Overview
I was the UX lead on an interdisciplinary team at DDB New York to redesign www.effient.com, the website for an oral antiplatelet drug that helps prevent blood clots inside of a stent and arteries of the heart. The client was looking to simplify the navigation and organization of their website while also designing a cleaner and more modern aesthetic. They were also looking to increase signups for savings coupons and the patient support program, since it was known that patients who had done so were more likely to adhere to their daily medication.
My Role
I performed a content audit and conducted a small card sort study to arrive at a new information architecture and sitemap. I also wrote the tasks for a hybrid usability-desirability test and analyzed and reported on the results. I then created a comprehensive set of wireframes and interaction flows based on user and client feedback. Once page comps were approved, I created a clickable high fidelity prototype as stimuli for a second usability test. Afterward, I created a functional requirements specification document and related interaction flows for the developers.
Challenges
The legal constraints of pharmaceutical advertising can be frustrating for any designer looking to create a clean and fresh design with minimal visual clutter. In an industry with so many complicated layers of bureaucracy, it is also no surprise that clients are less likely to embrace change. I believe that having a curious, open mind helped me ask the right questions that uncovered the real requirements, and opened up solutions that were more user-friendly than a typical pharma website.
Outcome
Our biggest accomplishment was a streamlined site architecture that managed to align with both the patient journey and the brand’s goals. We knew that Effient is most commonly prescribed immediately after a heart attack, perhaps while the patient is still in the hospital. That is, most patients do not seek out Effient prescriptions – it is something that happens to them. We also learned that many patients stop taking Effient as soon as they feel better, thinking that aspirin alone can prevent clots and future heart events.
We therefore prioritized content about recovery, why the patient was prescribed the drug, and why it is important to adhere to their treatment regimen. Content about their prescription – how it works, how to take it – came second but is still very easy to find due to its placement in the navigation and through callouts throughout the website.
I was also able to design simpler and more helpful program and coupon registration pages. For users not eligible for certain services, rather than offering a dead end error page, I listed alternative services. I also designed pages that promote the bundling of services in the attempt to increase adherence to treatment as well as brand loyalty in preparation for loss of exclusivity.