5. Agenda Characteristics of health-related sites Elements of visual and user experience design Group crit of top health sites Process – design activities Tips/resources for success Q&A

6. What’s unique about designing for a health-related site?

7. Possible scenarios Consumer user: emotional personal research-mode urgent Professional user: busy urgent research-mode

8. What does the site need to convey? Professional Helpful Trustworthy

9. How can design help?

10. Design gives form. Form influences perception. Perception influences behavior.

11. Elements of visual design on the web Organization of elements on the page (layout) Feedback of interactive elements Colors Type styles and hierarchy Presentation of navigation Tone of voice Choice and use of imagery Identity elements Style of affordances

12. Elements of user experience on the web http://www.jjg.net/elements/pdf/elements.pdf

13. Web as software (applications) Web as linked content

14. Web as software (applications) 15 Driven by databases Developers may create working applications first More about “doing” and less about reading Use of “patterns” is key

15. Web as software (applications) 15 Interaction and UI design play major roles in giving form Interaction and UI design as scaffolding for visual design Designers and developers working closely together Visual design as “skin”

16. Web as linked content 15 Driven by content Designers may be able to do development/ site production More about finding content than contributing (less interactive) Information architecture plays a major role

17. Elements in the context of designing for health-related sites

18. Professional Clear –Presentation of up-front value proposition Consistent –navigation, language, behavior Organized –hierarchical structures for page content and type, restricted color palette Appropriate –imagery that supports content

19. Trustworthy Limited, relevant advertising Appropriate use of professionally designed logo No fake photos Real credentials, appropriately displayed

20. Helpful Appropriate language level Accessible – download time, use of alt tags, use of colors, type sizes appropriate for audience Foreshadowing – UI cues to indicate clickability, other behaviors Transparent structure

21. The elements in practice – how do the top health sites do?

22. 20 Most Popular Health Websites | July 2010 Derived from eBizMBA Rank which is an average of each website's Alexa Global Traffic Rank, and U.S. Traffic Rank from both Compete and Quantcast.AlexaCompeteQuantcast 1.Yahoo! Health (6th last year)Yahoo! Health (6th last year) 2.WebMD.com (1st)WebMD.com 3.NIH.gov (2nd)NIH.gov 4.MedicineNet.com (3rd)MedicineNet.com 5.MayoClinic.com (4th)MayoClinic.com 6.Drugs.com (5th)Drugs.com 7.EverydayHealth (not in top 10) 8.WrongDiagnosis (not in top 10) 9.MedHelp.org (9th) 10.HealthGrades (not in top 10) http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/health-websites

23. Things are changing fast The social aspect of health is changing. Rather than keep information secret, people WANT to share to help others and further cures. Patients are driving change (not Doctors) Lots of activity around design and healthcare – some specialization People are too important to leave out of the process – designing the experience is important

24. Process: how it is done

25. Typical web application/site process 1.business need established and verified 2.user characteristics identified 3.site/application goals set – metrics for success 4.budget/timeframe established 5.content/features identified and documented at a high level 6.goals for visual/UI defined 7.site design – IA, UI and visual 8.usability testing 9.content development/engineering 10.testing/deploying 11.repeat steps as needed

26. Design activities 1.Kickoff confirm business goals, users, metrics for success, deliverables, timeframe/budget, content, user types/personas 2.Up-front research if needed baseline usability testing (test existing site), user observations, interviews 3.Define structure site map wireframe sketches or quick HTML prototype define page templates if CMS/application 4.Define/confirm feature design if application wireframe/schematic sketches prototype usability testing (recommended)

27. Design activities, continued 5.Identity design (would be done concurrently with #3) separate kickoff for identity design unless simple/basic effort 6. Visual design separate kickoff to define requirements for brand presentation creation of 3-4 visual directions applied to sample pages/page templates typically @ 12 templates or page types 7.Create all final deliverables shoot photos, create and specify all graphics, animations document type specifications, page templates color palette, HTML/CSS deliver complete site and/or style guide and image assets

28. Who does what? Visual designer – presentation of content, style, identity, “brand” Information architect – site structure, wireframes, maybe prototype development and testing Interaction designer – feature definition, behaviors (applications), wireframes, maybe prototype development and testing Interface designer – (applications) presentation of functional elements, icon systems, type hierarchy, presentation of data, prototype development and maybe testing Usability professional – assures accessibility, tests task completion, interface, navigation User experience designer – skills in all to some degree. Ideally has deep skill/experience in one. May not have any visual design training. May come from humanities, library science, writing background

29. What to look for in a design professional Visual designer – AIGA affiliation, BFA/MFA in graphic design. Focus on web over print. Work that shows a relationship to your site, ability to communicate clearly about what they provide and their process, capable of putting user needs ahead of visual treatment Information architect – AIA, UPA affiliation, sample wireframes/prototypes for comparable projects. Team skills Interaction designer – IxDA affiliation, degree from a design/architecture program. Possibly computer science background. Ability to demonstrate how their designs help users and solve business problems. Experience doing testing/research.

30. What to look for in a design professional, continued Interface designer – ACM SIG-CHI/UPA/AIGA affiliation. Sample work that fits the scope of your project and is aesthetically appropriate and attractive. Ability to clearly articulate their process Usability professional – UPA affiliation. Demonstrated sensitivity to your particular audience segment and/or site requirements User experience designer – proven track record, relevant client/project list, recommendations from a range of professionals – business leaders, engineers, visual designers. Must have some experience with some form of user research. Affiliation with multiple design-related organizations.

31. Tips and resources

32. A design brief helps get the visual work off to a good start A design brief documents the requirements for the visual design. Design brief content: business need and metrics for success user groups and known characteristics content/features (requirements) budget/timeframe competitors and relative positioning links to sites liked/disliked existing design elements

33. Things to read Don’t Make Me Think - Krug Designing Social Interfaces - Crumlish & Malone Words that Work - Redish Method Cards - IDEO Change by Design - Brown Bringing Design to Software - Winnograd Understanding Healthcare - Wurman Rosenfeld Media books - rosenfeldmedia.com --- Blog: http://www.healthcareinnovationbydesign.com/

34. Thank you! tania@nimblepartners.com