Find A CURE
Findacure, a UK-based rare disease charity, sought a website redesign to improve usability and accessibility for its diverse audience of patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. The project focused on conducting UX research to understand user needs, streamlining navigation, and delivering a responsive design that makes critical information, training resources, and event registration easier to access.
Project Scope—
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Analyzed user surveys, card sorting, and tree testing to uncover navigation pain points and define five clear redesign goals. These insights ensured the site structure reflected real user needs rather than assumptions.
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Mapped user journeys for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, then streamlined flows to make resource discovery, training access, and event registration intuitive.
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Delivered a responsive, mobile-friendly site with redefined categories, simplified navigation, and improved user flows. The design balances clarity with credibility, empowering users to access rare disease information, training, events, and involvement opportunities seamlessly.
About the project—
Key Goals
The Findacure website needed a redesign for better usability so that users could:
🔍 Quickly access resources on rare diseases, treatments, and support networks
🧭 Navigate with ease through simplified menus and redefined categories
📱 Engage across devices with a responsive, mobile-friendly design
🤝 Connect with the charity through clearer donation pathways, event information, and community stories
Since launching, The Mystic Collective has seen a higher conversion rate, more streamlined client bookings, and an increase in brand credibility.
"Tara has been incredibly helpful in all aspects of the re-development of our website. As a small team with no in-house expertise, her help collecting user data, structuring the sitemap, and designing and customising the pages has been invaluable.
Tara is a very patient person and a good teacher; we really appreciate how she has explained everything to us in simple terms."
User Research Results
The analysis of the user survey, card sorting, and tree testing revealed five top priorities for the Findacure website redesign.
To prepare for the redesign, I began with a content audit and card sorting exercise to restructure and better label the website navigation. This ensured that information was organized logically and aligned with user expectations. Following this, we conducted a survey to understand how visitors were interacting with the site and what they needed most.
Based on insights from previous Findacure case studies and the user survey, we developed personas to represent the organization’s core audience. These personas captured the needs, motivations, and behaviors of the people most engaged with Findacure’s workshops, webinars, in‑person events, and support services.
Personas Included
🧑⚕️ Rare Disease Patients — seeking reliable information, community connection, and support in navigating their condition.
👩👩👧 Caregivers — looking for resources, guidance, and peer support to better care for loved ones with rare diseases.
🌐 Community Moderators — facilitating discussions, organizing events, and helping to grow rare disease
89%
View upcoming events in a
calendar format
Top Reasons For Redesigning
67%
Learn information about
rare diseases
33%
Access patient training for
past events
Survey Results
Who took the survey?
🧑⚕️ Patients with rare diseases
👩👩👧 Caregivers
🎗️ Fundraising participant
What they were currently using the website
📖 66.7% — Access information about rare diseases
🏢 33.3% — Learn about Findacure (mission, team, history, contact)
🎓 33.3% — Register for or review patient group training events (workshops, webinars)
🌐 22.2% — Use the online resources portal and forum
What were there services did they want?
📅 87.5% — Calendar view of all upcoming events
🔍 25% — Ability to search the calendar by event type (networking, fundraising, webinars)
Tree Jacking Results
🧑🤝🧑 Patient Support Groups
Most visitors looked under the Work tab on the old site. In the redesign, emphasis was shifted to helping patients and caregivers connect directly within the rare disease community.💊 Drug Repurposing Project
Visitors again navigated to the Work tab. Based on this, the drug repurposing program was elevated to a highlight in the top navigation of the redesigned site.📅 Rare Disease Research Conferences
89% of testers said they would go to the Calendar Events tab. As a result, a dedicated events calendar page was included in the new design.
Website Redesign
The redesigned site addressed these needs by restructuring the information architecture, elevating high‑priority programs into the main navigation, and introducing a dedicated events calendar page. With improved labeling, streamlined pathways, and a focus on community connection, the new design transformed the site into a more intuitive and supportive hub. It not only showcased Findacure’s mission but also empowered users to access resources, participate in events, and engage with the rare disease community more effectively.
Goal 1: Access Rare Disease Information
Insight: 66.7% of visitors came to the website to learn about rare diseases.
Action: Included a top-level navigation link for a dedicated rare disease page.
Goal 4: Drug Repurposing Knowledge
Insight: Drug repurposing is valuable to the rare disease community as many have no treatments available.
Action: Based on previous knowledge from Findacure’s interactions with their community, made information about the drug repurposing program easily accessible on the new website
Goal 2: Review Patient Training
Insight: 33% of visitors wanted to view past patient group training events, including workshops and webinars.
Action: Made it easier for users to access this information by including patient group training in the top-level navigation and sub-navigation links for previously recorded workshops, webinars, mentoring, and an e-learning portal..
Goal 5: Get Involved
Insight: Findacure’s success depends on the involvement of their community and volunteers.
Action: Highlighted ways for visitors to support and volunteer in the new website navigation.
Goal 3: Events & Registration
Insight: 89% of survey takers indicated they would utilize a calendar feature to register for and view upcoming events
Action: Added an upcoming events page with a calendar view to the new website, making it easier for users to register for events.
Website Pages
Rare Diseases
Drug Repurposing
Upcoming Events
Support Us
