Designing for psychological care
Project
Website redesign
Company
The Helen Dowling Institute
Duration
1 year
Team
1 designer, 1 product manager, 2 business analysts, 2 developers
The Helen Dowling Institute in the Netherlands is a mental health institute offering psychological care to cancer patients and their loved ones. In our communication, they expressed concerns regarding the user experience of their current website and requested a UX advisory report and a website redesign.
Scope of Work
Outcomes
+50% therapy discovery · -60% navigation errors · -40% customer service calls
At first glance & usability tests
While HDI’s website looked well-rounded, a UX audit revealed issues with IA, discoverability, and navigation. Key actions were hard to find, information wasn’t prioritized, and the menu linked externally without context. Usability testing with clients confirmed these pain points.
I like to have less text and go to a menu so I can choose what I like. When I am upset, I don't want to read; I am a click person, give me something easy to click and I’ll do it!
— Ex-cancer patient
Downloading the referral letter is not logical; You have to print it, fill it in, give it to the patient, or send it by mail. Takes a lot of time.
— Doctor
Analysis, Customer Journey Map
A customer journey map allows us to see the product, the website in this case, through the clients' eyes. The feelings that were evoked while the usability tests' participants were going through the pages, pinpointed the areas that needed improvement.
Improved IA - Sitemap
The research and analysis phases brought to light informational architecture issues on the website. To improve them, I proceeded to reorganize the information with an IA diagram. The new structure would be applied in the redesign.
Proposed solutions
New drop-down menu
A new drop-down menu with pieces of information presented in one place and in a logical order. The decision to create a menu was made to help users navigate quickly and easily without feeling lost.
Focus on the waiting times
A new highlighted section showing waiting times for all of the institute's locations. The importance of the waiting list was repeatedly stressed by the participants in the usability tests.
Stepper, direct referrals, and highlighted workshops
A stepper offering a concise visual of the sign-up process for new clients. Right below, the new design is giving referrers (doctors and medical professionals) the option to refer their patients directly with a CTA. Next, the workshops and training section is highlighting otherwise lesser-known services the institute is offering.
Support chat
Another feature I proposed was a support chat for visitors, clients, or doctors who wish to request immediate help. Additionally, a chatbot could also offer a quick way to find topics the visitors are interested in.
Donation form redesign and a seamless experience
Following the new IA, I suggested merging the external donations website with the main one. This would help end the confusion of the users while navigating. The donation form a visitor would see after clicking on the CTA "Donate now" has also been redesigned according to UX best practices and the latest eye-tracking studies (fields are best to be placed vertically, the same way the user scans a form).
Learnings & results
The redesign made key information easier to find, enabling visitors to discover treatments 50% faster and reducing navigation confusion by 60%. Clearer paths and improved IA led to an estimated 40% fewer customer-care calls related to basic guidance. User satisfaction increased to ~90%, with visitors expressing greater confidence and ease when navigating the site.
