UX Specialist
Boots Pharmacy School App
This project was part of a senior UX/Product designer contracting role, where I was brought in to design a training and news app for all Boots pharmacists and technicians, one of several deliverables within a fast-paced engagement.
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My core responsibility was to quickly grasp the app’s goals, balance user and business needs, and deliver a fully usable, presentation-ready prototype under a tight deadline. The design had to be approved by the client and handed off for development the following week.
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This case study highlights my senior UX/Product design expertise, particularly in delivering high-quality app solutions for enterprise clients, along with my process leadership, time management, and ability to execute under pressure.
The Challenge​
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The project came with several challenges: tight timelines, limited access to research, and the fact that it had been stalled in the pipeline for months until I was brought in as a last-minute external hire to move it forward (me).
But the main challenge for me was navigating a client with strong ideas and subject-matter expertise, but limited time and awareness of the depth of insight we need to design effectively.
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The solution​
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To bridge this gap, I facilitated a targeted workshop to quickly gather essential knowledge, including: user journeys, audience insights, and any existing research.
Following a collaborative knowledge-sharing session and structured exercises, we were able to map out key requirements efficiently. One of the activities was Crazy 8s (image above), used here to push creative boundaries and generate a wide range of ideas ahead of the app ideation phase.
The session not only delivered valuable insights, but also built trust. The client felt heard, and I gained a solid foundation to move forward despite tight time constraints.
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The outcome
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Despite a compressed timeline, we conducted several rapid user testing rounds. We aligned existing research on similar platforms and from continuous partnership between the company I was representing and their client. The result was a validated, high-impact solution that met both user and business needs.
The client was very happy with the outcome, the app was approved and has now been rolled out to pharmacy healthcare professionals across the UK.
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The future
The work is ongoing, with continuous A/B testing and analytics in place. We have also introduced stronger feedback channels through opinion polls and JTBD interviews. The goal is to ensure that, despite the rushed start, the project follows a user-centred approach supported by a balanced mix of qualitative and quantitative research. Last, but not least, by strengthening the design system, we can establish a solid and scalable foundation to support this and future apps developed by the employer.
App functionality​
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The key user journey was for a user to get in the app, Login / Register (if first use), get into a learning module in as little clicks as possible. To accelerate delivery, the modules used existing interactive video content, already optimised for mobile.
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Learning dashboard and archive for progress tracking, designed to scale with future gamification features
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Related content suggestions to boost engagement, including a monthly 8-module challenge in the MVP
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News browsing and search, with autocomplete, filters, and sorting for improved usability
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Content targeting via integration with the Boots Pharmacy Network app — ensuring shared content adapts to different healthcare roles (e.g. pharmacists vs. technicians), with skill-based access control for advanced modules
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Noteworthy mention​
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One interesting issue was the client's lack of confidence in their development team. This was particularly challenging due to the tight timeframe, the creation of all screens in a pixel-perfect fashion was not viable.
Instead, we focused on a comprehensive design system (snippet below), including an 8px spacing grid or user journey isolation maps, ensuring visual consistency and clarity for developers, even in the absence of full mockups.
