Glascow Health Services
Modernizing a Mental Health Service Website to Drive More Traffic and Attract Diverse Patients
Glascow Health Services, a community-based mental health service in Portsmouth, Virginia, struggled with an outdated website that failed to attract potential clients. The inability to update information resulted in outdated content. My redesign aimed to modernize the site, enhance user experience, and reflect the values and voices of the community, ultimately driving more traffic and empowering the team to better serve their diverse patient base.
Challenge
Prior to this redesign, Glascow Health Services worked with a custom wordpress company. The design suffered from poor user engagement and lacked the ability to easily update content, resulting in outdated information and low traffic.
Results
I redesigned their website in Framer to allow them to update so they could truly reflect the values, and voices of the community – fostering continuous trust, engagement, and empowerment in the healthcare decision-making process.
The Solution: A Modern and Culturally Relevant Mental Health Services Website
Optimized SEO
Implemented a robust CMS system, enabling the team to easily post blogs and news articles, significantly improving search engine optimization.
Increased Traffic
Achieved 92 visitors within the first week of launch, demonstrating immediate engagement and interest in the updated website.
Improved Representation
showcases diverse representation, fostering stronger connections with the community.
“Kai was amazing to work with. I would refer anyone looking to get a redesign or looking for a great new look to her”
Trenton Walker
CEO, Glascow Health Services
How might we improve and modernize Glascow’s website to reach the communities they pledge to serve?
Nationwide, Black Americans face significant disparities in mental health care. These include higher rates of unmet mental health needs and lower access to quality mental health services.
According to the Vermont Department of Health, one in six Vermont adults report poor mental health, with disparities reported among younger adults (26%), adults with lower education or income (21% and 33% respectively), LGBTQ+ adults (31%) and adults with a disability (33%).
Digging deeper into the Portsmouth community needs
A study from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) highlights that community-based interventions, where providers are part of or closely connected to the community, can improve access to mental health care and outcomes.
After speaking to Trenton Walker for our kick-off interview to begin the project, I could see clearly the care and compassion that he exuded for his clinics’ patients and his own community. I found an interview online where he is quoted saying…
“I’m a longtime resident of Portsmouth. I see it every day at the grocery store, at the bank. There’s a need, it’s an unmet need in this community and that’s the reason why we’re here"
– Trent Walker (source)
Walking away from our kick off meeting, I determined my main approach would be…
Always one button away from help
Before getting into wireframing, I plotted out the site map from the original website and decided to simplify navigation by removing 3 pages: FAQ, intake packages, and referral.
The FAQ barely had any content on the original site and I knew the questions could be answered through the services page. Finally the intake packages and referral caused more work for the user than necessary.
In order to streamline and produce an action oriented landing page, I made sure that getting emergency help and scheduling was no-frills and easy.
From Paper to Pixels: Swift and Responsive with Framer
For ideation, I started with initial sketches and then dove directly into Framer. I was able to save valuable time and ensure that all design elements were fully responsive. This method allowed for quick iterations and real-time adjustments, providing a seamless experience from concept to final implementation.
Additionally, Framer's user-friendly interface makes it easy for clients to update and maintain their website, ensuring long-term flexibility and independence. I was able to work successfully with Glascow's writer for the remainder of the project to update the content easily.
Revitalizing Glascow's Brand: Modernization Without Losing Heart
The Glascow team's village approach to their work and the enthusiasm they all had to freshen up their brand exemplified their love for the community. Each team member had a lot of different ideas regarding rebranding.
With the html.to.figma plugin, I was quickly able to import the framer design into figma and experiment with different layouts and colors. From there, I was able to distinguish two main directions from hearing their ideas and inspiration:
I then started redesigning their logo. I presented a few options that balanced modern design elements with their recognizable identity. Ultimately, we selected a logo that featured more accessible colors and a modern font type, enhancing readability and inclusivity.
To complement the new logo, I provided them with an updated simple style guide sticker sheet that included optimized branding colors and fonts, ensuring consistency across all marketing materials. This approach allowed for a refreshed brand image without the need for extensive reprinting, maintaining recognition among previous clients.
The Solution
Enhancing User Navigation
The previous design suffered from poor navigation, with all options cluttered on the sidebar. I wanted to redesign the navigation to be action oriented. Seeking mental health should be worry-free and swift.
In the redesigned version, the navigation is split up for clarity and efficiency. This reorganization significantly improves user experience by providing a more straightforward and effective navigation structure.
Before
• Difficult to find important actions like booking an appointment, causing inefficiency and confusion
After
• Main actions (call, schedule and contact) is prominent
• Emergency hotline is distinct and bright
Before
• The staff information is buried within another page and located at the bottom near the footer
• Stock photos are generic and lack diversity
After
• A preview of the staff bios are available on the home page to establish trust immediately
• Services are featured on the home page as well, and I carefully selected authentic and diverse photos
Final Design and Solution
Empowering Glascow Health Services with Modern Tools
The final solution for Glascow Health Services included the creation and implementation of a CMS blog system and social media highlights, which enabled the team to easily post updates, news, and articles, thus improving their SEO and driving more traffic to the site. I also integrated Google Analytics, providing valuable insights into site performance and user behavior, allowing the team to make data-driven decisions.
Working closely with their writer, we ensured the content was up-to-date, relevant, and engaging. By using Framer, Glascow Health Services regained control of their website, making it easy for them to manage and update the site independently. This not only saved them time and resources but empowers them to continuously improve their online presence and better serve their community.
The Final Design
Client-Centered
• Personalized Care Information: Highlighted treatment goals and care plans that resonate with the unique needs of clients, making it easy for them to find relevant services.
• Accessible Emergency Contact: Ensured the emergency hotline is prominently displayed for immediate access, reinforcing the clinic's commitment to urgent care.
Branding Aligned
• Modern Visual Identity: Updated the logo and overall design to reflect a vibrant, modern aesthetic while maintaining the recognizable elements of the original brand.
• Consistent Branding Materials: Provided an updated style guide and sticker sheet with optimized colors and fonts, ensuring all marketing materials remain cohesive and cost-effective.
Action Oriented
• Streamlined Navigation: Designed an intuitive navigation structure that prioritizes key actions such as booking appointments and accessing emergency services.
• Clear Call-to-Actions: Incorporated prominent buttons and links to guide users towards making appointments and accessing critical information with ease.
Bridging Community with Modern and Inclusive Design
The redesign of Glascow Health Services' website resulted in a modern, user-friendly, and culturally relevant platform that effectively meets the needs of their diverse patient base while enhancing their ability to connect with and serve the Portsmouth community.
“From the beginning, Kai was available and ready to assist our team every step of the way. She fulfilled our project’s requirements, answered any questions we had about our new website, and was quick to resolve our concerns. Updating the blog was a breeze."
Emanuel Perez
Freelance Consultant
Reflections
Dealing with Multiple Voices
One of the significant challenges I faced during this project was managing input from multiple stakeholders. To address this, I realized the necessity of assigning a primary stakeholder voice. This decision helped streamline communication and ensured that the project's vision remained clear and focused. It taught me the importance of having a single point of contact to avoid conflicting directions and maintain project coherence.
Managing Delays and Setting Expectations
Working with a highly impactful clinic like Glascow Health Services meant that delays were inevitable. To mitigate this, I needed to set up clear checkpoints and expectations from the outset. In the future, I would create automated reminders and updates to keep everyone on track. Instead, I got unnecessarily anxious from waiting, and it was a good reminder to practice empathy.
Next Steps: Usability Testing and Traffic Review
Looking forward, the next steps involve conducting thorough usability testing to ensure the new design meets user needs effectively. Additionally, I would plan to review website traffic more closely using the integrated Google Analytics. This will provide insights into user behavior and help identify areas for further improvement. These steps are crucial for validating the redesign's success and ensuring that it continues to serve the community effectively.