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Information architecture · Beginner · 40 min

Create a user flow

Map every step and decision in rescheduling a dentist appointment, including what goes wrong.

Context

A dental clinic wants patients to reschedule appointments online instead of phoning. Patients receive a reminder text two days before with a link.

Your prompt

Draw the user flow for rescheduling from the reminder link to confirmation, including at least three decision points and two error paths.

Instructions

  1. Define the start (tapping the link) and the successful end (new appointment confirmed).
  2. List steps as boxes and decisions as diamonds.
  3. Include: no suitable times available, the link has expired, and the patient wants to cancel instead.
  4. Mark where the clinic's rules apply, for example no rescheduling within 24 hours.
  5. Show what the patient receives at the end (screen, text message, email).
  6. Check the flow with the user flow checklist template.

Expected deliverables

  • A user flow diagram
  • A list of open questions for the clinic

Completion checklist

4 items

Evaluation criteria

  • Uses consistent notation.
  • Covers realistic edge cases.
  • Open questions show awareness of business rules.

Hints and an illustrative solution

Show hints
  • Should the patient need to log in from a reminder link? Consider security versus convenience, and note it as a question.
  • What happens to the original slot while the patient is choosing a new one?
Show one possible solution

This is one reasonable answer, not the only one. Compare reasoning, not pixels.

One flow: Tap link, then a decision "Link valid?" (no: show "This link has expired" with the clinic phone number and a sign-in option). Next: show the current appointment with options Reschedule or Cancel. A decision "Within 24 hours?" (yes: explain the policy and offer to call). Choose a new date, then a decision "Times available?" (no: offer the next available week or join a waitlist). Choose a time, review, confirm. Success screen plus text message, with "Add to calendar". The original slot is released only after confirmation.

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