiation, I researched a few competitors, including large chain pharmacies in the country and smaller, independently owned pharmacies. This analysis allowed better comparison of their strengths, weakness, and overall user experience to inform the design of Sunrise Homecare Pharmacy's website.
Key Focus Area
Usability
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How intuitive are the navigation of the website?
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Is essential information, such as operating hours, services and contact details, easily accessible?
Design Aesthetics
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How professional and trustworthy does the website appear?
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Is the design accessible and user-friendly?
Content Strategy
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What type of content is provided?
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Is the language used clear and easy to understand?
Unique Features
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Are the standout features on the website?
2. Design & Wireframe
Sketching and Low-fidelity Wireframes
Using insights from the discovery phase, I created initial sketches and translated my first sketches into low-fidelity wireframes to help visualize how the website should be structured. I created 3 versions of wireframes using Figma for the stakeholder to identify the version that is more favorable. These wireframes focused on intuitive navigation, clear service descriptions, and accessibility.
Getting User Feedbacks and Making Iteration
After the stakeholders identified the preferred version of the wireframe, I conducted user research on users' experience in surfing a website and I corporate the key findings into the design. At this stage, the wireframes were defined enough for some user testing. I also conducted early usability testing by allowing a small group of users to interact with the wireframes and provide feedbacks. Based on the users' opinions, I refined the layout and functionality before moving on to high-fidelity prototypes.
3. Prototype & Testing
Developing High-fidelity Wireframes
With an improved wireframe structure, I developed high-fidelity wireframes and an interactive prototype that closely resembled the final product. This version incorporated brand elements, visuals, texts, descriptions of content and refined user interactions.
Conducting Usability Testing and Feedback Loop
I conducted usability testing with real users, to evaluate the effectiveness and user-friendliness of the interactive prototype. Participants were asked to complete key tasks such as finding pharmacy services and locating contact information while I observed their interactions with the prototype and gathering feedback on the design and functionality. Through feedback loop, I analyzed the insights from testing to identify usability issues and areas of improvement. Through multiple iterations, I addressed pain points, enhanced clarity, and improved accessibility to ensure that the final design is aligned with user needs.
4. Handoff & Implementation
Developer Collaboration, Design Handoff and Documentation
During the final stage of the project, I worked closely with the developer to ensure a seamless design handoff and successful implementation. Throughout the design process, I maintained ongoing communication to discuss the feasibility of design elements and gather feedback on potential challenges. I shared wireframes and prototype files early on, enabling the developer to provide input and align on technical requirements.
After finalizing the prototype, I conducted a comprehensive design handoff, providing detailed design specifications, interactive element guidelines, and accessibility requirements to ensure consistency across devices. Throughout the process, I maintained timely discussions with the developer to address refinements based on technical feasibility.
Additionally, I documented all drafts, wireframes, meeting notes, and participant findings, ensuring clear communication and a well-organized reference for the development process. This collaboration helped ensure the final product aligned with the project’s user-centered goals.
Reflections and Takeaway
This project was a pivotal starting point in my venture into UX design and research. It allowed me to apply my research skills in a new context, transitioning from academic research to a user-centered research.I gained valuable insights into UX process, from conducting user research to prototyping and usability testing, as well as hands-on experience using Figma to design wireframes and interactive prototypes.
A key takeaway for me was realizing the importance of starting with what I know - using the details already available to me as a foundation, and build from there. This approach helped me to piece ideas together, allowing the design to gradually take shape.
This project not only strengthened my technical skills and design thinking but also reaffirmed my excitement for creating impactful, user-friendly solutions. It marks the beginning of my growth in the field and inspires me to continue learning and contributing to meaningful user experiences.