Challenge
As a network of 14 different facilities, each with individual content requirements, we needed to develop a strong and intuitive IA that would structure content into predictable locations and allow room for growth. We also needed to develop a durable, responsive design that would be able to withstand content of different lengths while maintaining the integrity of the brand across each site.
Discovery
We started the project with a discovery meeting with CHS stakeholders and representatives from member hospitals and facilities. We developed an exercise to help determine key user types and their goals. For each user type, participants were asked to create a list of tasks that the user would accomplish on their respective site. We then collected and grouped these tasks into a prioritized list to establish menu labeling and hierarchy.
Information Architecture
Interactive high fidelity wireframes were created to show how reusable components would be used to assemble a page. The prototype also showed how the UX changed to meet user expectations on mobile. We learned through analytics that mobile users accessing the hospital sites are not browsing “about” type pages with lots of copy. Those pages were used in a research mode context where they had more time to read. Mobile users are looking for things like Find a Doctor, Locations, information that they could act on immediately.
