Project at a glance.

Organization needs.

Through product/organization research, along with stakeholder interviews, I was able to understand Studio Bahia’s needs, which included:

• The presentation of information will need to pivot from academic language

• The software will do best to be presented as a wellness experience as opposed to a therapeutic treatment

• Content that was engaging should be prioritized

• There would be a negative stigma attached to language around therapy and trauma

User interviews.

Objective.

User interviews were conducted to test assumptions, perceived opportunities, and strategies. The majority of recruited users fell into the general consumer category, with some having overlapping identifiers in the refugee and parent categories.

Users were asked to respond generally to the terms "wellness," the word "therapy," "virtual reality," and "virtual reality technology." They were encouraged to elaborate as much as they felt compelled to.

Finally, we introduced Studio Bahia in concept, asking users what they'd expect to gauge alignment.

Findings.

• Interested in wellness products

• Looking for products to improve their wellness

• Concerned about price

• Interested if other people were using the product

• Looking for health solutions that fit their busy schedules

• Skeptical of a clinical view of wellness, but enjoy hearing about a therapeutic view of wellness

• Like to know background details about their chosen products

• They are willing to give their children the exact products they use as well

Existing site usability testing.

Objective.

Usability testing of the existing site was conducted as the next stage in the research process. The users were given a series of tasks to complete on the original site that aligned with the organizations' goals and then rated on difficulty using a Likert Scale 1-5, 5 meaning they could not complete the task.

Findings.

• Users appreciate the depth and thoughtfulness of the information, but the way it's presented is overwhelming

• There isn't enough information about the headset for users to feel confident purchasing one

• Users want to be able to access content and knowledge and efficiently navigate between pages

• Users value the treatment and therapeutic aspects of this product

• Information about Studio Bahia's business model is not clear

• Information about Studio Bahia is not clear

User persona.

Taking what I learned from user research, I formed the user persona of Raquelle. In doing this, I could visualize who we were trying to reach through the website redesign.

Raquelle is a busy mom working hard to stay on top of her health and that of her family as well. She is no stranger to dealing with trauma and disabilities and finds therapy to be a vital tool. She's skeptical of Western medicine and prefers a more holistic approach when it comes to her healthcare. She wants to manage her health independently and is open to new options/treatments/products that are effective and easy to incorporate into her daily routine.

How might we redesign the website to be accessible for Raquelle to download the VR skill with confidence and little effort?

Competitive and comparative analysis.

Next, I conducted a competitive and comparative analysis to see how others were communicating their approach to healthcare, wellness, and technology, which brought to attention these opportunities and strategies for site development:

• Engaging visuals hook the user.

• Clean, warm, and calming visuals frame therapeutic services in a positive, more approachable way.

• Copy that focuses on solutions and impact vs. problems.

Low-fidelity wireframe.

The low-fidelity wireframes were based on synthesized user research and design patterns found in the competitive and comparative analysis. In addition, with accessibility being of the utmost importance, ADA standards were also considered early in the design process.

In order to improve heuristics, standard design schemes were used for easy recognition. The hierarchy of each page was organized based on what was most relevant to the user, ensuring that as the user scrolled down the page, the vital information appeared first.

Low-fidelity wireframe usability testing.

Objective.

The goal was to visualize and test our design ideas on live users to determine the number of pages per interaction, clarity of information architecture and hierarchy, accessibility of navigation, and availability of information.

Findings.

• Users were concerned about knowing the safety protocols for the product

• Users liked the word “therapy” being used

• Users liked the short sections of information

• Users needed more clarity about how to use the VR experience up front

• Users want to know about the scientific data behind the product

Design system.

Careful consideration went into the creation of the design system, from accessibility to pre-established branding.

• All color contrasts were checked to AAA A11y standards and all button states were physically different for those who use different colored monitors.

• All text in the design is live and able to be read by a screen reader, therefore all images are purely decorative and contain no essential information.

• Diagrams are all presented with images and text together for non-English speaking people.

• Font sizes and weights were checked to ADA standards to be readable for those who have different levels of vision disabilities.

• The site was very shallow, therefore button variation was kept to a minimum.

• At the stakeholder's request, the color scheme was minimalistic. Only the four colors from the pre-established branding were used to complement the logo.

High-fidelity prototype.

The high-fidelity prototype iterations began with the knowledge gained from the usability testing of the low-fidelity wireframe and the establishment of the design system.

Home page.

Software information page.

Aura headset information page.

About page.

The About page highlights Studio Bahia's work, business model, and team members. Users can find contact and donation information at the bottom of the page. The donation process is kept to a simple, one-page pop-up to increase conversion rates.

High-fidelity prototype usability testing.

Findings.

In testing the prototype, there was positive feedback in regards to:

• The clarity and accessibility of site content regarding the experiences, therapy, and the Aura headset

• The engaging quality of the visual style

• The digestibility of content across pages

There was also room for improvement in these areas:

• More depth and information

• More ethos and pathos appeals

• More content regarding non-profit/humanitarian aspects