Redesigning the appointment scheduling on Uruguay's website

Gub.uy serves as Uruguay's official online portal for citizens and residents to access government information and services. Recognizing a need to improve accessibility across the platform, we were engaged to analyze and redesign the appointment scheduling process for requesting an identity document (ID). Our objectives were: identify and address accessibility barriers, enhance overall usability, and align the design with the current site's design library. Working closely with a project manager over two weeks, our team focused on delivering impactful improvements within tight time constraints. The core challenge lay in streamlining a process that presented significant difficulties for users seeking appointments.

The existing appointment scheduling process on Gub.uy presented several challenges:

• Accessibility Barriers: The interface relied heavily on color cues to indicate availability, creating a barrier for users with visual impairments.
• Usability Issues: The flow felt cumbersome and lacked clarity, leading to user frustration and potential abandonment of the application process.
• Limited Information & Flexibility: Users had limited visibility into available appointments and faced difficulties when needing urgent ID cards due to restricted office availability.
• Design Inconsistency: The existing design didn't fully align with Gub.uy's evolving design system, creating a disjointed user experience.

To understand the existing issues and identify opportunities for improvement, we conducted a combination of research and analysis:

• Accessibility Audit: A thorough review of the current form to identify accessibility violations based on WCAG guidelines.
• Competitor Analysis: Examining appointment scheduling systems used by other government agencies (both domestically and internationally) to identify best practices.
• Stakeholder Interviews: Discussions with the project manager at Gub.uy to understand business goals, technical constraints, and existing design system standards.

We began by generating a wide range of potential solutions through collaborative workshops with the project manager. We evaluated the flow and organization of information within the scheduling process and created isual representations of user journeys to identify pain points and opportunities for simplification. Then, we rapidly exploring different layout options and interaction patterns. We also had regular feedback sessions with the project manager to ensure alignment with business requirements and design system guidelines.

Our final proposal focused on redesigning the appointment scheduling step, addressing the most critical usability and accessibility issues. Key changes included a simplified selection flow, removal of color-dependent cues and first available appointment slot showed.

To further refine the design and ensure visual appeal, we created a high-fidelity prototype incorporating the Gub.uy brand guidelines. This allowed for more realistic user interaction testing and stakeholder feedback.

The project was delivered at medium fidelity due to time constraints, with a detailed handover package including a comprehensive design documentation and accessibility handover for developers.

We also identified several opportunities for future iteration:

• Filtering Options: Allowing users to select appointments based on proximity or specific dates.
• Documentation Support: Providing more detailed information about required documentation.
• Application Process: Reducing the number of steps required to complete the application.
• Cancellation/Rescheduling Functionality: Adding features for managing existing appointments.

This project demonstrated the power of a user-centered design approach, even within tight time constraints. By prioritizing accessibility and usability, we were able to create a significant improvement in the Gub.uy appointment scheduling process. Key learnings included: The importance of thorough accessibility audits in identifying hidden barriers for users. The value of rapid prototyping and iterative feedback loops in refining design solutions. The need for ongoing user testing to ensure long-term usability and effectiveness.