Challenge
The AIDS Institute at the New York State Department of Health faced uncertainty about whether their edutainment comic, Tested, was effectively reaching their 700k+ Webtoons readers and how to create culturally responsive content that met the needs and interests of their readers. Their website, which hosted key resources on HIV management and prevention, was outdated and not user-friendly, limiting its effectiveness in engaging users and delivering critical health information. The Institute needed insights to make data-driven decisions for future content development and to support their funding proposal, including renewing a $1.6M grant for a statewide clinical education program aligned with the Ending the Epidemic (ETE) goals.
To address these challenges, I led research and design efforts to redesign the YGetIt? project website, which aims to engage, link, and retain people in care through a mobile app, GET!, and the Tested comic. I spearheded social media strategies and analyzed engagement data to support funding proposals, including renewing a $1.6M RFP for a statewide clinical education program impacting 18,000 physicians aligned with the Ending the Epidemic (ETE) goals. My role was to uncover key insights to inform their strategies and ensure that both the web redesign and content remained relevant and impactful to their diverse audience.
Approach
I developed a cohesive strategy using health communication methods, including community mobilization and citizen engagement, to redesign the YGetIt? website and enhance social media campaigns. This involved creating a brand guide and design system that was story-driven, youth-led, and action-oriented. To evaluate the impact of social media campaigns, I designed a logic model and integrated tools like Google Analytics, heatmaps, and eye-tracking software to monitor user engagement and encourage care-seeking behaviors.
To better understand and engage YGetIt?’s audience, I scraped over 600 comments from the Tested comic on Webtoons using Python, Pandas, and Selenium. I conducted thematic and exploratory data analysis to identify trends in public sentiment and inform the creation of culturally responsive content for future episodes. This data-driven approach guided the visual design and content strategy for the website. I performed usability testing through various design fidelities that led to a centralized platform where readers could easily subscribe to edutainment episodes, access actionable HIV resources, and engage with each other.
Results
The redesigned YGetIt? website, launched in December 2020, featured new content, an updated information architecture, and a cohesive design system, significantly enhancing the user experience. Through strategic social media efforts, YGetIt? expanded its presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, achieving over 11,000 followers and more than 700,000 views. These efforts not only increased engagement but also supported the AIDS Institute in successfully renewing the $1.6M grant for the statewide Clinical Education Institute. The program evaluation and data-driven insights informed future work at the AIDS Institute, contributing to their March 2020 publication, “YGetIt? Project: Using Social Media to Do What You Need to Do.” These combined efforts advanced equitable health education in New York and strengthened the Institute’s capacity to deliver impactful health communications to diverse communities.
New redesigned website
Old website
Citation
@online{ali2021,
author = {Ali, Elham},
title = {New {York} {State} {Department} of {Health} {AIDS}
{Institute}},
date = {2021-12-11},
url = {https://www.elhamyali.com/},
langid = {en}
}