Revitalizing Vaccinology Research
2025
Canada's leading vaccine research collaboration needed a full digital transformation to match their groundbreaking research and engage diverse audiences effectively.
Healthcare
UI/UX Design
Design Systems
User Research
User Testing
Branding
Web
Overview
About CCfV
The Canadian Centre for Vaccinology (CCfV) is a leading vaccine research organization based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is a collaboration between Dalhousie University, IWK Health and Nova Scotia Health that conducts groundbreaking studies to advance public health.
Problem
CCfV's digital presence failed to match their scientific excellence, with a website plagued by poor navigation and cluttered information architecture. Their brand lacked sophistication, and technical messaging created barriers for key audiences: potential study participants, investors, and research peers.
Solution
I delivered a complete digital transformation through a modernized brand identity, intuitive website architecture, thoughtful user flows and tailored content strategy for different audience segments, prioritizing the homepage and brand refresh to support immediate funding opportunities while providing the design systems, wireframes and high fidelity prototypes for the fully updated website set to launch in early 2025.
Impact
The brand transformation has produced a massive increase in brand trust amongst the testers polled, and a drastic increase in brand recognition amongst those polled. The final results of the new website remain to be seen as it has not yet launched, but final prototype testing sessions showed huge improvement in User Satisfaction, Task Completion and User Engagement.
Research & Discovery
User Journey & Flow
Through research using a group of first time users of various backgrounds, I developed three key personas (potential study participants, concerned parents/members of the public, and potential investors) to map critical pain points for the three major audience groups. User testing revealed 75% of participants struggled to find information about research participation and current studies, while 60% of users reported frustration in learning more information about the organization.
Brand Positioning
Stakeholder interviews uncovered a significant disconnect between CCfV's scientific leadership and their public perception. The organization needed to balance academic credibility with accessibility, positioning themselves as both innovative researchers and trusted public health advocates.
Design & Development
Brand
I crafted a modernized visual identity that communicates scientific rigor and trust while remaining approachable. The new color palette integrates deep medical blue tones with warmer, human-centered accents, while the refreshed typography pairs a technical sans-serif with a more approachable secondary font.
Design System
I developed comprehensive brand guidelines and a modular design system in Figma that ensures consistency across digital and print materials. The system features flexible component libraries with consistent typography, color application, and UI elements that maintain brand cohesion.
Testing & Iteration
Architecture
The redesigned website architecture features audience-specific pathways that guide different user groups to relevant content. I implemented a simplified navigation system that reduced clicks to key information by 60% and organized research content in a searchable database for improved accessibility.
User Improvements
Based on user testing with individuals representing all three research persona groups, I refined the sites flow to better highlight participation opportunities, research impact and CCfV's study database. We also developed an intranet component for the CCfV staff to enhance internal workflows and improve content management.
Reflections
Lessons Learned
This project reinforced the importance of balancing technical accuracy with accessibility in scientific communications. Early stakeholder engagement proved crucial for navigating complex institutional needs, and creating flexible implementation plans allowed us to adapt to changing priorities.
Next Steps
The brand refresh has already launched to high praise from stakeholders and industry peers. The full website is in the final testing phases and is scheduled for launch in early 2025. CCfV's parent organization CIRN was so pleased with the project that I have been contracted to re-design their brand and web experience as well!
