'This is such a handy app...It really encourages students to take initiative'

Posted on: 18 October 2024 in Meet our Team

Get to know our Mobile Application Development team through one of their more recent projects, the Vets Personal Formulary (VPF).

Showcasing the team’s talent for collaboration with departments across the University, they have delivered an intuitive design system to radically improve the student learning experience. Pharmacology is a vital but challenging module for our vet students. In line with the values of Liverpool 2031, IT Services is committed to providing innovative solutions to our University community, VPF aims to do just that.  

What is the VPF app?  

The Vets Personal Formulary is a mobile app designed specifically for vet students. It’s a personal digital resource that makes recording and accessing drug information easier than ever. Over the course of your degree, you'll be building a massive collection of knowledge. This app gives you a structured way to organise it all, even while you’re on the go!  

How Does It Work?  

With the app, you can create your own personal formulary—a custom database of drugs, organised and accessible right from your phone. Although the custom drug add feature has been postponed for the first release, you can expect it in an update soon, making the app even more tailored to your needs.  

Why Should You Use It?  

This app solves the problem of managing the huge amount of pharmacology information vet students need to handle. With structured notetaking, you can stay organised and refer to your formulary at any time—even offline, perfect for when you’re out in the field or without Wi-Fi.  

Why Is It Important for IT Services?  

Resurrecting this app gave us the chance to breathe new life into an old, much-loved resource. We’ve modernised it, aligning the colour scheme with the vet school’s theme, and improved the overall user experience. It’s not just a win for vet students—it also strengthens our relationship with the vet school, providing a valuable resource to support your studies.  

What Can You Expect from the Interface?  

The app’s clean, modern design now matches the vet school’s signature green, ensuring it feels like a natural extension of your study tools. It’s simple, functional, and tailored to meet the needs of busy students.  

Testing and Feedback  

Earlier this year, we conducted small-scale user testing, and while we haven’t received feedback from long-term users (as they’ve now graduated), we’re gearing up to share the beta version with some year 3 students. Their feedback will be invaluable in refining the app even further!  

Where Can You Get It?  

Available on both the App Store and Play Store, exclusively for vet students with MWS login credentials. You’ll be able to download it for free, whether you’re in your first year or your final stretch of the course.  

What’s Next?  

In the longer term, we have big plans! We’ll be adding more features, including a content management system (CMS) that will allow teaching staff to upload new drugs and review student-submitted content. It will also include quizzes for students to further support learning. This could not have been achieved without the help of our Software Engineering team who have been vital to our work on the CMS. 

This app is set to be a game-changer for students and staff alike, serving as an accessible learning tool and innovative solution for student engagement. And yes, it’s much more complex than we initially anticipated with a fair few curve balls thrown at us, but it’s all been worth it!  

Happy studying with your new personal formulary!  

Want to learn more about the team? 

Check out our app directory for everything we’ve published, these apps are the perfect way to simplify navigating University life. 

If you’re a student, we’d highly recommend joining our Student Digital Engagement Group (StuDEG). This group was created to give students the opportunity to get involved with user testing. Our student community are often our customers so having feedback from you is essential for creating the best possible applications to meet your needs. If this is something that would interest you, sign up now and receive incentives for your opinions on our latest iterations. This is a great opportunity to learn about app development, our users are at the centre of everything we do, and testing is an excellent way to gain insight into how we refine our products following this stage. 

We have some exciting projects ahead of us, you can stay up to date with our latest releases by following IT Services on X, Instagram and LinkedIn. You can also receive updates straight to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter, YOUR I.T. Insight. If you’re a member of staff who would like support with a future project, please make your request via the IT Service Desk.