Pharmaceutical Company: Demystifying CAR T Cell Therapy
THE CLIENT'S INITIAL GOAL
Build an educational website on CAR T cell therapy, a type of immunotherapy that is often used as a last resort, for cancer patients. The final website would be built with the client’s in-house program while another agency developed the content.
WHAT MY DESIGN ACCOMPLISHED
From minimal content, I was able to build an impactful site that aligned not only with a patient’s mental model, but also their support system as well.
MY ROLE
Lead UX/UI Designer
DURATION
Four months
DELIVERABLES
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Patient persona
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High-level wireframes
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Initial build for the final website
Disclaimer: Some artifacts, content, and wireframes have been modified or omitted to comply with client confidentiality agreements (NDAs). Further details can be shared in a confidential interview setting.
Working Backwards
The immediate hurdle was that I was expected to have a design completed before the content was known and without conducting my own research.
I gathered information from client materials, patient support groups, patient testimonials, discussion boards, and my previous work with an oncological organization to support discussions with the client and content agency.
Creating hypothetical, positive reviews about the final site helped the client realize that we needed to consider a patient's support system as well (this could be a loved one, patient advocate, and/or caregiver).
We expanded on the behaviors, motivations, needs, and challenges of all users throughout the CAR T treatment journey. With each step of the journey the client and content agency had to consider things like:
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What should the user expect to happen?
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What should they do or know to be prepared?
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What questions might they have?
Image shows high-level notes from the breakdown of the treatment journey.
I built a hypothetical sitemap in front of the client and content agency during the discussion based on what would best serve all users. When checked against what content was available, we ended up with a clearer sense of the information hierarchy.
Working out from these steps allowed me to have a better sense of how to lead users from the decision to pursue CAR T therapy, through the treatment process, and end with outside resources.
Image shows initial sitemap made during the discussion.
Creating Alignment
Effective collaboration between all three teams could only happen if the content and design aligned to one set of values. From our activities and research we determined that the site needed to:
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Acknowledge a user’s emotional roadblocks.
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Users are often apprehensive about the treatment because they do not have all of the correct facts.
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The CAR T treatment process includes a lot of anxious ‘waiting’ periods.
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Help users prepare for the worst without compromising a positive outlook.
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Users need to know how to communicate and monitor possible side effects or complications.
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Users often do not understand what kind of at-home care they need to secure.
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Users are motivated by hope and the need to be present for major life events.
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Empower users through knowledge.
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Users should feel ‘appointment ready’ for each step of the treatment.
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Having all of the facts before them will allow them to confidently select options and interact with their medical team.
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They need to know what level of care, support, and resources they have access to.
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To drive these user needs home, I made a patient profile and journey map. When these artifacts were presented, the client confirmed that they reflected "a deep, authentic understanding of what patients struggled with."
Images show patient profile and journey map.
Cooking With CAR T
The client's platform to build the site had very limited components and 'quirky' features, which I had the developer test during our discussion period. Although the platform was restrictive, I had always wanted to keep the site simple since most CAR T patients were above the age of 55. I needed to design in a formulaic way that was predictable and approachable for the user.
I thought of common designs that used separate pieces of information like building blocks like a set of instructions or directions.
My design was inspired by the layout of a recipe, which always consisted of a list of ingredients, a sense of cooking time as well as servings, and the actual recipe with helpful images. Each step in the CAR T treatment journey detailed the specific people involved, took certain amounts of time, and needed some preparation.
Image shows wireframe of proposed 'recipe' approach.
Bringing Them to Tears
The final site maximized the small amount of content available, but was modular enough to accommodate future content. One client representative, who worked closely with CAR T patients, was even brought to tears stating that we "demonstrated so much empathy" and our partnership with the content agency was so "thoughtful and professional."
Wireframes show a few of the key screens for the final site. Please note that content is blurred and the final build is withheld for legal reasons. Further details can be shared in a confidential interview setting.
