Two websites, one confused audience: merging AWTTC and AWMSG around what users need
Many people confused the All Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre with the medicines group it supports, so their two websites were merged into one. Box UK’s research shaped how the new site is organised.
In short
AWTTC supports the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG), a Welsh advisory committee on medicines. An independent review found people were confused about the two organisations’ roles, so their websites were merged into a single site.
- Box UK audited both existing sites to find the content, journeys and tasks that mattered most to users.
- Tree testing checked the proposed structure and labels before anything was built.
- AWTTC received a recommended information architecture, plus wireframes and designs for key pages.
Customer background
The All Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre (AWTTC) works with healthcare professionals, patients and the public, Welsh Government and the pharmaceutical industry, with the aim of a healthier, better-informed Wales. It also supports the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG), a Welsh advisory committee.
The challenge
An independent review found significant confusion about the roles of AWTTC and AWMSG, with many people using the two names interchangeably. Each had its own website. The decision was made to merge them into a single site, on the Mura platform that NHS Wales Informatics Service (now Digital Health and Care Wales) had adopted for public-facing NHS Wales websites.
The new site had to present complex medical information so it was easy to find and understand, without carrying the old confusion across. Box UK had worked on the user experience for the NHS Wales consolidation, so AWTTC asked us to help.
Our approach
We started by working with AWTTC to agree the purpose of each site, the goals of each user group, and AWTTC’s own objectives and success measures. A UX audit of both existing sites, using their analytics, showed which content, journeys and tasks mattered most to users.
Those priority items became the basis of a card sort with project stakeholders and real users, who grouped the content in ways that made sense to them. The results showed that users preferred a structure based on what they were trying to do, rather than one based on how the organisations were arranged. They also showed how to handle the duplication and overlap between the two sites.
We then checked the proposed structure with tree testing. Participants were given tasks based on the site’s core purposes and asked where they would expect to complete them, which tested both the structure and its labels.
Throughout, the research gave stakeholders evidence to work from. That meant assumptions could be challenged, while still balancing the needs of AWTTC and its associated organisations.
What we recommended
- A new information architecture organised around user goals, matching how users think about the content and the words they use to search for it.
- Guidance on duplicated and overlapping content from the two sites.
- Wireframes and designs for key pages and interactions, to guide AWTTC through development.
The outcome
AWTTC went into development with a structure based on evidence from its users, and stakeholders who had seen the reasoning behind it. Feedback from stakeholders during development was very positive. The merged site is now live, with AWMSG’s meetings, reports and committee information alongside AWTTC’s own.
We felt that Box UK really understood what we wanted to achieve with our new website and had the expertise and experience to deliver. Getting them onboard has meant that we have ended up with the best result – something that we couldn’t have achieved without their input
Clare Elliott, Senior Appraisal Scientist, AWTTC
Frequently asked questions
Organise the new site around what users are trying to do, and test the structure before building it. For AWTTC, a card sort showed users preferred a goal-based structure, and tree testing checked it worked.
A research method where participants group content into categories that make sense to them. It shows how users expect information to be organised. AWTTC’s card sort included both stakeholders and real users.
A way of checking a proposed site structure before it’s built. Participants are given tasks and asked where in the structure they would go to complete them, which tests both the structure and its labels.
Use the words your users use, and structure content around their tasks. AWTTC’s recommended structure was based on users’ own groupings and the language they used when searching.
What this means
for your organisation
If your organisation has grown into several websites, or works closely with bodies people mix up with you, the way your site is organised can add to the confusion. Research with your users shows how they expect it to work.
If you’re planning to merge sites, send us a few lines about them. We’ll tell you how we’d approach the structure.
Talk to one of our digital experts
Tom Houdmont
Chief Technology Officer
Do you have an idea or a project you need support with?
Tom is CTO at Box UK, with 12 years’ experience helping clients deliver ambitious digital products. His background spans Solution Architecture, Front End Development and AI adoption, with particular expertise in high-traffic websites that perform reliably at scale and in embedding AI into delivery practice.
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Case Studies
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NHS Wales Informatics Service
Read more: NHS Wales Informatics ServiceOne standard design for 11 public-facing NHS Wales websites
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