I was approached by a successful software company specialising in recruitment solutions in the healthcare industry to assist in designing the visual identity for their parent company and developing their website. The agency had a negative experience with their previous agency, so it was crucial to manage the client's expectations to build a foundation of trust. Through my Business Consultancy - Rarepublic, I was able to deliver on a 9-month sprint which looked at transforming not only their brand but also the digital experiences designed to optimise sales.
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As the design lead, I was expected to organise design sprints, arrange for market research to be conducted, and condense information into actionable design deliverables. I have not yet conducted usability tests for this project and will be expected to run these sessions a month after deployment.
By understanding the business needs through consultations and conducting a range of assessments, I identified three core problems that needed to be addressed through design. This would help Worksys capitalise on the opportunities it was receiving.
Worksys, prior to our meeting, had struggled with its brand identity. This was because most of the company's success stemmed from one specific product line - LocumBell. As the company had ambitions to release different tools for different markets, it became important to create an overarching brand to help secure and sustain interest from business-to-business partners.
The company had a solution that could serve a broad range of market needs. It became difficult to align these values to each consumer. By creating separate brands that segmented the core product line into features that met the needs of specific user groups, we were able to present key value propositions more clearly and succinctly to the related audiences.
Partly caused by a lack of brand identity and partly due to a lack of UI-centric infrastructure. The absence of design systems trickled down into areas beyond sales, extending to the product UI. By developing UI mock-ups and a brand guideline, we were able to implement measures that ensured consistency across different business functions.
In order to solve the problems that the brand would face when serving the market, we had to break the tasks down into manageable chunks to ensure that we had key milestones outlined to stay on track with our goals while actively managing the client's expectations and shaping their vision.
February 2023 - Start Date
The project lasted 9 months and began from the 1st of February 2023 and concluded in November 2023.
Before we delved into design, we wanted to gain a comprehensive understanding of the company’s strategic positioning, existing solutions, and customer base. This required several interviews with stakeholders, with specific questions to create precise insight. As the company produces three different digital solutions, each catering to very different audiences, segmentation was critical to create clarity. I isolated each segment based on their needs first and then progressed into verticals. As the company had one of the three solutions already in the market, we asked for analysis work to be conducted on existing customer data. Based on the information provided and the insight I generated, the key questions that were raised in the meetings were:
- The primary objective of this website
- How to clearly communicate the product's value proposition to target audiences.
- How they would feel during specific points in the user journey
- How to optimise the design for target audiences.
Ameesh is the owner of a chain of pharmacies in the southwest of London. He often seeks locum pharmacists to ensure smooth operations across each store.
As a pharmacy owner, Ameesh is always looking for locum pharmacists to conduct day-to-day operations. As many pharmacists locum, it's often harder for pharmacy managers to have consistent pharmacists on standard payroll.
Things that influence Ameesh's decision making are the cost of the talent and the locum's reliability. Ameesh doesn't want the hassle of hiring someone that will slow down his day-to-day operations.
Existing solutions fail to provide clear insight into the reliability of the locum talent in the area. This has led to many instances of Ameesh hiring and firing pharmacists who don't fit his operations.
Ameesh is a keen planner and struggles with anxiety. When plans deviate from the expected course, he can rapidly become overwhelmed. Maintaining organisation and adhering to a plan helps him manage these feelings.
Ameesh is not particularly tech-savvy, but he uses the latest iPhone Pro Max primarily for its large screen size and text clarity. He is willing to invest in solutions that significantly enhance his workflow.
Ameesh, with his extensive experience in healthcare, prefers clear and easily understandable corporate branding. He values consistency over creativity.
Sharon is a locum pharmacist seeking more consistent work in and around her local area.
Sharon aspires to establish her own business, but she still has daily costs to cover. She needs a reliable method to take on locum shifts to earn money according to her schedule.
The location and salary offered greatly impact her decision to accept a shift. She prefers not to travel too far from home to reduce commuting time. This gives her more time to build her business.
Sharon often finds it frustrating when she can't discover potential opportunities in her local area. As a result, she typically has to travel further than necessary, which cuts into her available time.
Sharon is relaxed but also lacks the ability to stay organised. This means that she fails to plan her shifts in advance, which results in her often looking for opportunities week-to-week.
Sharon is technologically savvy. She often researches for the best value-for-money solutions, which has resulted in her choosing a Samsung phone as her daily driver.
Sharon is drawn to lighter, more pastel colours. She prefers clarity and consistency when it comes to selecting brands.
Darren is the owner of a medium-sized commodity trading company and has over 30 employees.
Darren's main objective is to create efficiency within his company. It has been making stable profits over the years, but compliance and operations are cutting into his margin.
The ease of use is significant for Darren. He understands that if any purchasing decisions regarding software are made, he needs to.
His business currently uses many software solutions that lack integration options. This means that his software costs are consistently increasing, while there is a lack of a coherent workflow across his business.
Darren is quite reactive to situations. He is patient, however, things that have a high learning curve or seem more confusing than they are lead him to become dismissive and frustrated.
Darren understands the importance of good software but is far from being well-versed in technology. He uses a Dell desktop PC for work and a mid-tier iPhone for daily calls and writing emails.
Bold colours, large fonts, and clear imagery appeal to Darren. He isn't averse to information being more visual, as long as it is clearly presented.
Thinks
"It shouldn't be this difficult to find good locums to manage my pharmacy."
"I don't have time to look for pharmacists."
"Is there an easier way to find the right, reliable talent?"
Does
Relies on referrals for current recruitment.
Researches options on locum-centric platforms from where he can hire.
Looks at websites of companies that meet his specific need.
The website that presents the right value proposition leads him to book a demo.
Says
"I can't afford to hire the wrong talent; it will cut into my profit."
"It's becoming harder to find the right locums in the area."
"I want my pharmacy to perform better. Talent makes a difference"
Feels
Ameesh is feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and at times, out of control. Having to work shifts where locums have not shown up as scheduled is making him feel overworked. Being tired is impacting his decision-making.
Thinks
"I find it hard to stay organised or plan my life too far in advance.”
“Maybe I'm not cut out to run a business. Looking for work while finding time to build a company is challenging. “
“Commuting is draining my time."
Does
In the short term, Sharon continues to work with the pharmacies she has built a rapport with and trusts her abilities.
The need to find a solution to her problem forces her to research options where she can seek locum opportunities.
Websites that seem to solve her problem and make it easy to sign up are companies where Sharon creates a profile.
Says
"I need to find local pharmacies where I can regularly find work."
"There must be an easier way to find work."
"If I can find a few local pharmacies, it can facilitate a lifestyle that gives me a chance to build a business."
Feels
Sharon as a person is often relaxed, which creates a lack of urgency during specific times of her life. She feels as if she needs to get more organised in the way she manages her time and her finances which is pushing her to look for solutions that make it easier and more convienient to find more accesible work around her area.
Thinks
"I don't have time to work with a software company that lacks a strong understanding of HR compliance."
"I want a specific tool that fits my budget and meets my business needs."
"The customer service for the solutions I currently pay for is unacceptable."
Does
Darren speaks to managers in the organisation to find out the depths of the inefficiency and how these are impacting performance.
He begins to research a scalable HR solution which can be customised to meet his business needs.
He holds a meeting to discuss the possible solutions and brings the solutions to showcase how flexible they are.
Says
"I want to maximise the productivity of our business.”
“I don't really want to have to pay for different software solutions that only partially solve my HR compliance problems.”
“Paying for a completely bespoke solution will be too costly for us at this stage of the business."
Feels
Darren has been running a business for many years, developing patience and empathy along the way. However, he has grown accustomed to the status quo, and the rising costs and endless task lists necessary for action completion have left him slightly frustrated. This frustration, combined with his innate problem-solving abilities, is prompting him to seek viable solutions.
Worksys initially struggled with a lack of a distinct brand identity that could be utilised across various advertising assets, including their website and product suite. To rectify this, it was crucial to develop a brand that leveraged the user research and competitive landscape analysis. I responded by creating a vector logo, brand palette, and typography kit.
The aim of the wireframes was to illustrate to stakeholders how the information architecture and website content would become structured and comprehensible. This also assisted me in designing the website's database.
Although my main objective was to focus on the brand's website, I was asked to analyse the existing UI of the product and create screens that incorporated the new branding. This served as a guide for the developers and as marketing collateral, helping new clients visualise the tool's capabilities.
Once the client had signed off on the clickable Figma prototype, I was able to shift into WebFlow development, where I transitioned my designs into a fully functioning website.
