Not every eDetailer project starts from a blank screen. Sometimes the presentation already exists, its brand look is settled and its navigation is established. The job is to add to it without breaking what is already there.
This eDetailer enhancement case study covers that kind of project. A leading global pharmaceutical company needed its existing eDetailer extended with several new interactive flows and animations. The new content had to look and behave as if it had always been part of the presentation. As the work progressed, some existing features began to break. That turned a feature project into an enhancement-and-stabilisation project, and regression testing became as important as the new build.
This page is different from our other eDetailer work. Our ground-up multi-market eDetailer build started from scratch. Our multilingual eDetailer project focused on localisation. Here the task was to extend an existing eDetailer and keep it stable.
The challenge
The brief was clear on one point: the existing eDetailer's visual identity, design system and user experience were established and had to stay that way. Any new work had to fit inside them.
The requirement had three parts:
- Add multiple new flows to the existing presentation.
- Build animations for those new flows, in keeping with the existing design and visual theme.
- Leave existing functionality undisturbed, including the established navigation patterns and interactions.
The hardest part appeared during development. As new functionality went in, several existing features started breaking. An eDetailer is a tightly connected set of screens, scripts and interactions, and a change in one place can affect behaviour somewhere else. So a second requirement emerged mid-project: detailed regression testing and functional stabilisation of the existing experience.
The team had to balance two kinds of work at once. They had to keep building the new flows and keep repairing what those changes had disturbed. They also had to fix those issues without altering the user experience the client wanted to protect.
What we built
The output was an enhanced version of the client's existing eDetailer. It was not a redesign or a rebuild. The work covered:
New interactive flows
We added multiple new interactive flows to the presentation. Each followed the existing design and visual theme, so the new screens sit alongside the original content as part of the same experience.
Animations for the new flows
We developed animations for the new flows, built to fit the existing visual theme. Consistency mattered more than novelty. The goal was for the new sections to feel native to the presentation.
Preserved navigation and user experience
The existing user experience and navigation patterns were kept intact. Anyone familiar with the original eDetailer should be able to move through the enhanced version the same way.
Fixes to existing functionality
We identified the areas where existing functionality was breaking and fixed them. Each fix respected the established experience, so we repaired behaviour rather than redesigning it.
Pixel-level UI refinement
We refined the interface at pixel level so that new and existing screens matched the established design. For more on how we approach this, see our guide to pixel-perfect design to code.
Technology: HTML5, JavaScript / jQuery, interactive eDetailer technologies and animation implementation, all working within the client's existing eDetailer framework.
How we delivered it
A cross-functional development and QA team worked on the project. It covered the enhancement work, animation, functionality fixes and final quality validation. Because the main risk was regression, testing was not left to a single pass at the end.
The delivery approach came down to a few practices:
- Detailed functional regression testing. As new flows were added, we re-tested the existing functionality to catch anything the changes had affected.
- Identifying broken existing functionality. We pinpointed which existing features were breaking so each one could be addressed.
- Fixing without changing the experience. Repairs were made so that the established user experience stayed as the client expected.
- Pixel-perfect UI validation. We checked new and existing screens against the established design.
- Animation and interaction testing. We tested the new animations and interactions alongside the existing ones, so that the whole presentation behaved consistently.
- Multiple QA cycles. We ran testing and fixing in repeated rounds, not as a single pass.
- Final end-to-end validation. Before delivery, we validated both the new flows and the existing functionality from end to end.
This approach matters for any team extending an existing eDetailer. Adding features is usually the visible part of the work. Keeping everything else working is the part that decides whether the enhanced presentation can be handed over with confidence. If you are weighing up an outside partner for this kind of work, our guide to eDetailer outsourcing for pharma agencies covers what to look for.
The result
The client's existing eDetailer was enhanced with multiple new flows and animations, and its established design and user experience were preserved.
The existing functionality issues that surfaced during the work were identified and resolved. The final experience then went through pixel-perfect validation and comprehensive QA before delivery. Both the new additions and the original functionality were validated before handover.
In practical terms, the client received:
- New interactive flows and animations consistent with the existing presentation
- An unchanged user experience and familiar navigation
- Existing features that had broken during enhancement, now fixed
- A presentation validated end to end across new and existing functionality
For teams that own an eDetailer and need to grow it over time, this is often a more realistic project than a fresh build. The design decisions are already made and the navigation is already established. The value lies in extending it carefully and catching what the changes disturb. For design principles behind presentations reps actually use, see our interactive eDetailer design guide.
You can see more of our pharma and frontend work on our portfolio, or explore the full range of services, including eDetailer development, QA and testing, and maintenance and support.
Extending an existing eDetailer?
If you need to add new flows, content or animations to an existing eDetailer without disrupting what works, we can help. We work under NDA and respond within 24 hours. Book a free consultation to talk through your eDetailer.