NovaCare Designing a Transparent, Trustworthy UX for Allergy Patients
Overview
A pharmaceutical company specializing in allergy treatments needed a patient-facing website that conveys transparency in research, medication offerings, and patient resources. The site was designed to align with their digital marketing efforts and serve as a trusted reference for doctors and patients.
Stakeholders requested a clear, engaging, and user-friendly design that departs from traditional clinical aesthetics while maintaining trust and professionalism.
Role
Product Designer
Skills
User Research
Competitive Analysis
Wireframing
Prototyping
Info Architecture
UI Design
Know the User
Patients and caregivers feel overwhelmed. The barrier was not access but confusing language. Medical content often read like jargon or sales copy. Clarity builds confidence. People needed simple, evidence-based content that felt human and easy to follow.
The Goals
Prioritized clear access to medication info by balancing data-driven content with an approachable visual style. Designed to educate without overwhelming, using tools like branded vs. generic comparisons to support decision-making.
Approach
Conducted user interviews, created personas, and performed competitive analysis to uncover user needs. Improved navigation and layout for better readability and quicker access to key information. Balanced aesthetics and usability to create a modern, engaging, and trustworthy experience.
Challenge
Patients often struggle to find clear and trustworthy medical information. Many pharmaceutical websites focus more on marketing than clarity, which erodes user trust. How might we design a site that builds patient confidence while maintaining medical credibility and professionalism?
Solution
I designed a research-backed UX that combines transparency, trust, and usability. The site features clear navigation, patient-centered content, and interactive tools that empower users to make informed medical decisions with confidence.
Still with me?
Let’s Prescribe a better User Experience.
User Interviews & Personas
Through interviews I uncovered three main user archetypes. Each revealed a different balance between clarity trust and convenience which shaped the design approach.
The Practical Decision Maker (Sheldon 42)
Seeks straightforward affordable and unbiased medication information to make confident choices.
The Skeptical Researcher (Robert 62)
Wants comprehensive content that feels credible and visually balanced.
The Convenience Seeker (Tenzin 37)
Relies on trusted sources but values quick online access to simplify research.
Key takeaway
Patients do not want to feel marketed to. They want information that is clear, credible, and accessible to support decision making.
Competitive Analysis
I reviewed GSK, Genentech, Pfizer, and Allergy Therapeutics to see how top pharma brands build trust online. The strongest designs paired structured, research-backed content with simple navigation to boost credibility. I also noticed that while competitors excel at presenting data, they often miss opportunities to empower patients with interactive tools and patient-friendly language.
The big takeaway was clear
Trust comes from more than authority. It comes from clarity and engagement. This insight guided me to design solutions that feel both reliable and approachable
Visual Style Guide
I designed a modern visual system that moved away from the sterile pharma look to build trust through clarity and warmth. The goal was a style that felt approachable, credible, and engaging.
Key design choices:
• Accessible colors to reduce fatigue and ensure inclusivity
• Clear typography for quick scanning and readability
• Reusable components for consistency and speed
• Branded touchpoints for stronger recognition
Users trust designs that feel human, not clinical. This guide became the foundation for a credible. approachable experience.
Designing for Clarity & Trust
Users felt overwhelmed by dense text and outdated visuals on typical medical websites. To address this, I focused on creating a cleaner, more approachable design system.
The muted color palette, clear typography, and structured components improve readability and guide users through content with ease. Each element was chosen to reduce friction, build trust, and support a more human, modern experience.
User Flow & Sitemap
To create a user-friendly experience, we structured the website into three primary pages.
The Homepage serves as the main entry point, highlighting research credibility, product offerings, and key resources.
The Product Page features a searchable list with comprehensive product descriptions and educational content to inform users.
Lastly, the Product Detail Page provides an in-depth breakdown of ingredients, efficacy, and safety warnings, ensuring users can access all necessary medical information with ease.
Why?
By breaking the site into three core pages, we ensured that users could easily navigate between general research, product exploration, and detailed medical breakdowns. This structure prioritizes accessibility and transparency.
Wireframing & Prototyping
Low fidelity wireframes explored layout and content hierarchy to establish a clear flow of information. High fidelity designs built on this foundation using a muted organic palette that balanced approachability with trust. The shift from structure to polish highlighted how thoughtful visual design reinforces clarity and credibility.
Structuring content and testing user flows
Low-Fidelity Wireframes focused on structuring content and testing user flows before investing in visual design.
High-Fidelity Designs refined usability with a professional, modern aesthetic that enhances trust.
Final Design Enhancements
We built trust by removing marketing-heavy visuals and highlighting clear credible content. Educational information was moved to the top of product pages so users quickly found what they needed. Streamlined navigation made the site intuitive and accessible showing that clarity and usability build lasting trust.
Clear, unbiased medical information builds trust
Patients & caregivers can feel overwhelmed by medical jargon and marketing-heavy content. I focused on clear language, intuitive navigation, and an approachable visual style so users can easily find and understand medication information.
Next Step
I would conduct broader usability testing with a diverse group of patients and healthcare providers. Include participants across different age groups and health literacy levels, then iterate based on their feedback.