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I’m a great design leader. Hire me.
I’m a great design leader. Hire me.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) publishes global health research and employs research teams that conduct extensive statistical analysis and publish academic papers. The website reflected the internal jargon and technical language used within the organization.
However, the target audience for the organization’s research is policymakers, whom largely do not have scientific training. The language was complex and the web copy, though short, was dense. It was difficult to scan and research findings were in documents or across multiple pages.
How might we elevate the key findings in research that will help policymakers make decisions about health programs quickly and easily?
Alcohol page in its entirety - “before”
As a trained UX designer, I follow a similar process for content to that of a UX design process.
Understanding the goals and needs of the audience:
I reviewed our persona for policy influencers based on primary research and their key tasks, or Jobs to be Done.
I facilitated a working session with the research team to fill in our knowledge gaps with an empathy map.
I gathered common questions the alcohol team was asked from public inquires via email.
I reviewed existing content to rewrite and generate new content based on the aforementioned activities in collaboration with the research team.
We collaborated on a draft in a Word document.
I transferred the content to a Figma file and annotated it for development.
Policy influencers
Politicians aren’t the direct users of IHME’s website. They have staff researchers and advisors that harvest the information they need and make recommendations to move forward.
They need high level statistics of the problem and outcomes in clear, plain language that can be understood globally or easily processed in automatic translators like Google or using ChatGPT.
They want outcomes and lessons learned in nearby regions to that could apply to their health outcomes.
They want graphs and charts to easily build their recommendations.
Academic experts
IHME contributes to a global body of research on health topics. They maintain collaborations with universities
Academics want the latest academic papers and direct access to datasets to manipulate it themselves for their own projects.
Alcohol Use page after rewriting for user needs
Alcohol use
Alcohol use is a major risk factor for death and disability worldwide. It is ranked among other risks such as high blood pressure, smoking, and dietary risks. In some countries, alcohol use is the number one risk factor for men.
1.34 Billion people consumed harmful amounts of alcohol in 2020
49.3% of cirrhosis and other liver diseases are attributable to alcohol use
2.4 Million deaths were attributable to alcohol use disorders in 2019
76.7% of people who consumed harmful amounts of alcohol were male
How much alcohol is safe to drink?
The risks of drinking alcohol depend on age, local disease patterns, and underlying health conditions:
For young adults ages 15–39, there are no health benefits to drinking alcohol, only health risks.
For people over age 40, drinking a small amount of alcohol may provide some health benefits.
Young people tend to experience a higher rate of injuries as a consequence of excessive alcohol use, leading to an increase in death and disability for that age group.
For older adults without underlying health issues, having 1-2 standard drinks per day may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes. However, overconsuming alcohol can lead to additional health problems, like liver cirrhosis and some cancers.
“Our message is simple: young people should not drink, but older people may benefit from drinking small amounts. While it may not be realistic to think young adults will abstain from drinking, we do think it’s important to communicate the latest evidence so that everyone can make informed decisions about their health.” – Dr. Emmanuela Gakidou, Professor of Health Metrics Science at IHME
Why isn’t there a scientific consensus about safe levels of alcohol use?
The patterns for alcohol use and its health impacts are specific to each region of the world, and vary depending on the age of the consumer and their overall health status. This results in different recommendations for alcohol consumption. For example:
In central sub-Saharan Africa, 10% of alcohol-related health risks for those aged 55-59 were due to tuberculosis, leading to a recommendation of less than half a standard drink per day.
By contrast, in North Africa and the Middle East, less than 1% of alcohol-related health risks were due to tuberculosis, reflected in a recommendation of about 1 standard drink per day.
There is also some disagreement in the scientific community about the effects of alcohol on cardiovascular disease in individuals over 65. Some studies suggest that small amounts of alcohol may offer protection from cardiovascular disease, while other studies show that alcohol may contribute to it.
Always be sure to consult a health care professional for individual recommendations based on your personal health risks.
What is the disease burden of alcohol use?
In 1990, alcohol use was the 13th most relevant risk factor for deaths worldwide; in 2019, it has risen to the 8th most relevant risk factor, responsible for over 2.4 million deaths from various alcohol-attributable causes.
Men are disproportionately prone to health problems stemming from alcohol use, and Eastern Europe in particular is disproportionately affected by alcohol use disorders. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to several serious health conditions, including:
Cirrhosis of the liver
Fetal alcohol syndrome
Chronic illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, and some cancers
Interpersonal violence, self-harm (suicide), drunk driving-related injuries and other unintentional injuries
The redesigned copy released at the end of July 2023. I monitored our analytics and visual heat maps, which showed increased views and interactions. This was expected because we consolidated content as well as rewrote content.
I also saw increases in unique visitors and returning visitors, increasing by 30%. I believe this means the rewrite made the content more discoverable by search engines.
There was also about a 15% increase in the usage of our alcohol datasets in IHME’s public data catalog.
