Redesign of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine

While being part of a well-known and reputable organization can have many benefits, not having a visual identity can be a liability on a website intended to help people. This is the case with the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, whose website provides little information without exploring. Claire Berman, who is working on a Master of Science in Health Communication at Tufts University School of Medicine, was a student in my Online Consumer Health course and, for her project, redesigned the Benson-Henry Institute (BHI) site. Her process included the development of personas, such as Paul, a 35-year-old Newton, MA resident with a stressful job and a family history of heart disease, who is skeptical about complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM). Paul needs to understand immediately how BHI’s website may be able to help him when viewing he views it for the first time, especially because of his skepticism. Claire developed other personas, and showed that the current site design and structure is unlikely to appeal to them or provide them with the information they are seeking. With BHI’s goal to “improve the health status of site users through mind-body relaxation techniques,” Claire’s recommendations for a different look and content are likely to help them achieve their goals. Read Claire’s final paper, with personas who can benefit from BHI’s content and a competitive analysis looking at Gaiam Yoga, Center for Mind Body Medicine, Mind Body Medicine Center, and Mind Body Medicine.

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