Singapore’s Covid-19 Vaccination System

User research, user experience and interface design, service design

Designed and launched in 10 days, it enabled Asia’s first vaccine rollout and contributed to Singapore’s rise to 1st in global government effectiveness (CGGI).

I led the design of a web platform for patients to book vaccine appointments, and an admin interface for healthcare staff to maintain a consistent population record nationwide.

How we did it so quickly

Weekends, public holidays, overnighters. Tight cross-functional collaboration, and ruthless prioritisation. We pushed features that were absolutely critical, then continuously refined it over 6 months.

We were a lean team of 9

2 designers, 2 product managers, 5 engineers. Low communication overheads. Quick and efficient decision-making, full autonomy.

Flowchart detailing the process of registering for and getting vaccinated against COVID-19, including steps for awareness, registration, notification, verification, pre-assessment, commitment, confirmation, appointment reminder, arrival, assessment, vaccination, observation, and completion.

Objectives

  • Authentication, to reserve doses for priority groups

  • Screen medical eligibility and flag health conditions

  • Maintain records of each person’s vaccination status

  • Remind people of their appointments

  • Ensure the 14-day vaccination window between vaccinations

  • Fill clinics efficiently, nudge people to clinics with more slots

Goals

  • Simple, intuitive, and usable for everyone

  • Booking or changing appointments are a breeze

  • Easy for staff to use, no tech training required

The process

We had 3 days to develop the first prototype. I started creating these wireframes the day we formed the team. Engineers used this to begin building the interface and backend while I continued refining the UI and content.

The problem statement was clear, there wasn’t much need for discovery research. Rather, the priority was to verify what medical screener questions were needed, and that the forms were quick and easy to fill.

I referenced these hardcopy medical forms and simplified them to create an improved version of the questionnaire.

Hardcopy forms for our reference, showing the data fields we should include.

The original forms weren’t the easiest to understand, so I rewrote them.

I removed questions that wouldn’t impact the decision to vaccinate,
(e.g. residential status, ethnic group and gender)

Combined questions that covered the same thing,
(e.g. age, date of birth)

And restructured questions that were unnecessarily complicated.

(e.g. anaphylaxis = severe allergies, just ask it once)

Two medical forms titled 'B3. Allergies' and a question about severe allergic reactions. The first form indicates no known allergies, but has a section for allergy details. The second form asks if the person has experienced severe allergic reactions, providing yes or no options.
Designer Christabel Png in the Open Government Product's office, with her engineering colleague reviewing code and designs of the Covid-19 Vaccination System. They are at their desks in front of the monitors.
A vaccination center with people sitting and waiting, healthcare staff and registration desks, all adhering to health safety protocols.
Christabel Png and her team 5 people, all wearing masks, gathered around a doctor and computer workstation in a room with medical or scientific equipment, observing the monitor.
An elderly man with glasses and a black face mask sits in a room with wood floors, holding a smartphone and looking at it. In the background, there are chairs, a table, and a person sitting at the table.
Christabel Png and a group of healthcare professionals, including doctors and nurses, wearing masks in a medical facility, posing for a photo.

We conducted multiple rounds of research and refinements at hospitals, clinics, and vaccination centres. We did this cross-functionally, split into two squads with one designer each, taking different locations. This was vital so we could make decisions quickly across design, product and engineering without excessive consultation or debate.

Research areas covered:

  1. Health requirements and vaccination regulations

    Guerrilla tested our prototypes with doctors, nurses, and admin staff

  2. Usability and user acceptance testing

    Mostly with elderly users, as they’re the least savvy

  3. Operational processes and implementation

    Observed existing systems and processes, and ran controlled pilots onsite to ensure smooth implementation

Fixes that were easily implementable were done within a day or two.