UX Testing: Walgreens Mobile App
I needed to refill two prescriptions when I woke up this morning. So, I downloaded the Walgreens’ mobile app on my iPhone. Here’s my experience with the product.
Figure 1: The opening screens were pleasant and inviting. Short load time.
Figure 2A–2D: An introduction welcomes me to the app with a quick how-to. I can either use my finger to swipe through or tap the “next” button.
Figure 3A-B: Once I swipe through the introduction to the app, a mode pops up asking if I would like Walgreens to send me push notifications. Once I select “OK,” another one pops up asking if I would allow the app to access use of my GPS to pinpoint my location, likely for when I need to find the closest Walgreens. I press “Allow.”
Figure 4: This is the home screen for the app. Clean and inviting. So, the reason I downloaded this app was to refill some prescriptions easily with my phone. So I tap “Refill by Scan.”
Figure 5A-B: A mode pops up to ask me if I would like the app to access my iPhone camera. I tap “OK.” Then, on the screen is a view of what my iPhone camera sees through a rectanglar opening. The instructions tell me to center the barcode on my prescription bottle in the rectangle. There’s also an option in the upper right corner to turn on my flashlight, just in case I’m in a dimly lit space, so the camera can read the barcode. I placed the barcode into the rectangle, and almost immediately, I got feedback.
Figure 6A-C: The app immediately read and accepted the barcode from the camera. Because I allowed the app to use my iPhone’s GPS, it already selects the closest Walgreens to me as the pick-up location. However, I need to input a different pick-up time. So I tap on the pick-up time button. I am taken to a mode that allows me to select a new date and time. I think the overall layout on interface of the mode could be improved. I select 4 p.m. and tap “done.” From there, I tap “submit.”
Figure 7: After I tap “submit,” the feedback is immediate, acknowledging my transaction with the app, and thanking me for using it. From there, I can decide to sign up to be notified when my prescription is ready by email or text, with accompanying microtext. I would need to register a profile with Walgreens to fulfill those requests. At the bottom of the screen, I can choose to refill another prescription, which I do. Going through the same process, I am pleased to discover the pick-up time for my second refill request is automatically set to the pick-up time I set on my previous refill. As far as the goal of refilling my prescription, its a very user-friendly app. Of course, when I go to pick-up my refills, I might to buy some other items, so I decide to test the app’s shopping options.
Figure 8A-D: When I go back to the home screen, an option to register or log into my account appears. I select “Shop Products.” On the “Shop Products” screen is a list of product categories as well as a highlighted coupon. I tap “Shopping List” to make a list of items to pick-up at the store. I am taken to screen to start a list. I would be nice if the prescription refills I just ordered appeared there, but maybe its because I’m not logged into a profile. I tap “add items to list,” and the app allows me to type in an item name and notes. I type “prescriptions.” I tap “done” to go back to the “Shop Products” screen. Unfortunately, because I’m not signed into a profile, I can’t delete an item off the list, only add, and the “Store Map” trigger is disabled.
In the right corner of the search form is a barcode logo. I tap on it. I am taken to my camera view with an interface identical to the one for refilling a prescription. So, intuitively, I decide to pick-up an item from my medicine cabinet for which I need to buy a refill. I grab the mouthwash and slide the barcode under the camera. The app responds quickly and snaps to a screen showcasing the product I just scanned.
Figure 9A-C: It shows a picture of the product, a picture and price, recommendations and customer reviews, and the ability to easily share the product on social media. There’s also a highly visible “add to cart” button. I only wish I could add this item to my shopping list this way, too. That is not an option. From here, I tapped the “Home” icon and closed the app.
Pros of this app:
- Clean, friendly, smooth overall appearance and feel. Navigation is clear.
- Very responsive when refilling a prescription or scanning a product barcode.
- Inviting features include shopping list and coupon clipping, which would encourage me to shop at Walgreens more.
- Some microinteractions, such as notifications and the barcode scanner, endear me to the app because it adds convenience to my life. Normally, I’d have to pick up the phone, call my local Walgreens, go through an automated system of questions and then dial-in my prescription number and preferred time of pick-up and confirm.
Cons of this app:
- Some microinteractions didn’t work for me. I couldn’t delete items I added to my shopping list. The “Store Map” was disabled. Do I actually need to be in a Walgreens for this to work? How would I know?
- Some microinteractions seemed to be missing. Once I scanned in a product to add to my shopping list, I could only at it to my cart to be purchased from my phone.
- It is possible some of these microinteractions seemed to be missing or didn’t work because I didn’t register a profile with Walgreens when I started using the app. Maybe some clarity for unique users about building a profile would improve how I feel about this app’s broader features.
