︎︎︎ For the Birds - UX Design
A scheduling and pet management app for customers of an avian vet hospital.
About
For the Birds is the only avian specific veterinary hospital in the South Bay Area. As a result, bird owners travel far to access their services. I designed the For the Birds app inspired by my bird-owning friends who are customers of the hospital, who wish that communication with the clinic and accessing their birds’ medical data was more centralized.The For the Birds app is a practical solution to the common issues bird owners face with their current hospital’s traditional veterinary services. Currently, scheduling is limited to phone calls, and owners have to repeat their bird’s information at every visit, with no easy way to access medical history or past appointments.
This app provides a solution to these problems by allowing owners to schedule appointments and boarding services without having to call, view their birds’ full medical history, and access past appointments - all from their phone. They can also chat with veterinary professionals directly through the app, making it easier and quicker to access the care their birds need without the usual hassle.
Current User Flow
Currently, users hop between the clinic’s website, calling the clinic, and their own personal calendar and scheduling platforms. Users don’t have access to their birds’ medical records, and would have to call the clinic each time they want what the clinic has on file. 
The biggest barrier of usage appears to be having to call the clinic front desk during open hours to initiate usage of any of the clinic’s key services, including asking medical questions, accessing their birds’ records, or scheduling appointments and boarding. This is a time consuming process for a user that often involves waiting on hold or having to find a time to call back later.
User Studies
I conducted user research on participants who take their birds to For the Birds for care. These contextual inquiries informed me on the clinic’s services that were used the most, and their pain points when it came to communication efficiency.
Design & Functionality Goals
The primary goal given my user studies was to design a centralized platform that eliminated the need to call the clinic all together, with the following primary functions: - Profiles with appointment and medication history for each bird
- A chat system that allows for quick responses from veterinary professionals to non-urgent or life-threatening questions
- An easy appointment and boarding schedule tool that can synchronize with the user’s personal calendar
Wireframes
UI Elements and Style Guide
Hi-Fidelity Prototypes
Users have a central profile page. They can view and edit their personal information, including contact details, insurance, and billing information. Each one of their registered birds also has its own profile, including their basic medical record information (species, age, sex, etc.), medications they’re currently on, as well as a history of all their past visits and their corresponding Clinical Post-Visit Notes.
This scheduling feature allows users to schedule a visit or a boarding stay for their birds without having to call the clinic or repeat any information over the phone. This makes scheduling a flexible hassle-free process, allowing users to book as in advance or as last minute as they want. All consent forms are in one place, and their birds’ files and medical history automatically attach to the appointment the user is scheduling.
Introducing a chat feature makes it easier for users to get quick questions answered by medical professionals, and also may reduce the amount of in-person appointments the clinic has to handle. It allows bird owners to upload pictures along with their messages, and easily schedule a visit if recommended by the clinic.
Future Developments
The For the Birds app has many future features that could be implemented to further streamline user experience and eliminate the need to hop between calling and referring to the website, including:- An online storefront for users to order food, toys, and accessories for pickup or shipping to their home
- Secondary features like push notifications to remind owners of upcoming appointments, suggest scheduling due annual appointments, and providing easier check-in
- A blog feed with news blasts from the clinic