The main challenge was to take into account that most app users would be older people, and if young, they were likely to be physically impaired in some way. This meant that gestures should be reduced to a minimum, and the design should look clear, easy and flexible.

I decided that it was important to test the app on different levels.

I first designed a user flow diagram, to visualise a pleasant and recognisable experience for users who were already familiar with the service on the website.

Before jumping into SketchApp, most views were sketched out on paper and tested against the user flow diagram. This process helped remove redundant steps, and ensure a basic general flow.

The views were then transformed into wireframes and tested on InvisionApp, to create a consistent and solid experience.

The booking system and the registration process needed more examination than usual. For these specific views, I built a flexible and sustainable set of design elements, which could be easily incorporated with the existing design for Valys online.

The final prototypes were created on SketchApp, then tested again on InvisionApp, by both clients and developers. This was followed by beta testing on Testflight and the Google Play Developer Console.

The app was released in September 2018.

A few months later, the online service was re-designed, to better match the mobile app experience. The design system created for the Valys App proved to be robust enough that it could be easily repurposed, to create a consistent look and experience for the Valys WebApp.

This saved time and money for both the developers and the client, whilst successfully reducing the user learning curve.