Build something together.

Homepage of the American Osteopathic Association website with the message 'You take care of patients. We take care of you.' and four healthcare professionals walking down a hallway.
Information architecture
Web Design
SEO Audit
UX Research
User Interviews
Personas & User Flows
Custom Portal Development
Open-Source CMS Implementation
Industry
Healthcare
Year
2016
Projects Completed
Board Certification Sites
Market Research & Digital Strategy
Member Site
Member Portal
Doctor pointing to a spinal model with a pen during a patient consultation or medical explanation.
A Long-term partnership on a mission

The American Osteopathic Association is dedicated to advancing the philosophy and practice of osteopathic medicine. As long-term partners, we’re dedicated to empowering that mission through digital engagements and strategies to grow their reach and improve the online experience for their members.

Three smiling medical professionals in white coats walking and talking on a city sidewalk.
The Challenge

Becoming the resource members need.

The AOA exists to serve their 145,000+ osteopathic physicians and students. They provide student preparation materials, continuing education opportunities, board certifications, and a suite of professional resources. Their board certification process was complicated and incohesive, and they needed to improve design and functionality across all boards. They also wanted to overhaul their membership site to be the resource members deserve, starting with research into what members actually need.
Wireframes for the AOA certification homepage with headline promoting osteopathic medicine and a button to find medical specialties.
The Process

Combining 27 sites into one platform.

Serving as the certifying organization for all 27 boards of osteopathic specialties, the AOA had 27 independent websites, without cohesive branding or user experiences. We designed and built a multi-site platform, with a central website to serve as the jumping off point for students to find a specialty. We then created a highly functional and flexible universal template for all 27 boards to have their own websites while maintaining a unified presentation.
AOA homepage section with welcome message and quick links for students, residents, and physicians.

Creating an experience with members, for members.

To continue enhancing the member experience, the AOA wanted to better understand what their members needed. The goal was to redesign the membership site, osteopathic.org, involving real users in the process. We conducted an in-depth market research project, including 30+ interviews of 7 different stakeholder groups, UX & SEO audits and analyses, user personas and journey mapping. This research resulted in our recommendation for a new information architecture.
Dashboard view of the AOA site showing committee list and recent notifications for board members.

Implementing our insights.

Taking all these new insights into account, we created a more targeted user experience. We accounted for thousands of pages of content to cater the experience to different subsects of the AOA’s audience. With a modern design and build, we enhanced the overall branding and functionality of the site. The new templates are modular, allowing for easy, flexible updates while staying true to the integrity of the design.
Top navigation menu and notification panel of the AOA website showing user profile and recent board updates.

Building a member portal.

For members to get the most out of this resource, we designed and developed a custom portal that allows them to log in, view documents, manage calendars, and edit profiles. Now, they can customize and save their information all in one place.
News articles and updates from the American Osteopathic Association on topics including cannabis, student debt, and aging.

Design in service of content.

Above all, the AOA’s websites are content-heavy resources for their members. The biggest transformation with our designs is an experience that caters to the content rather than gets in the way of it. With subtle, thoughtful elements and animations throughout, the sites look as good as they function. All complexity is hidden from the user to get them the information they need as quickly as possible.
The Process

Combining 27 sites into one platform.

Serving as the certifying organization for all 27 boards of osteopathic specialties, the AOA had 27 independent websites, without cohesive branding or user experiences. We designed and built a multi-site platform, with a central website to serve as the jumping off point for students to find a specialty. We then created a highly functional and flexible universal template for all 27 boards to have their own websites while maintaining a unified presentation.

Creating an experience with members, for members.

To continue enhancing the member experience, the AOA wanted to better understand what their members needed. The goal was to redesign the membership site, osteopathic.org, involving real users in the process. We conducted an in-depth market research project, including 30+ interviews of 7 different stakeholder groups, UX & SEO audits and analyses, user personas and journey mapping. This research resulted in our recommendation for a new information architecture.

Implementing our insights.

Taking all these new insights into account, we created a more targeted user experience. We accounted for thousands of pages of content to cater the experience to different subsects of the AOA’s audience. With a modern design and build, we enhanced the overall branding and functionality of the site. The new templates are modular, allowing for easy, flexible updates while staying true to the integrity of the design.

Building a member portal.

For members to get the most out of this resource, we designed and developed a custom portal that allows them to log in, view documents, manage calendars, and edit profiles. Now, they can customize and save their information all in one place.

Design in service of content.

Above all, the AOA’s websites are content-heavy resources for their members. The biggest transformation with our designs is an experience that caters to the content rather than gets in the way of it. With subtle, thoughtful elements and animations throughout, the sites look as good as they function. All complexity is hidden from the user to get them the information they need as quickly as possible.
Wireframes for the AOA certification homepage with headline promoting osteopathic medicine and a button to find medical specialties.
AOA homepage section with welcome message and quick links for students, residents, and physicians.
Dashboard view of the AOA site showing committee list and recent notifications for board members.
Top navigation menu and notification panel of the AOA website showing user profile and recent board updates.
News articles and updates from the American Osteopathic Association on topics including cannabis, student debt, and aging.
The Solution

We love solving hard problems with great people. That’s exactly what our partnership with the AOA has afforded us. Working through tough technical challenges, addressing user concerns, balancing stakeholder priorities, and pushing the brand forward, we’ve launched some incredible sites. We’re honored to help advance the AOA’s mission and can’t wait to see what comes next.

Certification Sites

American Osteopathic Association homepage featuring mission statement, student and physician pathways, latest news articles, member benefits, and testimonials.
Custom WordPress multisite build, with admin login functionality across 28 sites
Improved navigation and information architecture across sites
Integrated with internal CBMS system for users to login, apply, and pay
Modernized design with an updated color scheme, typography, and design elements
  • Incorporated anatomy artwork and sketches
  • Personalized with humanized content, testimonials

Member Sites

Custom WordPress multisite build, with admin login functionality across 28 sites
Improved navigation and information architecture across sites
Integrated with internal CBMS system for users to login, apply, and pay
Modernized design with an updated color scheme, typography, and design elements
  • Incorporated anatomy artwork and sketches
  • Personalized with humanized content, testimonials
AOA Board Certification landing page highlighting osteopathic philosophy, certification pathways, featured news, specialty boards, and physician testimonials.
The Results
200%
increase in new users in first year post-launch
14%
decrease in bounce rate
54%
increase in conversion rate
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