Summary:
A healthcare organization running a WordPress-powered physician directory sought to enhance its user experience by improving the filter interface—particularly for mobile users. This case study explores how Freshy streamlined and clarified the filtering options, boosting usability across devices.
Issue background
The client’s website featured a custom physician directory using a complex filter system. The filtering interface included options by location and specialty, but its structure—especially on mobile—was cumbersome. Users had trouble understanding or navigating the filters, and the layout suffered from unclear labels and extra UI elements that offered limited value.
The project objective was to refine the filter section with clearer labels, improved hierarchy, and better mobile responsiveness.
Diagnosis
The Freshy team performed a UX review and identified the following key pain points:
- A redundant “Filters” title header wasted screen space.
- The search input was buried below filters, rather than leading the UI.
- Filter labels like “Filter By…” were too vague or repetitive.
- The reset button was underused and cluttered the interface.
- A new requested feature—filtering by the first letter of a physician’s last name—was not yet implemented and required scoped planning.
Resolution steps
- Reorganized filter layout for mobile: The search input field was moved to the top of the filter panel and relabeled to “Search by first name, last name, or center” to better reflect its function.
- Updated filter language for clarity: All “Filter By…” labels were replaced with “Show by…” to create more natural language.
- Removed redundant elements: The “Filters” heading and “Reset Filters” button were removed to streamline the interface.
- Planned enhancement for last name filtering: A follow-up task was created to add a dynamic A-Z filter that would allow users to filter by the first letter of last names, placed directly below the center-based filter. This was scoped separately due to its need for additional backend logic and front-end interface.
- Live push and client review: All styling and content changes were deployed to the live site following testing, with confirmation that the revised layout improved clarity and consistency.
Final outcome
The updated filter interface provided a clearer and more mobile-friendly experience for visitors navigating the physician directory. By eliminating unnecessary elements and improving language, the directory became easier to use without sacrificing functionality.
Looking to enhance custom post type filters on your WordPress site? Contact Freshy—our development team specializes in creating streamlined, intuitive search and filter experiences tailored to your site’s needs.
