CASE STUDY

An app for a beauty clinic: Ela Alzami gets an app of her own

Ela Alzami sees clients only at her own clinic, and her clients are used to managing everything from the phone. We built her a branded app that installs in one tap from the home screen: a home screen, upcoming appointments, four-step booking, a client card and offers, on Android and iPhone.

Ela Alzami, EA Beautician
Skin and beauty clinic
Android and iOS
Hebrew, right-to-left
Logicode, a software development company in Haifa

01. Background and challengeFrom booking by message to booking in a tap

Ela Alzami runs an independent skin and beauty clinic. In her daily routine every appointment goes through messages, calls and a paper diary or the phone. That works while there are few clients, but once the clinic grows, appointments collide, clients forget, and hours go on scheduling instead of treatments.

She was not looking for another brochure site. She wanted her clients to hold the clinic in their pocket: open it from the home screen, see their next appointment, book a new one and receive their benefits, all in Hebrew, in the right direction and without dealing with downloads. We had already developed Ela’s website and booking system, and the app was built on top of them.

The challenges we defined together:

  • A real app experience: not a shrunken web page, on both Android and iPhone.
  • Short, safe booking: one that ends in a confirmation and not in another phone call.
  • Protecting client details: in line with the Privacy Protection Law, including Amendment 13.
  • Simple maintenance: no version management, app stores or development fees for every update.

02. The solutionEight screens, one continuous experience

We built Ela an app that accompanies the client from the moment of installation to the next appointment. Every screen is designed for a phone in one hand, with a top bar, a bottom navigation bar and thumb-sized buttons, and it keeps the clinic’s design identity.

Below are the eight screens, on iPhone and on Android. The images are taken from real screens of the system, with fictitious demo data.

03. Behind the scenesOne code base, privacy built in

One code base serves everything. The website, the booking system and the app were built as one system, in clean code written from scratch by developers, with no ready-made templates and no dozens of plugins. So an appointment booked in the app appears automatically on the site and in Ela’s admin board, and there is no synchronisation that can slip.

The look of an app once installed. In the browser the client sees the regular site. When she installs it and opens it from the home-screen icon, the interface switches to full screen with a top bar and a bottom navigation bar that adapt to the device’s safe areas: the notch, the rounded corner and the iPhone home bar. The colours and fonts are kept as approved on the site.

Four-step booking. Choose a treatment, choose a day and time from genuinely free slots, fill in details and confirm. The appointment is saved as a request for Ela’s approval, and the client receives a confirmation email and can add the appointment to her calendar.

Privacy built from the inside. The system has a consent log that records every consent given, and a privacy centre where the client sees her history and can request deletion of data in one tap. On the admin side there is a screen for deletion requests. The forms are protected from spam and bots, and everything is adapted to the requirements of the Privacy Protection Law, including Amendment 13.

04. InstallationHow to install, without an app store

  • On Android: open the site in the browser, tap “Install app” or “Add to home screen” in the menu, and confirm.
  • On iPhone: open in Safari, tap the share button and choose “Add to Home Screen”.
  • The icon appears at once on the home screen, with no download, no waiting for store approval, and the latest version is always available.

05. The resultWhat Ela received

  • A branded clinic app on the clients’ home screen, on Android and iPhone, from one code base.
  • Automatic four-step booking, replacing the manual enquiries to arrange the time.
  • An admin board where she sees, approves and manages all appointments and clients from one place.
  • Privacy protection built into the system and not bolted on afterwards.
  • One digital asset to maintain, with no extra cost for two app stores.

What does an app for a beauty clinic include?

An app for a clinic should do one thing well: spare the client and the owner the messages around an appointment. For Ela Alzami it includes a welcome screen with sign-in and registration, a home screen with the next appointment and the current offer, a treatment catalogue, a choice of day and time from genuinely free slots, a list of appointments with history, appointment details and a personal client card. Booking takes four steps and ends in a confirmation, and the appointment is saved as a request that Ela approves from the admin board.

The app was built on the same system as Ela’s website and booking system, so an appointment booked in it appears at once on the site and on the admin board, with no synchronisation between systems. That is how we approach all app development for a business: start from what clients actually do and only then choose the screens.

How do you protect client privacy in a clinic app?

A clinic holds personal details, so privacy is built into the system from the start and not bolted on afterwards. Ela’s system has a consent log that records every consent given, and a privacy centre where the client sees her history and can request deletion of data in one tap. On the admin side there is a screen for deletion requests, and the forms are protected from spam and bots. All of it is adapted to the Privacy Protection Law, including Amendment 13. Client data also calls for hosting and security at a high standard.

An app installed from the home screen or an app in the stores?

Ela’s app is installed straight from the website: on Android you choose “Install app”, and on iPhone “Add to Home Screen” from Safari. The icon appears at once, there is no waiting for store approval and no manual version updates, and the client always gets the latest version. This suits a business whose clients return and whose main needs are appointments, a client card and benefits.

When you need a presence in the stores or deeper access to the device hardware, you develop an app published in the stores. We took that route in the Bakes Android app. The choice between the approaches is made together, according to the business need.

Further reading

// FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the app in the app stores?
No, and that is an advantage: there is no waiting for store approval, no fees and no version updates to install by hand. The client installs from the website itself and always gets the latest version.
How do you know it looks good on every device?
The interface is adapted to different phone screens and to the safe areas of Android and iPhone, and the code goes through automated tests with every release.
Can the same approach be used in my business?
Yes. A branded app suits clinics, bakeries, studios, coaches and any business whose clients return. You can arrange a short meeting and tailor the app to the needs of your business.
How is the app installed?
On Android you open the site in the browser, tap “Install app” or “Add to home screen” and confirm. On iPhone you open it in Safari, tap the share button and choose “Add to Home Screen”. The icon appears at once, with no download.
What happens to an appointment booked in the app?
The appointment is saved as a request for Ela’s approval, and the client receives a confirmation email and can add it to her calendar. The appointment appears automatically on the site and on the admin board, because everything runs on a single system.
How is client privacy protected?
The system has a consent log, a privacy centre where the client can request deletion of data in one tap, and a screen for deletion requests on the admin side. The forms are protected from spam and bots, and everything is adapted to the Privacy Protection Law including Amendment 13.

Want a branded app for your business?

We do not build sites, we develop them. A software development company from Haifa with human developers and clean code written from scratch. Tell us about your business and we will come back with an accurate proposal.