Renew your short-term medical driving licence
Design an online service that allows people with medical conditions to apply for or renew their short-term driving licence, replacing the old paper-based process.
Because of the complex user journeys, medical conditions were added to the service one by one.
The details
Take the current paper application service and make it into a simple to use, yet robust and accurate online service.
My role -
Sketch
Confluence
Visual Studio Code
MS Teams
Tools -
User testing
Iterating
Collaborating
Wire framing
Prototyping - Sketch/code
User interviews
Methods -
The existing paper application was time-consuming and often confusing. Mistakes or missing information could lead to delays, with forms sent back and forth, making the process even longer. This could affect people’s jobs, independence, and peace of mind.
The goal was to create a simple, clear online service that would speed up the process, reduce stress, and give users confidence in their application. While accuracy was vital, empathy and reassurance were just as important, as the outcome could have a big impact on people’s lives.
Overview and requirements -
The focus
Diabetes was chosen as the first medical condition to move to an online service. Reducing a 7 page application form to a simple user journey was the challenge.
Some of the user journey involved capturing details that we ask for in other services. These patterns have already been tested and preform well. In this case study I will focus on a few key areas that had yet to be explored.
The process
“I’m terrified of getting this wrong”
“The best products are born from a deep empathy with the people who use them”
- Bill Buxton
1
From the beginning, it was clear this project would be deeply personal and important to the people using it.
I had the opportunity to travel across the UK with user researchers during the first phase of the project, speaking to people with diabetes about their experiences.
Hearing their stories, challenges, and concerns first-hand gave me valuable insight and reinforced just how important it was to design this service with care, empathy, and attention to detail.
2
The users we spoke to couldn’t stress enough how daunting they found the paper application form.
After listening to them and trying to understand why they felt this way, there were a few key points that kept coming up. We used these points as our guide, something we kept in mind throughout every step of the project.
“Don’t show me one of those again, I’ve got 3 years until I need to think about it”
Only show them what they need to see
Use inclusive language
Reassure them
Tell them what will happen next
3
After gathering insight, we reviewed the existing 7-page paper application, which included around 18 diabetes-specific questions, plus sections for personal and doctor details.
It was clear why users found it frustrating. Not every question applied to every user, and what you answered determined what came next, making it an ideal candidate for an online service.
This kicked off a major collaboration between design, research, the project team, and medical advisors. Together, we mapped every possible question and outcome into a flow diagram, creating a clear framework. From there, we focused on refining the content to make it clear, simple, and supportive.
4
We started by simplifying the ‘Yes/No’ questions, making sure the wording was clear and easy to understand — especially with the UK’s average reading age of 9.
There were concerns that some medical terms might be too complicated, but from speaking to users, even those newly diagnosed were familiar with the basics.
This was later confirmed during user testing.
Above is an example of simplifying the wording that came from the medical advisor (left) and a revisited version (right) based on user understanding.
Some users had updated the DVLA about changes to how they manage their diabetes since their last application.
The original question risked making them report the same thing again. A revised version, while slightly longer, was clearer and asked exactly what we needed to know.
It proved much easier for users to understand. In testing, people consistently showed they read and understood these more straightforward, well-worded questions.
Side note: In other projects, we tend to see users skim read content. But when it came to their medical conditions, an observation is that they more often than not read every word. A large percentage of users read the question twice.
Simple questions aside I wanted to look at the third point: Reassure them
As I mentioned, renewing a licence with a medical condition can be a stressful experience for users. But after speaking with medical advisors, they explained that if someone’s licence is going to be taken away, they usually already know, either through their own judgement or advice from their doctor.
The advisors were also able to reassure us that, in most cases, users would be able to keep their licence.
5
A simple notification at the beginning of the service helped ease concerns and worries.
A clear success banner letting the user know that their application had been received and that they were done, brought a great sense of relief.
“This way I can see it’s not lost in the post”
6
One of the more commonly voiced concerns was “what happens now”?
Users renewing a medical short-term licence tend to do so with plenty of time to spare, but often didn’t know what the next steps were after they completed their part.
Just adding a simple sentence explaining what happens next and the timescales, followed by the two most frequently asked questions, gave the users enough information to continue about their day.
Again we turn to the medical advisors and the project team for clarity. The majority of applicants will hear back from DVLA within 10 days.
So why not let the user know that.
The conclusion
When a simple mistake on an application could cost someone their job, responsibilities, or independence, it’s our responsibility as designers to make the process as clear, simple, and supportive as possible.
Summary -
1. Participated in interviews with diabetic users from all over the UK
2. Had discussions with medical advisors as well as doing my own learning to better understand the condition
3. Collaborated with the wider team to set out individual user journeys that can be routed in a way that only shows the user what they need to see
4. Reviewed and refined content based on the 4 tenets we developed through user feedback.
What I did
5. Created wireframes of all screens needed in the service and laid them out in accordance with the journey map
6. Made a clickthrough prototype in Sketch to test the initial concept with users
7. Once a high level of confidence was reached by observing the users interacting with the prototype, we used HTML, CSS and JavaScript to create a dynamic prototype to be tested with participants locally and nation wide
8. Iterated, tested and repeated until we were satisfied the service was ready
Online services, when done correctly, can positively impact people’s lives more than I ever thought. The decisions I make as a designer can cause stress and anxiety or can bring relief and comfort.
It’s often been said that empathy is the key to good design, and after this experience, I couldn't agree more. What I’ve realised during this particular project is that speaking to the users and more importantly, listening to them, can give you incredible insight. When the ‘user wants’ are emotional, the ‘user needs’ become clear.