SimplePractice Calendar: Custom Color Tagging for Appointments and Events
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Here's a 1 min TL;DR version.
Designed and implemented a custom color-tagging feature for the events flyout in the SimplePractice calendar, improving event categorization and user clarity.
HealthCare Industry - Practice Management Software
4 weeks
Product Manager
Product Designer (Me)
Engineering Team - 6 people
Marketing Team
Product Design Intern
Summer Intern and Fall Co-op 2025
what did i do?
To help users quickly distinguish between different event types, I introduced a custom color-tagging system to the calendar’s events flyout, making scheduling more intuitive and visually organized.
why was it done?
To make scheduling more intuitive for clinicians and clients by reducing visual clutter, improving calendar readability, and allowing faster recognition of event types.
the impact?
TBD
what did i learn?
Learned how small visual cues can transform user workflows, and how to balance functionality with aesthetic simplicity to create a seamless, color-accessible interface.
About Simple Practice Calendar:
The SimplePractice Calendar is used by therapists, clinicians, and wellness professionals to schedule, manage, and track client appointments, all in one place within their EHR platform, accessible on both web and mobile.
16M+ clients
Voted #1 EHR Software of the year
225,000+
Practioners Listed as of 2025
95 million
therapy sessions attended/delivered
what was the problem?
Originally, all events in the calendar appeared in a uniform grey color, regardless of type or purpose. While functional, this design made it hard for users to quickly distinguish between sessions, personal events, cancellations, or reminders, especially when managing packed schedules.
Users often mentioned that the calendar felt “monotone” and “visually heavy,” forcing them to rely on text instead of quick color cues.
so then we decided to solve this by…
Making the calendar visually intuitive by enabling users to categorize and identify event types at a glance reducing cognitive load and improving scheduling efficiency.
process at a glance:
User insights - Reviewed user feedback and customer support reports highlighting confusion with event differentiation.
Ideation & exploration — Explored various approaches such as icons, labels, and color cues.
Solution direction — Chose custom color tagging as it offered flexibility while maintaining calendar cleanliness.
Design & iteration — Prototyped and tested color combinations to ensure accessibility and alignment with the brand palette.
Developer handoff — Created scalable design tokens and documentation for consistent implementation.
Interviews and Ideation
During ideation phase, we realised 2 potential solutions -
OR
Did some quick prototypes for emoji tagging and tested it with few users
User testing : Emoji Tagging felt fun and expressive, but testers found it inconsistent and harder to scan at a glance.
Users preferred color tagging over emojis for its clarity and consistency, so we moved forward with the color-based solution.
The events flyout, which previously included only the date, location, and memo, would now include colour tags as well.
then we looked at how everyone else was handling it
Worked on design explorations and multiple flows
Following several iterations of flow architectures and design concepts, we chose..
Proj handoff
My learnings from this:
Working on the color tagging feature taught me the power of observation, empathy, and iteration in UX design. Even small changes, like introducing color-coded tags instead of relying on emojis, can make a big difference in how users perceive and interact with a product. I learned the importance of testing multiple solutions, listening carefully to user feedback, and being willing to pivot when something does not work as expected. Beyond just functionality, this project reminded me that thoughtful design creates clarity, delight, and a smoother experience for users, and that every tiny decision contributes to a product that feels intuitive and human-centered.