Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
SimpleReport is a web app that allows frontline staff to track and report test results to public health departments.
The Challenge
When I joined the team as one of three designers, each of us had a unique visual design approach to similar problems. This led to noticeable inconsistencies in our interface designs. When we needed to expand beyond COVID-19 to include Flu A, Flu B, RSV, and HIV testing, this inconsistency became a significant issue. It not only confused our developers but also meant our users received an inconsistent experience depending on which designer worked on which feature.
The Solution
After discovering that our designs were referencing different versions of the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS), I created a Figma library using the latest version: 3.11.0.
Because USWDS lacked some core customizations our product required, I applied past research to inform the design of custom components.
We heard frontline workers needed a table that was easier to scan with sorting, filtering, and pagination.
Mobile-friendly forms: Developed standardized input patterns for test data entry that worked seamlessly across devices.
This effort inspired stronger collaboration between design and development teams. Most importantly, having a consistent visual language ensures a more cohesive experience for healthcare staff.
- HIV testing workflow (before design system): Took 10 weeks to design and ship
- RSV testing workflow (after design system): Completed in 8 weeks using standardized components