Discovery

One major constraint was the business directive to develop phase 1 of the product without industry exposure. This meant user recruitment was limited to fewer than a handful of customers under a stringent NDA process during the initial discovery phase. Early feedback confirmed that building a rostering system for social care is among the most complex challenges our customers face — with requirements spanning a vast array of operational needs. The system would need to be approximately 50% larger in scope than the care management tool that had established PASS to date.

At first glance, rostering might appear to be a calendar for clients and carers, with some HR and financial components. However, the reality was far more complex — an iceberg where the visible UI masked incredible depth and breadth of user requirements and workflows. RFP documents outlined hundreds of expected features, making the task feel more like developing an entire suite of products rather than a single solution. To break down this complexity, we adopted a phased delivery approach — defining the core features that would form a viable beta product. To build confidence in the plan, I partnered with the lead product manager to conduct in-depth interviews and collaborative workshops, helping to chart a clear way forward.

Phase 1

Through close engagement with customers, I identified critical gaps in the initial scope of Phase 1. While the original plan focused on delivering a streamlined daily scheduling tool for carers, user feedback revealed that this was just one perspective. Additionally, since there was no way to save a shift pattern, users would have to reassign visits manually every single day, which would significantly hinder adoption. Customers highlighted real-world constraints we hadn't fully accounted for—such as the complexity of shift patterns, travel times, and the need for templated shifts to avoid unnecessary repetitive tasks. These insights challenged our assumptions about what constituted a viable first release.

To ensure we were building a product that would genuinely meet user needs, I presented these findings to stakeholders, illustrating the risks of launching without key functionality and demonstrating how a few targeted adjustments could enhance usability and adoption. Our development partner initially pushed back, concerned that templates would be overly complex and nearly impossible to accommodate all edge cases. By providing further evidence, competitor benchmarking, and helping to ideate logical workflows, I ensured that the necessary changes were incorporated, reshaping the scope of Phase 1 to deliver immediate value while maintaining a manageable development timeline.

Wireframes

A couple of wireframes for the scheduling tool were already in progress when I joined the company. The leadership team had engaged a third-party development agency to help accelerate development. However, this presented challenges, as the agency, constrained by budget and time, couldn't dedicate as much effort to research as we could internally.

Once I was up to speed and had engaged with our customer base, it became clear that some of the decisions made up to that point were not fully optimised. Additionally, there was uncertainty about who would 'own' the design going forward, especially with other projects running in parallel. I made the case that this was the business's most important project—a major strategic shift—and that I should be dedicated to it. As a result, I took over the wireframing process, and my team and I continued to validate our designs with customers, striving to surface the core information they most wanted to see first.

We also had an update to the mobile app in progress, which needed to adapt to the new roster workflow. Previously, the PASS app integrated with third-party rostering solutions, but with our new system, we had complete control over the flow—from scheduling to publishing visits to the app. There were very tight deadlines to incorporate new, streamlined workflows while also updating the UI to align with the evolving design pattern.

Design System

I led my team in developing a robust UI design system that unified our digital experiences across desktop and mobile platforms. Initially using Sketch, we established a structured design framework, breaking down interfaces into fundamental components, templates, and pages. This approach allowed us to create a shared library of reusable elements, ensuring design consistency and efficiency. Our team collaborated closely to define design principles, component behaviours, and accessibility standards, promoting design thinking across teams.

To streamline the handover process and enhance collaboration with developers, we integrated Zeplin into our workflow. This allowed us to export designs seamlessly from both Sketch and, later, Figma, providing developers with precise specifications, assets, and style guides. Zeplin's automatic generation of code snippets and redlines minimised guesswork, reducing back-and-forth communication and accelerating development timelines.

Prototypes

Prototyping in Miro and later Sketch provided an excellent workflow for developing wireframes iteratively based on the user journeys we captured during initial discovery. This approach allowed us to quickly test initial concepts with our test group, gathering valuable feedback before progressing to high-fidelity designs. We worked on wireframes in parallel across different areas of the tool; I led the calendar and scheduling flows, and we held regular catch-ups to ensure alignment. I had an open forum for design reviews, encouraging collaboration between the design and product teams.

As the project evolved, the scope expanded continuously based on ongoing customer feedback. The business aimed to release an MVP prototype focused on scheduling carers, while finance and HR features were intended to follow in later design phases. However, it became increasingly apparent that customers expected all these features to be in place before adopting the product. This led to internal debates about what a roster should and shouldn't include. We had to consistently remind stakeholders of customer expectations and present feedback data to demonstrate that the scope was much larger than initially anticipated.

Final Designs

A selection of final designs across the rostering system showcases key interfaces and functionalities. The system is designed to streamline scheduling, with a focus on enhancing visibility, maintaining clear visual hierarchies, and delivering a modern, clean look and feel—all with accessibility in mind. Users can concentrate on scheduling care appointments, with the right insights presented at the right time to best match carers to clients. Tools such as 'recommended carers', templated shift patterns, and multi-select features combine to create intuitive efficiencies that reduce the administrative burden. These visuals demonstrate how the rostering system not only meets business requirements but also enhances the overall experience for both staff and service users.