Healthcare · Life Science · Research & IA · 2017
A trusted knowledge platform for clinical decisions
Field-based UX research and information architecture for Nestlé Health Science, supporting healthcare professionals working with tube feeding and clinical nutrition in high-pressure environments.
CLIENT
Nestlé Health Science · B2C
DURATION
2017
FOCUS
Field research, personas, IA, UX writing
METHODS
Hospital field studies, interviews, card sorting, persona development
ROLE
UX Researcher & Interaction Designer
TOOLS
Adobe XD, sketching, observation
IN SHORT
Field studies in hospitals revealed that nurses, not doctors, were the real information hub for clinical nutrition decisions. I restructured the platform around their workflows, not the company's product structure, making critical information accessible under time pressure.
Context
Nestlé Health Science provides medical nutrition solutions used by healthcare professionals in hospitals, home care and emergency settings. The existing website contained valuable content, but was difficult to navigate in real clinical situations. Healthcare professionals often had limited time, varying levels of experience and high responsibility, yet the information architecture didn't reflect their real needs or workflows.
The challenge
The main challenge wasn't lack of content, it was lack of structure and prioritisation. Healthcare professionals needed fast access to the right information in critical situations, guidance based on clinical context (not product structure), confidence when answering patient questions, and support across different levels of experience.
At the same time, the solution had to respect medical accuracy, legal constraints and Nestlé's global brand guidelines.
My role
UX Researcher & Interaction Designer. I was responsible for defining project goals and success criteria, conducting qualitative research and field studies, identifying and validating key audiences, building personas grounded in real clinical behaviour, structuring content through information architecture, facilitating card sorting and usability testing, and creating wireframes validated with stakeholders.
Research & field studies
To understand real clinical workflows, we conducted observational studies and interviews inside hospital environments. The goal was to understand when information is needed, what questions arise in practice, where uncertainty and stress occur, and how healthcare professionals currently search for answers.
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This phase revealed large gaps between how content was structured and how it was actually used in daily work.
PROCESS
Mapping audience value, different roles, different value to the product.
PROCESS
Field notes from hospital observations, uncovering when, where and why information was needed.
The key insight
Through research, we identified multiple target groups, but one group consistently acted as the key information hub: nurses.
Nurses interact with patients daily, handle practical decision-making, support both patients and relatives, and bridge medical knowledge and everyday care. This made them the primary audience for the first phase of the solution, a structural decision that reshaped the entire information architecture.
Personas built from real clinical behaviour
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Personas helped us design for time pressure
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For uncertainty in unfamiliar situations
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For confidence-building through clear guidance
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For fast access to validated medical information
The personas were used throughout design, prioritisation and stakeholder discussions.
From needs to solutions
Audience needs were mapped directly to design and content strategies:
Personas built from real clinical behaviour
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Structuring content based on clinical situations, not product hierarchy
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Improving findability through organic search and metadata
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Enabling printable materials for use in care settings
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Prioritising clarity over volume
This ensured that every design decision was grounded in user needs.
Information architecture & validation
To validate how users expected content to be organised, we conducted card-sorting sessions. Participants grouped tasks and information into phases such as starting tube feeding, managing complications, patient follow-up and long-term care. This directly informed the site structure and navigation model.
AFTER
AFTER
Wireframes built around clinical phases, starting feeding, managing complications, follow-up, long-term care.
AFTER
The final information architecture reflected real clinical workflows, not product silos.
AFTER
Outcome & learnings
The project resulted in a clearer, more structured knowledge platform that better supported healthcare professionals in their daily work.​
Key Learnings
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In complex medical contexts, structure creates trust
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Designing for real workflows is more effective than designing for roles
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Research alignment is essential in regulated environments
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Simplicity is a competitive advantage in high-risk domains
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This project strengthened my ability to work strategically with research, complexity and stakeholder alignment in life science and healthcare.