The Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)

UX Strategy | UX Design | Website Development

The Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) is an international medical organization recognized as one of the world’s premier spine societies. Its membership includes leading spine surgeons, researchers, physician assistants, and orthotists who are involved in research and treatment of spinal deformities.

The Situation

Navigation on the previous website was not intuitive, and visitors were often confused about content intended for patients versus content meant for physicians.
Providers were uncomfortable sending patients to the SRS site because of the poor user experience, which included cluttered, text-heavy pages, underdeveloped branding, and unclear calls to action.
Due to the complexity of the website, many SRS members were unaware of the abundance of resources available to them, and valuable content was being missed.
Content was duplicated across the site, with similar information appearing on multiple pages, creating difficulty from a user perspective and maintenance issues for website content managers.

The Solution

Northwoods conducted user research to inform the development of a new sitemap and two distinct websites: one for medical professionals and SRS members, and another for scoliosis patients and their families.
We tailored each UX design for both audiences and improved usability with restructured site navigation, intuitive categories, consolidated pages, and clean page templates featuring clear headings and prominent CTAs.
The patient website has a dedicated user experience that includes a physician locater tool with filtering and an interactive map, treatment information, and patient stories.
Our developers used a third-party integration with SRS’ association management software to create a portal and secure login for members-only content, and Northwoods designers added icons and descriptions to help better define and highlight professional resources.

Mobile Design

The mobile design of the SRS website is streamlined and user-friendly, prioritizing easy navigation and accessibility. The layout is clean and responsive, ensuring that content adjusts seamlessly to different screen sizes. Important information, such as event details and educational resources, is clearly presented with minimal scrolling required. The design effectively caters to both medical professionals and patients, ensuring quick access to relevant information.

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“Northwoods significantly improved SRS’ online presence, leveraging user research and data as a solid foundation to overhaul our UX strategy and design. Their expertise played a critical role in refining our user experience, allowing us to present large amounts of information in a way that is clear, creative, and helpful to our audience.”

- Michele Sewart, PMP, Senior Communication Manager

The Outcome

SRS now has two user-friendly, professional websites that deliver valuable information to their respective audiences.
Post-launch heatmap analysis revealed increased engagement with primary CTAs such as the member login, patient information, and site search.
Total pages were reduced from 1,758 to approximately 400, with around half of those secured behind the member login; less content means a more streamlined user experience and cleaner back-end interface for content management.
SRS members can easily find resources and event details, while patients and their families are able to gain quick access to essential information about scoliosis and treatment options.

The Design

Northwoods designers helped SRS better define their existing brand assets to align with UX strategy recommendations. We developed two distinct brand identity systems, leveraging separate icons, imagery, color palettes, and layouts tailored to each website’s unique audience. Development of light wireframes and prototypes ensured that the SRS team was in lockstep with ours throughout the design process.