Nurses are the heart of UCSF Medical Center, which is consistently ranked among the top hospitals in the nation. As one of the most trusted and innovative nursing departments in the world, UCSF Nursing needed a website to match. They turned to Hot Studio to help envision and build the future face of UCSF Nursing online. The goals for the new site were to showcase the identity, leadership, innovation, and human impact of the department; to foster the nursing community; to recruit the best nurses; and support the patients.

To get started, Hot interviewed nurses, nursing students, patients, and stakeholders. With a solid understanding of user needs and business goals, Hot formulated a high-level experience design strategy. The approach showcases the human impact of nursing—leading with vibrant photos, videos, and stories of nurses and patients. The design also promotes thought leadership by enabling departments to publish information easily and broadly. In addition, it fosters collaboration and recognition by showcasing individuals, departments, and their contributions. Responding to user research findings, Hot structured the site around departmental units, which became rich entry-points and hubs for exploring the rest of the site. And, the design encourages exploration across site areas by providing invitations and links to related info.

Working closely with the Department of Nursing, Hot recommended and built on a practical content management system (CMS) that is scalable and easy to maintain. The new WordPress site provides the Department of Nursing with their very own platform to manage and update with fresh, nursing-specific content.

The new site reflects the needs of UCSF stakeholders and provides the tools their different constituents want to use. Through these solid one-to-one relationships, and tested design process, Hot turned individual goals into a unified voice of leadership in patient care.