The Problem

For great and innovative work, it is important to showcase what is happening, why it's needed, who is involved, and what people can gain from it so that the larger purpose is understood. Simply put, the ACC has no digital presence and needed my help to create one. This was an opportunity to elevate a place that is very needed in today's society, create a recognized aesthetic and product, and empower the people working at ACC to re-invent how they tell their story.

Design Process

With every different design project comes new and varying product requirements. In the design process of the ACC digital site, I hit the ground running with multiple client conversations around understanding all of the offerings that ACC included and crafting a story around the desired content to highlight. With a quick turnaround, I first provided fully robust site concepts and designs through a high fidelity working prototype. This was completed to show how large amounts of content could be handled within a multi-flow site. Along with the creation of the designs and conversations about the prototype, I had to learn and research about the best technologies to support our potential site solution. The intention of this site originally was supposed to live on AWS, which was an idea that was embraced, but not yet able to be implemented based on ACC's decision to do a simpler, phase 1 solution with all of the content. This scope change impacted the design process by having to go back to the drawing board and re-designing the entire existing flows to allow for Squarespace implementation. As the designs were being formed and put together, many pieces and elements of the content had to be parsed out and de-constructed from a physical marketing deck. This deck was initially used by ACC to give to cancer patients when they first arrived on-site. Transferring this content into a digital presence took precision and focus to make sure that the designs captured the right information. Along with the information architecture and site structure, the implementation of the full ACC site on Squarespace included a high level of focus on the details, especially when it came to custom UI elements. As part of the process, I had to use my ability of CSS and Javaspcripts within Squarespace to meet design and UI needs. This includes creating custom interactions specific for ACC that does not come with Squarespace templates. With time and precision, the interactions were completed. Once the larger framework of the site designs were delivered, the design process evolved and continued. Even today, there are ongoing and evolving site updates since the launch in early 2020 including a current, active monthly design update.

Solution & Success Measure

The Aquilino Cancer Center site includes content details around its clinical services, cancer research, integrative medicine program, and cancer care team and comprehensive support services. Other features include clear and robust site navigation and an events calendar to help users understanding more about the upcoming events, healing center, programs, and doctors. The site also includes a wide range of content resources around nutrition, holistic wellness practices, and cancer care. The site is still working on learning more about the best marketing strategies to implement, but there was a high visibility turnout in September 2020. The site saw an increase in visits, especially once the calendar feature was implemented, including about 1600 users. With a continuous effort to understand SEO best practices, the measurement of the site's success is still ongoing with large potential to reach a growing audience.