Discover trusted
holistic care tailored
to your wellness
journey, wherever
you are.
Project Overview
The project aimed to simplify access to holistic wellness services, by connecting users with trusted holistic practitioners—including acupuncturists, chiropractors, functional medicine doctors, and more. Our goal was to empower individuals seeking holistic care for stress, chronic pain, or overall well-being. We focused on enhancing user well-being and practitioner reach.
My Role
- Product Designer
- User Research & Strategy
- UX/UI Design
- Usability Testing
Goals
- Enable practitioner search.
- Facilitate flexible booking options
- Deliver seamless, accessible experience
- Build scalable wellness platform
The Problem
Finding holistic care is challenging, with users navigating fragmented platforms, outdated directories and unreliable searches or word-of-mouth recommendations. Practitioners lack intuitive tools to manage bookings and reach clients effectively, hindering their practice in a growing wellness industry market.
Research Process
To ensure Sylwell addressed real needs, I employed a comprehensive, user-centered methodology, combining qualitative and quantitative methods.
Interviewed 8 participants (wellness seekers and practitioners) to understand needs. Key insights:
User Interviews
- Conducted 8 interviews with wellness seekers (ages 25–55) and 5 practitioners across various modalities.
- Key Finding: Users struggled with fragmented platforms and unverified providers; Practitioners needed tools to showcase services and connect with clients.
- Accessibility (e.g., WCAG 2.1 compliance) was critical for diverse audiences.
Surveys
- Distributed online surveys to 10 wellness seekers to quantify preferences and needs.
- Key Results: 78% prioritized ease of booking, 65% valued virtual consultations, and 82% wanted to search by wellness goals.
Competitor Analysis
- Benchmarked platforms like Zocdoc and Mindbody, analyzing usability, trust features, and functionality.
- Key Gap: Competitors offered generic directories with complex booking flows and limited practitioner tools.scheduling and profile management tools.
13
Total
Interviews
20
Survey
Responses
82%
Want
Goal-Based
Search
User Personas
Wellness Seeker: Zoya
Name: Zoya
Age : 32
Occupation: Writer
“I want to make sure I’m choosing someone qualified and trustworthy.”
Needs: Functional medicine practitioners, detailed practitioner profiles, telehealth options for convenience
Pain Points
• Limited time for appointments
• Difficulty verifying practitioner credentials
• Complex booking systems
Goals
Reduce work stress
• Find reliable stress management
• Maintain work-life balance
• Build long-term wellness routine
Wellness Practitioner: Maya
“I need tools to connect with clients, manage schedules, and showcase my expertise effortlessly.“
Needs: Tools to manage bookings, showcase expertise, and engage clients; community features for deeper connections.
Pain Points
Limited tools for promoting expertise, Difficulty attracting new clients Managing appointment scheduling conflicts
Goals
Streamline practice management, Attract ideal clients, Reduce administrative burden, Focus more time on patient care
Name: Maya
Age : 43
Occupation:
10 years in wellness coaching
User Journey Map
I mapped Zoya’s current experience to identify friction:
| Stage | User Actions | User Goals | User Emotions | Opportunities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Discovery | Sees Sylwell social share- Searches “acupuncture near me” | Learn about wellness services nearby | Curious, hopeful, skeptical | SEO rich content Strong brand message |
| 2. Landing on Site | Visits sylwell.com via link | Understand what Sylwell offers | Interested, cautious | Clear homepage value proposition CTA for browsing practitioners |
| 3. Browse Services | Explores categories (e.g., yoga, acupuncture) Clicks on a practitioner | Find relevant and trustworthy services | Intrigued, analytical | Use filters (location, reviews) Add AI powered personalization |
| 4. Practitioner Profile | Views details, reviews, credentials, Checks session types, availability | Validate trust & fit with practitioner | Reassured or unsure | Emphasize reviews/testimonials Visuals (badges, credentials) |
| 5. Select Session | Picks date/time Sees session type (in person/virtual) | Choose a time slot that fits | Decisive, slightly rushed | Streamlined calendar- Session previews, Availability sync |
| 6. Login/Signup | Signs up or logs in to proceed with booking | Proceed without friction | Mildly annoyed or accepting | Enable social signin Offer guest checkout. |
| 7. Booking & Payment | Enters payment info (Stripe/PayPal), Confirms session | Secure the appointment | Hopeful, trusting | Use trusted payment gateway- Add promo codes or first-book offers |
| 8. Confirmation | Receives email/text confirmation, Adds to calendar | Get clarity & record of booking | Relieved, satisfied | Offer reschedule options- Include pre session instructions |
| 9. Follow-Up | Receives reminder before appointment, Option to leave review | Stay informed & share experience | Content, reflective | Add SMS/email reminders Ask for post session feedback |
Key Features
Goal-Based Search
Insight: 82% of survey respondents wanted to search by wellness goals.
Implemented a search tool with filters for goals, modalities, and telehealth options, featuring verified credentials and reviews.
Result: 90% user satisfaction with search accuracy.
Streamlined Booking
Insight: 65% of users valued virtual consultations; existing booking processes were inefficient.
Designed a 3-click booking system with live availability, calendar sync, and automated reminders for both virtual and in-person sessions.
Result: Reduced booking steps from 5 (competitor average) to 3.
Practitioner Dashboard
Insight: 70% of practitioners requested better scheduling tools and profile management.
Created a comprehensive dashboard for schedules, client outreach, and profile updates, with customizable intake forms.
Result: 85% practitioner satisfaction with usability.
Trust-Building Profiles
Insight: Users prioritized credentials and reviews for building trust.
Developed detailed practitioner profiles showcasing philosophies, certifications, and verified reviews.
Result: Enhanced user confidence and practitioner credibility.
calendar integration
Design Process & Wireframes
Sketched concepts for intuitive discovery, focusing on personalized search and booking flows. Created low-fidelity wireframes in Figma to test layouts for practitioner profiles and virtual consultation scheduling.
Early wireframe for practitioner discovery, emphasizing filter simplicity.
Testing and Validation
Conducted two rounds of usability testing with 8 users and 4 practitioners using Maze, testing core tasks like searching for practitioners and booking sessions:
Usability Testing Results
Conducted 2 rounds of testing with 5 users (3 wellness seekers, 2 practitioners). Findings:
92%
Completed search-to-booking tasks successfully
30%
85% of users completed searches in under 30 seconds.
20
Practitioners
successfully onboarded
User Feedback: Platform described as “Easy,” “trustworthy,” and “calming.”
Practitioner Feedback: “The dashboard simplifies client management.”
Impact & Next Steps
Delivered a scalable prototype, live for limited demos at sylwell.com, validated by usability testing. Sylwell is live for limited demos with core features—goal-based search, streamlined booking, and practitioner tools—fully functional. I configured hosting and domain infrastructure for fast, secure access, setting the foundation for scalable growth.
Future Enhancements: Integration of AI-driven practitioner recommendations, expanded accessibility features, and advanced analytics for practitioners to better serve their communities.
Reflection
Working on Sylwell taught me valuable lessons about the complexity of addressing real user needs in the wellness space. While I’m proud of the research-driven approach and positive user feedback we received, I recognize this is just the beginning of solving a much larger problem. The experience helped me grow as a designer and researcher. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work on something that could genuinely help people access better care, and I look forward to continuing to learn and improve as we move toward our public launch.
