The UX of COVID-19 vaccine registration
“VLADIMIR: He didn’t say for sure he’d come.
ESTRAGON: And if he doesn’t come?
VLADIMIR: We’ll come back tomorrow.
ESTRAGON: And then the day after tomorrow.
VLADIMIR: Possibly.
ESTRAGON: And so on.”
— Samuel Beckett
The theater of the absurd seems an apt title for the online experience of registering for a COVID-19 vaccine. It is a journey composed of a random assortment of links and vague directions with little clarity leading to great anxiety. And that’s only if you’re fortunate to have access to a computer as well as eligibility for the vaccine. We’ve had months to prepare for this day, right? So what could go wrong?
I started on this quest to help my mom sign up. A resident of Florida, she had been staying with my sister and me in Texas. We live about 3 hours apart and would trade her off in Waco (She told me, “I now know what a divorced kid goes through.”). But she needed to return to Florida in order to get the vaccine. At least that was our best guess. Initially, Florida was allowing “vaccine tourism” so anyone over 65 could get vaccinated; but on January 21st started limiting vaccinations to residents with proof of residency in category 1B. Which is a good thing since it has an elderly population (over 65) in excess of 4.5 million. Although there are members of that category who are not documented and may not get access. But that’s another article.
The state of Florida does have a vaccine phone number and the ability to pre-register and my mom started calling immediately, without success. Finally, online distribution was set up mainly using Publix, a large grocery store chain. The first time we tried to sign up several weeks ago was a disaster. The screenshot below shows the experience once registration opened on Publix’s site during the designated window starting at 6AM ET.
First, this message is only displayed when they are open for registration (5am my time, sigh), otherwise it just tells you the next availability window. My mother had no idea what these directions meant. What is “currently live” in this context? I had to tell her that it meant she could now register when a slot became available (I suppose that is what “full with other customers” is supposed to mean). However, she did recall that I taught her how to refresh a page by using that arrow icon. So, she refreshed every few seconds. Sending her to the back of the queue. And confusing her even more. The flicker/motion on the screen (visibly refreshing) also amplified her confusion and anxiety. And what does “if room becomes available” mean in a virtual space? The appointment status shown below with “Appointments Available” encouraged her to click as if they were links.
Taking a few moments to test the experience with actual users across a variety of demographics would have been a huge help. Also, capturing microfeedback in this context would have been ideal, because it’s crucial to understand and iterate using the voice of the customer. I didn’t see any way to provide feedback outside of contacting the company directly. So based on the instructions above, you had no idea what was happening until the county listed said “Fully booked.” And then what?
After a week of this unenviable experience, some feedback clearly made its way back to whomever built the pages. Now, there are somewhat better instructions along with a counter. Yes, a counter. Purgatory is watching your life tick by in 60 second increments.
The messaging in the latest version is much better (though I would recommend a clearer 1–2–3 step approach) however, still not much information as to what “currently live” means. And disappointed there is no option to call (once again not everyone has access to a computer) even using IVR. Really, one of the most elderly populations in America (though Maine is higher per capita) don’t even have phone purgatory as an option in this experience?
They also added a counter for the number of appointments that remained. Which I couldn’t figure out if it reflected a population delta or the number of grocery stores in that county. However, it was better than an on/off solution. Barely. I had two county goals in mind, so once those filled, I’d drop off the page. Mom wasn’t really up to driving 8 hours to a county in north Florida, for example.
The appointments would fill in about 45 minutes. The wait was excruciating. We did this for the last few weeks. I may have nightmares about this page.
Never fear, friends of Publix. It’s not all bad. The page, mainly due to its copy-heavy design, appears to be fairly accessible when run through an axe checker. There are a couple of attribute issues but it is in relatively good shape, which is crucial for using assistive devices to interact with the experience. And it is far better than many other sign-up systems out there, but that seems damned by faint praise. The site is responsive, I provided screenshots for both mobile and desktop experiences, which is a plus. Options of other languages, particularly a Spanish version, seem more than warranted but are not present. And you can print out the completion page when done, as you will soon see.
After a couple of weeks, I can report we finally had success. Alas, I never got into the appointment section, but my mom did. Her only panicky moment was when the appointment slot filled, it kicked her back to the beginning of the process, but not, thankfully, the waiting area. She was able to fill out the online form and get a slot for next week. Below is a screenshot of her physical printout. She hasn’t really figured out how to do screenshots yet, but got a degree of relief that she could print it (and now I know why she insists on having a printer at the house).
By the time the rest of my family can sign up for vaccines, I hope this is a far better process. There are some simple steps that could have vastly improved this experience. It starts with taking the time to ask for feedback. Whether formal usability or guerilla testing, feedback adds value. Testing across languages, demographics, and people of all abilities is even better. A straightforward heuristic analysis (to evaluate quality) would have definitely provided recommendations. For robust data-driven results, a microfeedback question could have given some immediate input to improve it for the next offering (it’s not too late, Publix!). And provided a better process for the tens of thousands of people deluging the site. Digital experience is still human experience. And our tools need to reflect that approach. Please stay well and stay safe. Wear a mask. And try not to think of Vladimir and Estragon still waiting there as the curtain falls. 60…59…58…
