Case Study: for a WordPress Website with Doctor Login Portal

Client Overview

Client Name: Anonymous Healthcare Tech Client
Industry: Healthcare Technology
Project Duration: 3 months
Team: Front-End Developer, Back-End Developer, Project Manager, UI/UX Designer

The client, a healthcare technology company, aimed to build a user-friendly WordPress website aligned with their established brand guidelines. The site needed to serve as a public-facing platform for telehealth services and include a secure login portal for doctors to prescribe medications via an API. The front-end developer collaborated closely with a back-end developer to deliver a seamless, secure, and visually appealing solution.

Project Objectives

1. Design a brand-consistent front-end for a WordPress website using the client’s provided guidelines (color scheme, typography, imagery).
2. Develop a responsive, intuitive interface for public users and authenticated doctors.
3. Build a secure doctor login portal integrated with a back-end API for prescribing medications.
4. Ensure cross-browser compatibility and mobile responsiveness across all features.
5. Collaborate with the back-end developer for smooth API integration and functionality.

Challenges

• Brand Adherence: Translating detailed brand guidelines into a cohesive WordPress theme while allowing for future scalability.
• Secure Portal: Creating a doctor portal compliant with healthcare regulations (e.g., HIPAA) and ensuring ease of use.
• API Connectivity: Ensuring the front-end interface worked seamlessly with the back-end API for real-time prescription management.
• Timeline Constraints: Delivering a polished product within a 3-month timeframe while coordinating with multiple team members.

Solution

Phase 1: Planning and Design

• Discovery Session: The front-end developer met with the client to review brand guidelines, understand user needs (patients and doctors), and outline website features.
• Wireframing and Prototyping: Partnered with the UI/UX designer to create wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes in Figma, incorporating the client’s brand elements (e.g., specific color palette, professional typography, and medical imagery).
• Tech Stack: Selected WordPress with a custom theme using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React for dynamic features. Used Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) for content flexibility and WPForms for user inputs.

Phase 2: Front-End Development

• Custom WordPress Theme: Built a tailored theme reflecting the client’s brand guidelines, using CSS Grid and Flexbox for responsive layouts and subtle animations (via GSAP) for a modern touch.
• Public-Facing Pages: Developed core pages (Home, About, Services, Contact) optimized for SEO and accessibility (WCAG 2.1). Added a blog section for health-related content using WordPress’s native functionality.
• Doctor Login Portal: Created a secure, React-based login interface for a single-page application experience. Implemented role-based access to limit features to authenticated doctors.
• API Integration: Collaborated with the back-end developer to connect the portal to a RESTful API for prescription management. Used Axios for API calls, displaying real-time data (e.g., patient records, prescriptions) in an organized format.
• Responsiveness: Ensured full responsiveness across devices with media queries, tested on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.

Phase 3: Testing and Deployment

• Quality Assurance: Performed usability testing with a small doctor group, cross-browser testing, and performance optimization (Lighthouse score of 90+ for mobile/desktop).
• Security Measures: Applied HTTPS, CSRF protection, and secure session management for the portal. Worked with the back-end developer to secure API endpoints using JWT authentication.
• Deployment: Launched the site on a managed WordPress host (WP Engine) with a staging environment for final client approval. Provided documentation for content management via WordPress.

Results

• Brand-Aligned Website: Delivered a visually cohesive WordPress site that matched the client’s brand, earning praise for its professional design.
• Functional Portal: Launched a secure, user-friendly doctor portal with API response times under 500ms, streamlining prescription workflows.
• User Engagement: Increased session duration by 20% on public pages due to fast load times (under 2 seconds) and engaging design.
• Scalability: Created a flexible theme enabling the client to add content without developer support.
• Compliance: Met HIPAA standards for data security, validated by third-party audits.

Key Takeaways

• Team Collaboration: Frequent communication with the back-end developer minimized integration issues and kept the project on track.
• User Feedback: Iterative testing with doctors improved portal usability, such as adding shortcuts for common tasks.
• Brand Flexibility: Modular CSS and ACF ensured brand consistency while supporting future updates.

Tools and Technologies Used

• Front-End: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, WordPress, ACF, GSAP
• Design: Figma, Adobe Photoshop (image optimization)
• API Integration: Axios, REST API
• Testing: Lighthouse, BrowserStack, Jest (React components)
• Hosting: WP Engine

Client Testimonial

“The front-end developer perfectly captured our brand while delivering a secure and intuitive doctor portal. The website is easy to manage, and the project has positioned us well for growth.”
– Anonymous Client Representative

Conclusion

This project demonstrated the impact of combining creative front-end design with technical precision to deliver a WordPress website meeting aesthetic, functional, and regulatory needs. By aligning with the client’s brand, prioritizing security, and fostering collaboration, the front-end developer helped launch a telehealth platform that enhanced user experience and operational efficiency.