COVID-19 vaccination registration

A fast-paced response to the COVID-19 crisis, with challenges in comprehension and regulation.

Role

  • Led content design for the COVID-19 vaccination booking tool project

  • Collaborated with a cross-functional team of over 150 people (ex: pharmacy, legal, business)

  • Iterated on user-tested pain points to refine the experience

  • Navigated a complex environment where content strategy and copy were dependent on rapidly changing government information

Goal

  • Make the experience accessible to as many people as possible

  • Ensure consistent language across all communication channels (web, email, SMS)

  • Drive traffic to pharmacies, encouraging visits from individuals who might not otherwise come, leading to increased spending

  • Build trust and demonstrate the value of content design and UX writing to both digital and non-digital teams

Problem

  • Early user tests revealed that most people, particularly those with English as a second language and individuals over 60, struggled to process information and understand next steps

  • 48% of Canadian adults are considered to have 'inadequate literacy skills'—the original experience was at a Grade 12 reading level

  • People unfamiliar with government structures didn’t understand whether they had to pay for the vaccines

Impact

  • 2.4 million people registered through the tool

  • 1 million vaccinated

  • Identified areas of confusion and guided subsequent iterations to improve the experience

Where it started (before content design stepped in)

Before:

  • Technical language that excluded many people

  • High cognitive load with too many instructions up front

  • Visual density with large blocks of text and no thoughtful design treatment

 
 

After:

  • Organized by main themes."

  • Simplified language for better clarity."

  • Moved certain instructions to later in the flow to reduce cognitive load

The registration experience

My considerations:

  • Give users clear instructions, an understanding that pharmacies would ask for personal information

  • Adding “what will happen next” copy so users are aware of next steps

  • Plain and simple language to deal with complexities, for example the province selector wasn’t about where they lived, but just about where they wanted to get vaccinated

 
Registration form screens 1 of 3: Welcome to the COVID-19 vaccine request form. This form will guide you through a series of questions that will help determine if you are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the pharmacy. Eligibility is det…
Screen 1 of 3: How do you want to receive notifications and updates? We'll send you a notification to book your appointments when vaccines are availalble at a pharmacy near you. Choose one or both. Text messages. Standard wireless carrier message a…

Welcome screen learnings

Let’s dig into this screen.

Group 46 (1).png

  1. Managing expectations up-front — testing showed users didn’t understand they were just registering, not booking doses.

  2. Clarify purpose — testing showed users expected the end screen to be a “yes” or “no” eligibility.

  3. Help users understand their financial role — early testing showed many users were unfamiliar with government healthcare systems, didn’t know if they had to pay for vaccine.

  4. Gaining trust — some pharmacies are in grocery stores, users expressed concern about certifications.

  5. Data transparency — testing showed users appreciated this addition, but I couldn’t get a specific time-frame from the business.

Making registration more inclusive

Let’s dig into this screen.

Group 47.png

What we started with:

  1. You can’t make a clear connection — asking for sex and relating it to vaccine priority is confusing and problematic. Worked with business to find out the main message.

  2. Asking for information that might create barriers — they’re used to asking for health card information. I questioned the need and who it may exclude.

  3. If you’re asking for sex or gender, have a good reason — business said it was required for provincial reimbursement, iterated on a better way to frame the question.

Screen Shot 2021-08-08 at 2.42 1.png

What we launched with:

  • Both sex and health card requirements were taken out

  • Clear introduction explaining what personal information will be used for

Challenges & learnings

Managing expectations and conveying the purpose didn’t resonate with everyone. The system's design made it challenging to deliver a seamless user experience.

 
Group 50.png

What we launched with:

  1. Purpose of form unclear— testing showed users didn’t understand what the purpose of this form was.

  2. Setting expectations didn’t work — users were frustrated, confused and disappointed after they spent 15 minutes filling out the form. They also felt it conflicted with government messaging, that everyone is guaranteed a dose.

  3. Communicate timing is important — testing showed users wanted a time frame, this vague messaging wasn’t enough.

  4. Confusion around booking — users thought they’d be picking dates during this process. Weren’t sure what was going to happen next.

 

Booking experience

My considerations:

  • Tone of voice is empathetic but professional

  • Create a useful loading page — users have to understand why they’re waiting, and for how long

  • Help users understand why dates were auto-assigned, try to avoid frustration

  • Clear, descriptive CTAs so users know what to expect

  • User tests showed that some people thought they had already booked when hitting the review screen — updated copy helped users get more clarity here

 
A series of screens representing a user flow. Screen 1 of 4: Waiting room. We are experiencing high demand for appointments. This page will update automatically when it is your turn. We appreciate your patience. Number of users in line ahead of you:…