SKYCLARYS Patient Website

SKYCLARYS is first and only FDA-approved treatment of Friedreich ataxia (FA). I had the opportunity to be the sole designer responsible for building the website that introduces SKYCLARYS as a treatment option for Friedreich ataxia patients.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Synthesizing research, Information Architecture, Visual Design, Prototype.
Brand Background
What is Friedreich ataxia (FA)?
Friedreich ataxia (FA) is a rare, progressive disease that damages the nervous system, causing patients to lose control of your muscles over time.
What is SKYCLARYS?
SKYCLARYS is used for the treatment of Friedreich ataxia (FA) in adults and children who are 16 years of age or older.
The problem
In March 2023, SKYCLARYS was approved by the FDA as a treatment for Friedreich ataxia (FA), but since then, not many FA patients are aware of it. The only patient-facing marketing material is a single-page website announcing the approval of SKYCLARYS. To help raise awareness, patients and caregivers should be educated about its benefits and advised to discuss it with their doctors as a possible treatment option.
The team
1 medical strategist
1 project manager
1 account manager
1 copywriter
1 product designer
1 developer
Our goal
Encourage patients and their caregivers to discuss with their doctors the possibility of prescribing SKYCLARYS as a treatment option.
01 / SYNTHESIZING THE RESEARCH
_____ PATIENT TREATMENT JOURNEY
Exploring opportunities for SKYCLARYS in the treatment journey
Proto-persona from existing FA patient research
To convince clients to create a patient-centered design, I collaborated with medical strategists to develop a proto-persona based on the customer research provided by the clients.
" I want to maintain my independence and mobility despite FA progression and play an active role in my treatment journey."
Alice
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Profession: Writer
Symptoms: Difficulty walking, loss of coordination, fatigue, heart palpitations
Pain points:
  • Difficulty performing daily tasks like self-care and work activities due to lack of balance and coordination
  • Loss of independence is a major burden
  • Difficulty communicating symptoms to doctors
  • Her FA journey has been anything but easy
Goal:
  • To maintain independence and mobility despite FA progression
  • To communicate her symptoms to doctors
  • To play an active role in her treatment journey
  • Stay current on FA research via social media and online sources
_____ INSIGHTS
What we discovered that will benefit SKYCLARYS
Insight 1:
Patients know more about FA than their care teams (including neuros)
What this means to us:
  • Create tone & voice knowing patients are typically educated on FA.
  • Patients want to see the efficacy and safety of SKYCLARYS almost as equally as doctors do.
  • “What is FA?” content should be deprioritized if we’re adding it.
Insight 2:
Patients are ready for a treatment.
What this means to us:
  • Prioritize the "Get SKYCLARYS" call-to-action on the page so that patients can act quickly before getting distracted by other information.
  • Show the clear steps on how to get SKYCLARYS (patient assist website).
  • Encourage patients to reach out to their doctors about SKYCLARYS.
Insight 3:
Proactive patients are looking for communities and resources.
What this means to us:
  • Provide community resources that will connect them with other FA patients.
  • Encourage patients to sign up emails to stay in the loop.
02 / INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Sitemap
I collaborated with the copywriter to create all the content that will be featured on the website. We used a few existing pharmaceutical websites as a reference for the structure and organized them based on the needs of patients. After receiving feedback from the client and our team, we made a couple of rounds of changes.
04 / Execution
_____ HIGH FIDELITY DESIGNS
Follow Alice to explore the final design
Alice is currently 26 years old and was diagnosed with Friedreich's ataxia (FA) at the age of 18, even though she had been experiencing symptoms since she was 13. Despite undergoing years of physical therapy, her FA has continued to progress. She has been looking for a treatment that will help her. She recently came across an advertisement on her Instagram about SKYCLARYS, which is the only FDA-approved treatment for FA. Interested, she clicked on the link to the website to learn more about it.
Prioritize "Get SKYCLARYS" for patients who are ready for treatment on home page

Upon landing on the homepage, she immediately notices an advertisement that interests her from Instagram. She continues scrolling and discovers that SKYCLARYS is the first and only FDA-approved prescription for FA. Having waited for a treatment for years, she quickly clicks the "Get SKYCLARYS" button. The rest of the page contains information about FA, which she is already familiar with, so she just skims over it.

Simple and clear steps on how to get SKYCLARYS
Alice lands on the "Get SKYCLARYS" page, where a simple infographic shows that it only takes three steps to get a prescription. She downloads the physician start form to discuss SKYCLARYS with her doctor at the next appointment. She also reviews the patient assistance program (REACH) details to understand the available supportive resources. Alice appreciates the simplicity and straightforwardness of the process.
Detailed information on efficacy page just for FA patients

Alice is interested in exploring the SKYCLARYS website to learn more about it. She navigated to the "About SKYCLARYS" section to find information about the clinical trials and the "Dosing and Safety" section to learn about dosing and side effects. The website provides detailed charts and tables, giving Alice the same information that her doctors would have.

Design for overflowed content
mFARS is the exam that can help patients and their doctors determine how Friedreich's ataxia (FA) is progressing. As a sub-content of the about page, we need to find a way to deprioritize it.
Design prioritizes accessibility to minimize obstacles for patients
_____ MEASURING SUCCESS
Website achieved great results just one month after launch

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