Website for mental health professional
wireframing | copy writing | usability testing | analytics
Problem
I was approached by registered psychologist Dr. Adrienne Wang who wanted a new professional website. She expressed in initial discussions that she wanted a website that she could make revisions to herself, worked well on desktops and smartphones, and allowed her to gauge how often it was visited. She wanted the website to inform potential clients about her services and background, and to encourage interested people to contact her. Further, she wanted the website to be approachable and not overwhelming.
The main challenges for this project were the client's busy schedule and a visual and emotional feel for the website that was initially hard to articulate.
Process
We identified requirements through a UX competitive analysis, prototyped an initial design and then iteratively refined the design.
My role: I led the user research activities, interaction design, prototyping and deployment. The client led the visual design and drafted the copy (i.e., text). The creation of a logo was outsourced.
Initial requirements: The first step was to understand what content was needed. I began analyzing websites of other similar professionals and discussed with the client what she wanted on her site. Preliminary information architecture and wireframes were then created.
Deployment platform: Next, we decided on a website platform that best fit the requirements and client’s budget. We chose Squarespace because of its ease-of-use in building and updating websites, its selection of attractive and responsive website templates, and basic analytics features.
Prototype: We then created an initial design and quickly created a rough prototype of the website, which included navigation, layout of each page, and draft copy. We showed the prototype to people who were as representative as we could find and solicited feedback on specific aspects of the design and copy. We then revised the prototype based on the feedback.
Iteratively refine: We continued to iteratively test and improve the website until the client was ready to make the website live. Input from target users led to big changes such as changing the tone of the copy to focus more on the needs of user’s needs and state of mind, and removing content and user interface elements that distracted the user from the main information.
Outcome
Dr. Wang’s website has been live since early 2016. The analytics show visits to the site each week. The client has been contacted by many visitors. She also reported feeling like the people who viewed her site and then decided to come for therapy were generally a better fit, particularly in terms of concerns they wanted help with and motivation to invest in treatment.
