Enhancing UX for Bound International: A Research-Driven Approach to Sustainable Study Abroad
A UX research case study focused on usability testing, heuristic evaluation, and competitive analysis to improve engagement and navigation.
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Process
I conducted in-depth user research, including interviews, contextual inquiries, and competitor analysis, to uncover pain points and opportunities. The design process involved three phases:
Wireframes: Created role-specific dashboards for pharmacists, customers, and healthcare providers.
Prototyping: Built high-fidelity prototypes to test user flows and interactions.
Iterative Testing: Conducted usability tests and incorporated feedback to refine navigation, onboarding, and checkout processes.
Impact
The platform improved operational efficiency for pharmacies, reducing manual tasks by 30%. Customer engagement increased, with cart abandonment rates dropping by 25% and repeat orders growing by 35%. Raseet Health successfully positioned itself as a leading platform, driving a 20% revenue increase for partner pharmacies within three months.
CLIENT
Bound International
Tools
Figma, Miro, FigJam, Google Suite, Adobe Creative Suite
EXPERTISE
UX Research
Usability Testing
Heuristic Evaluation
Competitive Analysis
UX/UI Design
Timeline
January 2023 - May 2023 (4 months)
The Problem: Understanding the Challenge
🌍 Background on Bound International
Bound International champions sustainable study abroad programs, offering memberships for students and professionals. The platform provides destination reports, training videos, and sustainability-focused travel resources. However, despite its valuable mission, the platform struggled to attract and engage users.
⚠️ The UX Challenge
Despite its mission, Bound International had zero student subscribers and low engagement from professionals. Users struggled to understand what the platform offered, how to navigate it, and why they should pay for a membership.
Overview / Summary
Bound International is a study abroad platform focused on sustainability. However, due to usability issues, students and professionals struggled to engage with it. This case study explores how UX research uncovered key challenges and provided actionable recommendations to improve navigation, engagement, and accessibility.
🎯 Target Audience
Students interested in studying abroad who need destination reports and sustainability resources.
Academic professionals & study abroad coordinators who require easy access to sustainability-focused educational content.
🔎 Key UX Problems Identified
Unclear Product Value – Users couldn’t understand what they were paying for.
Confusing Navigation – The site structure was inconsistent and unintuitive.
Text-Heavy Content – Overwhelming text with no clear hierarchy.
Lack of Interactivity – The platform felt static and unengaging.
Missing Key Features – No search function, filtering, or onboarding guidance.
📉 Why This Problem Matters
User Impact:
Users couldn’t find relevant information quickly.
High cognitive load due to text-heavy content.
Low engagement & retention due to lack of interactive features.
Business Impact:
Zero student subscriptions → failure to attract the target audience.
Low engagement & retention → minimal conversions.
Users saw no reason to subscribe, affecting revenue.
Research Approach: How We Investigated the Problem
🔍 Research Objective
📌 Why was UX research necessary? What were we trying to uncover?
Bound International had zero student subscribers and low engagement from professionals, signaling a clear usability and engagement issue. Users struggled to understand what the platform offered, found navigation frustrating, and saw no clear value in subscribing.
To diagnose the problem, we asked:
✔️ Why are users struggling to navigate the platform?
✔️ What key usability issues are preventing engagement?
✔️ How do competitors structure similar platforms for better user experience?
✔️ What features would improve engagement and adoption?
Our goal was to use data-driven insights to recommend UX improvements that would lead to higher engagement, better user satisfaction, and an improved conversion rate for the platform.
🔍 UX Research Strategy & Methods Used
📌 What research methods were used, and why?
To validate pain points, benchmark Bound International against competitors, and uncover user frustrations, we conducted a mixed-method UX research approach:
📢 Stakeholder Interviews
Why? → To understand business goals & challenges from Bound International’s perspective.
Conducted 1 interview with a company representative.
Key Takeaway: The company struggled with low adoption & user retention, especially among students.
🗣️ User Interviews (4 Participants)
Why? → To gather qualitative insights into user pain points, expectations, and frustrations.
Participants:
2 students interested in studying abroad
1 study abroad coordinator
1 professional in international education
What We Learned:
✔️ Users found the website overwhelming due to text-heavy content.
✔️ Users couldn’t understand the value of a paid membership.
✔️ The navigation felt disorganized and unclear.
💬 User Quotes:
"I still don’t know what this service is supposed to do for me."
"There’s too much text; I just skim through and don’t retain anything."
📊 Surveys (Targeting Study Abroad Students, 30+ Responses)
Why? → To collect quantitative data on user expectations and validate interview insights.
Survey Topics:
✔️ How students plan study abroad programs
✔️ What features they expect from a study abroad platform
✔️ Their perceptions of sustainability-focused memberships
Key Findings:
✔️ 68% of students prefer visual/interactive content over text-heavy resources.
✔️ 72% found the website difficult to navigate.
✔️ Only 10% saw clear value in a paid membership.
🔎 Competitive Analysis (6 Competitors Analyzed)
Why? → To benchmark Bound International against industry best practices in study abroad and sustainability platforms.
Competitors Analyzed:
✔️ The Green Program (strong sustainability focus)
✔️ Lonely Planet (travel content structure & engagement strategies)
✔️ ISSP (professional sustainability certifications)
✔️ And others
Key Takeaways:
✔️ Competitors had better navigation & organization.
✔️ Most offered interactive content & multimedia to engage users.
✔️ Many used gamification & progress tracking to retain users.
🔬 Heuristic Evaluation (Using Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics)
Why? → To identify usability flaws in navigation, interaction, and content structure.
Evaluated 15+ key pages of Bound International’s website.
Scored each page based on usability principles (e.g., consistency, visibility, user control).
Key Findings:
✔️ Severe usability issues in navigation & structure.
✔️ No search or filtering made content discovery difficult.
✔️ Inconsistent UI elements led to confusion.
🖥️ Usability Testing (5 Participants)
Why? → To observe real user behavior & validate research findings.
5 usability tests conducted via Zoom.
Participants performed 4 tasks (e.g., finding a membership benefit, locating a sustainability guide).
Key Findings:
✔️ 80% of users struggled with navigation.
✔️ Users spent 2–3x longer than expected completing tasks.
✔️ Many missed key features or were unable to complete tasks successfully.
🔍 Key Research Questions
📌 What were we trying to answer through our research?
✅ Example:
1️⃣ Understanding User Needs & Expectations
How do users currently navigate Bound International?
What features do they expect from a study-abroad platform?
2️⃣ Identifying Usability Issues
What challenges prevent users from engaging with the platform?
Are users able to find information easily?
3️⃣ Evaluating Competitors & Industry Standards
How does Bound International compare to its competitors?
What UX best practices can be applied?
🔍 Research Findings Summary
📌 What were the key takeaways from the research?
✅ Example:
1️⃣ Users struggled to understand the product.
Navigation and product value were unclear.
User quote: "I still don’t know what I’m supposed to do here."
2️⃣ Poor navigation caused frustration.
Users had difficulty finding key sections.
3️⃣ Text-heavy content overwhelmed users.
Lack of visual hierarchy reduced engagement.
4️⃣ Competitor platforms had better UX.
Other study abroad platforms offered clearer navigation & interaction design.
User Interviews:
Participants:
“What is your biggest challenge when managing prescriptions or inventory?”
10 pharmacists and pharmacy staff.
15 customers across urban and semi-urban areas.
5 healthcare providers (doctors, lab technicians).
Process:
Conducted 1-hour interviews focusing on workflows, challenges, and expectations.
Open-ended questions encouraged participants to share detailed experiences.
Surveys:
50 Pharmacy owners
150 customers
Key Focus Areas:
Frequency of pharmacy visits.
Preferred features for managing health records digitally.
Trust factors influencing digital adoption.
Key Insights:
72%
of respondents preferred a simplified interface for order tracking.
63%
indicated concerns about data privacy in healthcare apps.
Contextual Inquiries:
5 pharmacies observed over 2 weeks.
Process:
Shadowed pharmacy staff during inventory updates, order management, and customer interactions.
Documented pain points, bottlenecks, and opportunities for digital intervention
“A pharmacy owner spent over 3 hours manually reconciling orders and inventory.
Competitor Analysis:
Platforms studied: Leading e-pharmacy apps in the market
Focused on:
“Navigation and
usability.
“Key features for order management and health records.
“Gaps in user engagement and accessibility.
1 mg
1mg is a pharmacy application that provides specialized and generic medicines along with branded medicines
1. Home delivery of medicines
2. Medicines calculator
3. Provides 24-hours
4. Appointment Options
5. Provides doctor consultations
PharmEasy
Pharmeasy is another famous online pharmacy & medical store offering pharmaceutical and healthcare products.
1. Home delivery of medicines
2. Medicines calculator
3. Provides 24-hours
4. Appointment Options
5. Provides doctor consultations
Zeno Health
Zeno Health is a Mumbai-based pharmacy application that provides generic medicines and branded medicines.
1. Home delivery of medicines
2. Provides doctor consultations
To summarize all the problems….
More than
20%
increase in overall pharmacy revenue by combining improved workflows, faster onboarding, and enhanced customer experiences.
Unified platform = Improved efficiency + Enhanced customer trust + Higher pharmacy adoption rates
Key Findings
Pharmacy Workflows Are Inefficient:
Insight:
Pharmacists rely heavily on manual processes for inventory management and order tracking.
Impact:
There is a critical need for dynamic inventory management and order fulfillment tools.
“Managing stock manually is exhausting—I’ve lost customers due to delays.” – Pharmacist Participant
Digital Adoption Barriers for Pharmacies:
“I’m not familiar with digital tools—it feels like too much work.” – Pharmacy Owner Participant
Insight:
Many pharmacy owners feel overwhelmed by the technical setup required to go online.
Impact:
Simplified onboarding workflows and dedicated support are essential for adoption.
Customers Struggle With Navigation:
“It took me ages to find what I needed—the filters were confusing.” – Customer Participant
Insight:
Poor search functionality and complex checkout processes lead to frustration and drop-offs.
Impact:
Intuitive navigation and personalized search recommendations are top priorities.
Lack of Guidance Post-Rejection:
“I didn’t know why my prescription was rejected or what to do next.” – Customer Participant
Insight:
Customers feel lost when prescriptions or orders are rejected due to incomplete information.
Impact:
Clear guidance and actionable steps are needed to rebuild trust and retain users.
Trust Issues With Digital Platforms:
“I’m worried about sharing my health data—how can I be sure it’s secure?” – Customer Participant
Insight:
Privacy concerns are a significant barrier to adoption.
Impact:
Transparent communication about data security and compliance is vital.
Insights at a Glance??
#1
Managing stock manually is exhausting—I’ve lost customers due to delays.” – Pharmacist
#2
It took me ages to find what I needed—the filters were confusing.” – Customer Participant
#3
I’m worried about sharing my health data—how can I be sure it’s secure?” – Customer Participant
These insights served as a valuable tool to identify opportunities for introducing a potential solution.
User Persona
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Empathy Map
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User Journey
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Impact of Research
The insights from user research directly informed the design goals and solutions for Raseet Health:
User-Centric Onboarding: Simplified workflows to reduce onboarding time by 50%.
Enhanced Navigation: Redesigned search and checkout processes increased order completion rates by 25%.
Privacy Assurance: Clear communication about data security built trust among users.
Product Goals: Sort Qualitative Feedback
The success of Raseet Health depended on aligning business objectives with user needs, ensuring a seamless and scalable experience for all stakeholders. By analyzing research insights and market trends, we defined three core product goals:
Business Goals:
#1
Seamless integration between stakeholders: Establish a connected ecosystem where pharmacies, healthcare providers, and customers interact efficiently.
#2
Easier onboarding for partner pharmacies: Reduce technical barriers, enabling small to mid-sized pharmacies to transition into e-commerce-ready businesses with minimal effort.
User Goals:
#1
Easy refill prescription scheduling: Allow customers to set automated refills, reducing friction in managing recurring medications.
#2
Easy inventory management: Enable pharmacies to track stock levels, receive alerts for low inventory, and optimize order fulfillment.
Shared Goals (User + Business):
#1
Online access to medicines/storefront: Provide a reliable digital storefront, making healthcare products more accessible while driving pharmacy revenue.
#2
Better health outcomes: Improve medication adherence and patient engagement by offering a user-friendly and trustworthy healthcare platform.
These goals shaped the design decisions, guiding the development of a frictionless user experience that balanced operational efficiency with user-centric healthcare services.
Solutions?
Seamless Integration of Stakeholder Systems
Problem
Disconnected systems for pharmacies, doctors, and customers led to inefficiencies, missed opportunities, and frustration.
Solution
Unified Dashboards and Secure Collaboration Tools.
Features:
Role-Based Dashboards:
Pharmacists
A centralized dashboard consolidates inventory levels, order statuses, and customer data.
Real-time alerts for stock depletion and order processing streamline daily operations.
Doctors
Secure access to patient prescriptions and medical records enables informed decision-making.
Real-time updates ensure accurate and timely care for patients.
Patients
A personal dashboard allows users to manage prescriptions, view health records, and track orders seamlessly.
Three-way platform Integration
Three way platform connect pharmacies, healthcare providers, and customers, ensuring real-time data flow and consistency.
Example: A doctor updates a prescription, which is immediately reflected in the pharmacy and customer dashboards.
Secure Data Sharing:
Implemented end-to-end encryption and role-based access control to safeguard sensitive data like medical records and prescriptions.
“Finally, everything I need is in one place—it saves me so much time and keeps everything organized." – Pharmacist Participant
Reduced operational errors by
30%,
saving pharmacies an average of 5 hours per week.
Enhanced collaboration between stakeholders increased prescription fulfillment rates by
20%
Simplifying Complex Onboarding for Pharmacies
Problem
Small pharmacies struggled with the technical barriers of going digital, including setting up online catalogs and training staff.
Solution
Automated Onboarding Workflows.
Features:
Bulk Catalog Uploads:
Pharmacies upload product catalogs via .xls files, saving time on manual data entry.
The system automatically flags and corrects errors, ensuring clean data.
Example: A pharmacy with 500+ SKUs onboarded in under 30 minutes.
Step-by-Step Onboarding Guides
Interactive walkthroughs guide pharmacy owners through system setup, from uploading inventories to customizing their storefront.
Progress trackers provide visibility into onboarding milestones.
Dedicated Support
24/7 live chat support for troubleshooting during setup.
On-call assistance for pharmacies with specific needs or technical challenges.
“The onboarding guide was so straightforward—I was up and running in no time!" – Pharmacy Owner Participant
Reduced onboarding time by
50%,
with most pharmacies completing setup within 2–3 days.
Onboarding success rate increased to 85%,
enabling faster adoption across partner pharmacies.
Enhancing UX in E-Commerce
Problem
Customers struggled with poor navigation, complex checkout processes, and lack of real-time updates, leading to high drop-off rates.
Solution
Intuitive Navigation and Streamlined Checkout.
Features:
Advanced Search and Filters
Voice-enabled search for faster discovery of products.
AI-driven recommendations based on purchase history and customer preferences.
Filters for categories, price range, and availability reduce frustration during browsing.
Streamlined Checkout
Auto-fill forms for returning users reduce the time required to complete a purchase.
Multiple payment options, including UPI, credit/debit cards, and cash on delivery, cater to diverse user needs.
Example: A returning customer completed their order in under 2 minutes.
Real-Time Order Tracking
Push notifications inform users at every stage: order confirmation, processing, dispatch, and delivery.
A visual progress tracker provides transparency and reduces customer anxiety.
“Shopping for medicines has never been this easy—I love how fast and smooth the process is now." – Customer Participant
Product discovery time reduced by
40%, allowing customers to find what they need faster.
Cart abandonment rates decreased by 25%, and order completion rates increased by 20%.
Information Architecture
To create a seamless and efficient user experience, the information architecture was carefully designed to cater to different user roles—pharmacists, healthcare providers, and customers. The goal was to structure the platform in a way that improves discoverability, usability, and accessibility while ensuring smooth navigation for all stakeholders.
Key Considerations
Role-Specific Navigation: Tailored dashboards for pharmacies, customers, and healthcare providers to minimize cognitive load and present relevant information.
E-Commerce & Healthcare Services: A clear distinction between shopping for medications, managing prescriptions, and accessing healthcare services.
Search & Filtering: Robust search functionality and category-based navigation to enhance product and service discovery.
Support & Accessibility: Dedicated help sections, including FAQs, live chat, and feedback options, ensuring users can easily seek assistance.
Security & Privacy: Profile management with role-based access control to safeguard sensitive user and medical data.
Structure Breakdown
Pharmacies: Inventory management, order tracking, CRM integration, and analytics.
Healthcare Providers: Patient records, collaboration tools, and prescription management.
Customers: Dashboard for health records, shopping, and order tracking.
Global Components: Header (search, filters, profile), footer (privacy policies, support), and system notifications.
By designing a hierarchical yet intuitive structure, we ensured that users could quickly access the most relevant features, resulting in a smoother and more efficient experience for all stakeholders.
Design Goals & Considerations
Task Flow
Scenario 1: Pharmacy staff managing stock and placing bulk orders
Scenario 2: Customer ordering medicines for the first time
Scenario 3: Reordering medicines for elderly patients
Feature Highlight
“A complete view of operations ensures efficiency and better customer service.
“Simplified processes improve convenience and trust in the platform.
“Real-time updates and secure data sharing enhance care delivery.
Impact of Solutions!!!
Saved pharmacies an average of
5 hours/week by automating workflows.
Reduced drop-off rates by 25% and increased order completion rates by 20%.
Partner pharmacies experienced a
20%
increase in revenue within three months of adoption.
MedScope: A Scalable & Systematic Design System
The Challenge
As Raseet Health expanded, maintaining design consistency, efficiency, and scalability became a challenge. A fragmented UI led to inconsistencies in components, longer design cycles, and increased development overhead. The need for a unified design system became evident to streamline collaboration, reduce redundancy, and enhance the user experience across all touchpoints.
The Goal
🔹 Establish a scalable design system following Atomic Design Principles.
🔹 Ensure cross-platform consistency while allowing flexibility for future expansions.
🔹 Improve efficiency by reducing time spent on repetitive UI decisions.
🔹 Enable a structured decision-making process to govern component usage and modifications.
Structuring MedScope: Design System Architecture
MedScope was built using:
✔ Atomic Design Principles – Breaking down components into atoms, molecules, organisms, templates, and pages for modular reusability.
✔ A Reusable Component Library – Standardizing UI elements to ensure consistency across different features.
✔ Scalability Standards – Creating a foundation for future expansion without compromising usability.
The design system encompassed:
🎨 Typography & Color Systems – Ensuring accessibility and brand alignment.
📏 Spacing & Grid Systems – Providing a structured layout framework.
🧩 Component Library – Predefined UI elements for seamless design iteration.
💡 Interactive Patterns & States – Standardizing hover states, transitions, and user feedback mechanisms.
MedScope Design System Decision-Making Process: How We Built It
A structured decision-making framework was implemented to maintain consistency and prevent design fragmentation:
1️⃣ Assess the Need
🔹 Does a similar component exist in MedScope?
Yes → Use the existing component.
No → Proceed to the next step.
2️⃣ Modify vs. Create
🔹 Can an existing component be adapted for this use case?
Yes → Modify and document changes in the system.
No → Move to prototyping.
3️⃣ Prototype & Validation
🔹 If the component cannot be generalized:
It is added as a one-off to the repository.
🔹 If it can be standardized:
It is documented and integrated into MedScope for global reuse.
4️⃣ Integration & Documentation
🔹 The new/updated component is:
Incorporated into the design system.
Guidelines and best practices are documented for seamless adoption.
Key Outcomes & Impact 🚀
#1
50% faster design iterations due to reusable components
#2
30% reduction in inconsistencies by enforcing MedScope guidelines.
#3
Scalability ensured for future growth and expansion.
#4
Stronger developer-designer collaboration through standardized documentation and clear workflows.
Accessibility? Designing for an Inclusive Experience
The Goal
Given that a significant portion of Raseet Health’s target audience includes chronic and geriatric patients, accessibility was a core consideration in the design process. The goal was to create an intuitive and frictionless experience that accommodates users with varying levels of digital literacy and physical limitations.
Key Outcomes & Impact 🚀
#1
40% faster product discovery for users with limited tech proficiency.
#2
Increased order completion rate by 20%, reducing frustration and improving overall user satisfaction.
#3
Higher adoption rate among elderly users, attributed to an intuitive, minimal-interaction design approach.
Wireframes
UI Design
Once the usability issues were resolved, I moved on to design the final screens in Figma. My goal was to create a visual identity that’s aligned with the brand’s values and message, which is: “brand motto”. Also, I’ve checked the competition and took a deep dive into my catalog of references for inspiration.
1. What kind of visual style did you follow and why? (Fresh, corporate, dark, light?)
2. Did you follow any popular guidelines? (Material Design, iOS Styleguide, etc?)
3. What platforms and devices did you design for?
4. How does your final design reflect your learnings about your users?
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Retrospective
Empathy-Driven Design
The iterative design process, grounded in user feedback, ensured that the platform met the unique needs of pharmacists, healthcare providers, and customers.
“The changes make it so much easier to manage everything—my staff and I feel more confident now.” – Pharmacist Participant
Importance of Simplicity
Simplified workflows and intuitive interfaces reduced onboarding barriers and user frustration.
Streamlined experiences, like the improved checkout process, significantly boosted user satisfaction and engagement.
Leveraging Ecosystem Synergy
Integrating tools and features within the Raseet Health ecosystem enhanced its value proposition for both users and the business.
Example: The seamless connection between inventory management and customer-facing features created a cohesive experience.
Collaboration at Raseet Health
At Raseet Health, collaboration was a fundamental part of the design process. As the Product/UX Designer, I worked closely with cross-functional teams, ensuring that design decisions were aligned with business goals, technical feasibility, and user needs.
How Collaboration Shaped the Final Product?
#1
Iterative Design Process: Constant feedback loops from engineers and stakeholders ensured smooth development and reduced rework.
#2
Cross-Team Alignment: Regular stand-ups and sprint reviews ensured transparency and rapid iteration.
#3
Enhanced User Experience: By incorporating business insights and user feedback, we designed a seamless pharmacy ordering and inventory
Lessons Learned?
Continuous Feedback Is Key
Regular usability testing and feedback loops were instrumental in identifying areas for improvement and driving iterative changes.
Localized Solutions Matter
Localized onboarding guides and multilingual support helped expand adoption in diverse regions.
Trust Is Foundational
Transparent communication about data privacy and security built confidence among users, addressing one of the biggest barriers to digital adoption.
Closing Reflections
The success of Raseet Health lies in its ability to empower local pharmacies, improve healthcare accessibility for customers, and foster seamless collaboration across stakeholders. By continuously iterating based on user feedback and leveraging technology to solve real-world problems, Raseet Health achieved its mission to make quality healthcare accessible and equitable.
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