HXN
HLTH, renowned for hosting the healthcare industry’s most innovative annual conference, expanded its business model in 2017 with the creation of Health Expert Network (HXN). HXN provides multiple avenues for HTLH conference attendees to connect and interact with colleagues and industry leaders throughout the entire year, in addition to the annual HLTH conference. HXN required a unique brand identity, website, and marketing materials that would leverage existing brand equity of HLTH while communicating a distinct value proposition and presence.
Role: UI/UX designer, identity
Process: brand strategy, qualitative research, personas, competitive analysis, information architecture, low-fi & hi-fi prototyping
Tools: Adobe XD, Adobe Illustrator, WordPress
<span data-metadata=""><span data-buffer="">Research insights
By working closely with the project manager, marketing team, and sales lead, I helped define the value proposition for HXN’s target audience starting with a creative brief. Part of this required finding a balance between HXN’s parent entity, HLTH, while creating a familiar yet new, professional, modern, and community-oriented network. HXN would provide a more niche service or a younger audience.
Personas
Our key users were young professionals and older experts in the healthcare industry. These individuals likely attended HLTH or were close with someone who did. They were struggling to solve a business issue or wanted to share their knowledge after years of experience.
<span data-metadata=""><span data-buffer="">Competitors
HXN was not the first networking platform of its kind. I needed to find a way of distinguishing HXN from its competitors and seeing what each company was doing to attract visitors. Each competitor felt old and tired like their websites had not been updated in years. This was an opportunity for HXN to stand out.
User journey
I was able to talk with former HLTH attendees interested in a service like HXN. I used these discussions to determine what was important to these clients and how the website and subsequent dashboard could direct them to their needs. The user personal follows Casey. Casey is an industry expert in diabetes research. They discover HXN while attending a HLTH conference and then again while talking to a friend. After some contemplation, they decide to check out the website and see what HXN can offer.
Information architecture
I worked with marketing to write text and decide how information could be grouped. I wanted to make a user’s journey clear through the website and used the information architecture to make sure navigation was simple for users.
Wireframes
After the marketing team and I wrote and chunked the content, I started the layout and general design. I refined the website through a collaborative, iterative process going from initial sketches to clear, user-friendly sections that promoted active engagement. I took what I learned from the user journey to place information along the page based on their needs.
<span data-metadata=""><span data-buffer="">Defining the look of HXN
I used the sharp diagonal lines of HXN’s “x” as a common pattern throughout the website. HXN was an up-and-coming company and should show youth and professionalism. I took the disparate brand elements of the company to create a vision for the website.
Final design
HLTH’s final design focuses on dynamic lines, monochrome images, simple but colorful icons and clean text. The diagonal angle seen in the “X” in HXN inspired the diagonal motif throughout. Users should leave the website understanding that HXN is an edgy, savvy company that delivers for its clients.
