It’s autumn and everything is changing. On a personal level, I’ve gotten a new job here at Avid Design, I’ve gotten engaged, and I’m moving in just a few months. All of these are great and fun things that I’m excited about, but they are big changes and a little bit stressful/scary. But that’s change for you. It’s difficult sometimes, it takes time to get things right, but the end result is really great.

It doesn't have to be this way.

Yes, this is me about relating my planning a wedding and nice-ing up a bachelor pad to redesigning a healthcare website. And my first piece of advice: Don’t let people scare you into thinking that your website redesign is going to be a logistical nightmare. It doesn’t have to be.

1. Be open-minded when you’re dealing with your experts. Come with a firm idea of what you want, but listen to the advice and ideas offered to you and take them into consideration. They’re experienced, and they don’t benefit by leading you astray. They only do well if you’re satisfied with your site.
2. Decide on a look and feel and stick to that. Most hospitals have already established their theme, colors, and how they want to represent themselves to the public. Keep that in mind when you’re working on your videos, content management, widgets/modules, and your different page layouts/themes. Healthcare sites are notoriously busy, but having a consistent look and feel will lead to a more organized and less scattered looking site.
3. Art in Brevity. This is one of my favorite phrases for papers, ceremonies, and websites. Keep your content relevant and to the point. On a patient/client facing website you have about 15 seconds and the span of an iPhone screen to get and retain a person’s attention. Use it wisely.
4. Tackle one thing at a time. Yes, you have a lot of decisions to make. Yes, it will take time to make all of those decisions. It will also probably take about the same amount of time to make those decisions one at a time in a logical order as it will for you to panic and think about all of them at the same time. So take it easy, make a list of your priorities, and go down the list.
5. It’s mostly about you, but it’s important to be a gracious host. It’s important that you get all of your information across, but it’s just as important to convey it in a user-friendly way. That means easy navigation, simple but thorough content, and limiting the amount of content and content types that occur on each page. This will make it easy for your patients/clients to find the information they need and understand it quickly and easily.

All you want is a comprehensive, user-friendly, engaging website that will direct your clients to where they need to go. And all I want is a wedding venue coordinator that doesn’t yell at me for just wanting to marry my best friend then have a nice party with a cake.

AVID Design offers full-scale written and visual communication services for hospitals and healthcare systems, including Web design, SEO and PPC content development and assessment, online video and rich media, analytics and measurement, content management systems and more.

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My fiance and I bought a PS3 this weekend, along with a few games: Lego Harry Potter (because my normal Potter addiction wasn’t nerdy enough, apparently) and Uncharted, because it’s not unlike Tomb Raider, which was my dad’s first and only video game. Predictably, my dad is terrible at this game in every aspect, because Mr. Drake just isn’t an obedient character.

It's important to make your Website clear and easy to use.

This is the story of his life.  My dad hates technology. Well, that’s accurate, but not precise. He loves technology and hates that it seems to defy his will. Video games, the stereo, anything on the internet and especially Facebook, just don’t agree with him. His age is a factor, but it isn’t only people who didn’t grow up with technology that have a hard time using it. Some people just aren’t inclined towards it.

That’s why it is especially important for customer facing sites to make their links and call-to-action/conversion functions very clear and easy to use.

• Big buttons. If you want your customer to contact you, sign up for a newsletter, make an appointment, or anything else on your site, make sure to have an obvious place for them to click on your page to get them where they need (and you want them) to go.

• Simplify your navigation. Make it easy for your customer to get to the main parts of your site and to find the information they’re looking for.

• Don’t overload your customer with too many ideas per page. Pick a page topic, then stick to that one idea. Create different pages for separate but related topics and create a related links list on the page. This allows the customer to find what they are looking for without getting too bogged down.

These things not only make a more pleasant experience for your customer, but it also makes them want to return to your site for other things when they remember that it’s convenient, easy to use, and that it has the information they need in an easily digestible format.

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Hip, hip hooray!

Another one of our healthcare clients that we’ve had the pleasure to work with was recognized and awarded for excellence in healthcare marketing.

The Sedro-Woolley, Washington, based United General Hospital, was recently awarded a 2011 Gold Aster Award for their Web site, www.unitedgeneral.org, that we redesigned for them in order to enhance the perception and importance of their hospital as the area’s only critical access hospital.

Some quick features that we designed, configured and crafted into the award-winning, dynamic Web site included:

• Enhanced aesthetics

• Site conversion areas

• Build out on AVID CMS™

• Optimized content for several core service lines

• Several of AVID’s Best-in-Class Suite of Modules

So, congratulations to United General Hospital and thanks for allowing us to be a part of your award-winning achievement!

AVID Design creates award-winning Web sites for hospitals and healthcare organizations. Contact us today to learn how we can design a potentially award-winning site for you.

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Having a strong brand, or identity, for your hospital (or any business for that matter) is extremely important. One of the most valuable facets of a strong brand is your logo.

Many times people recall visual images and associate a brand with an image (e.g. Nike’s swoosh or the Apple logo), so having a recognizable logo that communicates who your hospital is and impacts your audience, will allow you to stand out amongst your competitors—which is a pretty crucial factor in today’s economy.

Just like your hospital Web site is a marketing tool, your logo is a business tool, and if created with the right elements, your hospital’s visibility and creditability may all improve.

Here are some characteristics to keep in mind when designing an effective logo for your hospital:

• Black and White: Logos should translate well in both black and white because of how it will be displayed in all mediums (Web, print, fax, photocopies), as well as allow for those color blind to view it.

• Clean and Clear: Fit all elements of the logo together to form one, clean and concise unit, rather than have an overload of elements jumbling up the design.

• Memorable: Make your hospital’s logo stick out so once your audience sees it they remember it, for when they need your services.

• Meaningful: Represent and incorporate what your mission is while spreading the word of what your hospital stands for.

• Scalability: Logos must look good and be easily read at every size, from business cards to commercial spots to billboards. Your hospital’s logo must be easily resizable if need be.

• Timelessness: Have a fresh, relevant design that won’t go out of style.

• Unique and Original: Distinguish yourself from other hospitals in the community with a design and color choices that reflect your hospital’s individually, so it’s best to stray away from clip art or stock images.

What does your logo say about your hospital’s brand? Do you have any design tips for creating an effective hospital logo?

Did you know that in addition to being a leader in hospital Web site design and development, AVID Design also creates logos for hospitals or healthcare systems that demand attention, identify with your brand and stick out amongst the crowd? Contact us to learn more about our award-winning design services.

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Last weekend was beautiful in Atlanta, so I decided to go for a short ride on my skateboard.  As I was kicking, pushing and coasting my way down the broken sidewalk to the park located in my neighborhood, I realized the importance of balance.

Balance...the key to Web site design and skateboarding.

For a Web site’s design, balance brings together aesthetics and the ease of navigation in hopes that your users are getting somewhere…whether it’s to make an appointment, find a doctor, pay their bill or find out how to get to your hospital.

Here are just a few simple things to keep in mind when designing a balanced Web site:

• Navigation and conversions should be strategically placed on your hospital’s Web site with clear pathways, that way users can easily peruse your site and find what they are looking for.

• Avoid clutter that will cause distraction on your site and can be confusing to your users. Things to avoid include: weak graphics, text heavy areas and overly flashy items.

• Color palette should be chosen wisely and should correspond with your theme and branding initiatives.

• Font should be Web-friendly and easy to read in all browsers.

• Think user-friendly, which is probably the most important element for a well-balanced Web site design, and very similar to navigation (see above).

As long as balance—along with usability and functionality—are in check, your hospital’s Web site should provide users with the information they are seeking, drive conversions and keep them coming back to your site for more.

For skateboarding, balance is essential to riding (along with board control).  Without balance, you’re not going anywhere, except flat on your face in the dirt, just like your users won’t get anywhere if your site doesn’t embrace the fundamentals of balance.

So, as you place your feet strategically on your board for your balanced stance and Ollie (the most important trick to master, since most tricks are based off of it) over the clutter of rocks and sticks in your pathway, which will try to make you lose your balance, you’ll be good to go and make your way down that path…to the park, safely.

Did you know that AVID Design creates award winning Web sites for hospital and healthcare systems?  Contact us today to see how we can create a balanced Web site that not only looks great, but delivers results too.

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