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Discovery
Design
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Discovery
The Idea
Founded in 2005, SERMO started as a small virtual “doctor’s lounge” and has since grown into the largest social network for physicians in the US, with over 343,000 members and an expanding global presence. The Latin term Sermo means “conversation” or “discussion,” and the platform lives up to its name by providing a space where doctors from around the world can connect, collaborate, and share ideas.
“The goal of SERMO is to bring healthcare together globally,” explains Jamie Fernandes, VP of Product. “But it’s more than just Facebook for doctors. We wanted it to be a place where physicians could discuss politics affecting medicine, share cases they hadn’t encountered before, and collaborate across specialties.”
As part of its international expansion, SERMO recognized the need for a more mobile-centric approach. "We knew that in many countries, physicians primarily accessed the internet through mobile devices, so a mobile-first strategy was key,” says Fernandes. An existing app was in place, but it was outdated and didn’t meet the needs of a modern, social network-driven experience. To achieve their vision, SERMO needed a new app that would be central to their global growth, focusing on features like an activity feed to streamline engagement.
Design
UI Design
Designing a mobile app for physicians presented unique challenges. “We wanted the app to feel familiar, like other social networks, but we also had to consider that physicians are used to more formal interfaces, like forms,” explains John Gurman, SVP of Technology. “It took a couple of months to nail down the design, but achieving full functionality took around six months due to the complexity of features.”
The new app introduced an activity feed that aggregated user-generated content, client-provided materials, and actionable items like surveys. This feature was critical in driving engagement and allowing physicians to participate in real-time discussions, vote on medical trends, and offer their expertise in return for honoraria. “The feed had to bridge the old world of formal forms with the new, more dynamic social media interactions physicians weren’t as familiar with,” says Fernandes.
Other key features included following popular posts, viewing comment threads, and participating in real-time medical polls. Ensuring responsiveness on mobile devices while managing a large volume of content was a challenge, but the team at Rocket Farm Studios worked closely with SERMO to overcome these hurdles.
Development
The development phase required a flexible and adaptive approach, as the project’s scope frequently evolved. “This was a green field effort for us, meaning challenges popped up all the time,” says Fernandes. “Rocket Farm did a great job reacting to changes in requirements and scope. They quickly adapted, and we saw real progress as they partnered with us closely.”
One major task was integrating the activity feed, which aggregated a variety of content types while maintaining smooth, responsive performance across devices. Rocket Farm also ensured that the app could seamlessly support real-time voting and survey participation, as well as providing physicians with a way to earn honoraria through their expertise.
Technology Used
Native iOS and Android Development
Real-time Content Aggregation
Responsive Activity Feed
Secure Voting & Survey Functionality
Grow
Where are they now?
The SERMO app has become a vital tool in connecting physicians worldwide, enabling them to share knowledge and collaborate more effectively. The app continues to grow in functionality and reach, contributing to SERMO’s vision of creating a global community of healthcare professionals.
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