Case Study 01
Transforming a static USAID-backed health electrification website into a dynamic partnership platform, connecting investors, donors, and healthcare workers across sub-Saharan Africa.
Overview
The Health Electronic and Telecommunications Alliance (HETA), a USAID-backed initiative, aimed to electrify and digitally connect 10,000 health facilities across sub-Saharan Africa using renewable energy partnerships.
However, HETA's existing website functioned only as a static information page, failing to communicate impact or attract the partners needed to reach scale. Over 100,000 health facilities in the region operate without reliable electricity, critically restricting diagnostic testing, oxygen systems, and vaccine refrigeration.
The gap between HETA's ambition and their digital presence was costing them credibility, partner engagement, and ultimately, lives.
"The existing site read like a report, not a call to action. Partners couldn't find proof of progress, and donors had no reason to commit."- Matt D
Key Metrics
Research & Discovery
I facilitated a structured design workshop to align cross-functional stakeholders around user needs, business goals, and success criteria. Moving from divergent exploration into focused synthesis, we built a shared mental model across key stakeholder groups, resulting in clear problem framing and a strategic foundation for subsequent design decisions.
Users struggled to find credible proof of HETA's on-the-ground progress, eroding trust before a partnership conversation even began.
Partners felt the old content read like a technical report rather than an inspiring call to action: passive voice, no urgency, no story.
Stakeholders prioritized modularity and regional flexibility, requiring a site architecture that could grow across six African territories.
User Personas
Design Strategy
I structured the new Information Architecture around three experience pillars that guided both navigation and content placement, ensuring donors could explore outcomes before being asked to commit.
Because many facilities operate in low-bandwidth regions, every pillar had to earn its weight. The architecture prioritized fast-loading, mobile-first content so the impact story stayed legible even on constrained connections.
Surface HETA's mission, reach, and real-world impact through data visualizations and regional facility maps. Build trust before asking for anything.
Streamline the funding application pathway and concept note submission for healthcare organizations. Reduce friction, increase clarity.
Give investors the data-driven proof of outcomes they need to commit. Dynamic dashboards of facilities reached, updated in real time.
Process
Facilitated cross-functional alignment sessions with regional partners and USAID leads, converging on shared success criteria and user priorities.
Used Optimal Workshop to understand how users mentally group content, revealing unexpected information clusters that challenged our assumptions.
Validated the proposed IA before any visual work began. This saved dozens of hours in the high-fidelity phase and gave stakeholders data to trust.
Translated validated architecture into testable layouts, iterating on navigation flows and content hierarchy based on usability feedback.
Final Solution
The final experience transformed HETA from a static page into a dynamic partnership hub. Integrated data visualizations of facilities reached, clearer calls to action, and a flexible modular layout designed to support regional expansion across six African territories.
Reflection
Balancing the dense technical requirements of a USAID-backed initiative with the need for an inspiring, high-impact visual story without oversimplifying the complexity on the ground.
Validating the IA early through tree testing saved dozens of hours in the high-fidelity phase. Data, not aesthetics, is the best way to earn stakeholder buy-in.
I'd involve regional healthcare workers even earlier in the wireframing stage to ensure the Partner portal accounts for varying bandwidth conditions and mobile-first constraints.