Cutting physio booking from eleven steps to four

Pulsewise helps people book physiotherapy at more than 300 clinics. Its booking flow had grown one step at a time over five years, and by the time I joined it asked patients eleven questions before showing a single available appointment.

Nearly half of the people who started booking never finished. Session recordings showed the same pattern again and again: people left at the insurance question, the fourth screen, before they even knew whether a slot existed.

I mapped every step of the existing flow with my mentor and asked of each one: who needs this information, and when? Most of the answers turned out to be “the clinic, at the appointment” rather than “the system, before booking”.

I ran 14 moderated usability sessions across three rounds, first on the existing flow and then on two prototypes. Watching people hunt for insurance numbers they didn't have at hand was the moment the team agreed to move that question.

Throughout, I worked closely with the clinic success team to make sure clinics would still receive everything they needed before each appointment.

Show availability first

Patients now pick a clinic, a time and a practitioner before anything else. Seeing a real slot early turned booking from a form into a decision.

Ask only what's needed now

Insurance and medical history moved to a short pre-visit form, sent after booking and completed by 86% of patients before their appointment.

Fewer, clearer screens

Four steps, each with one job, a visible progress indicator and a summary that stays in view on larger screens.

As an intern, I learned that the strongest argument in a design review is a recording of a real person struggling. My mentor taught me to bring evidence instead of opinions, and it has shaped how I present work ever since.

I also learned to respect the constraints behind a messy flow. Every one of those eleven steps existed for a reason. The job was to find a better moment to ask, not to delete them.