KFSHRC Digital Experience Upgrade
Guiding KFSHRC’s Digital Presence Revamp

IBM Enterprise Design Thinking

Client: King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC)
Role: Digital Experience Analyst & UX Lead (Internal Oversight)
Timeline: 8 Months
Team: Internal Digital Team + Sitecore UI/UX Agency
Tools & Methods: Heuristic Evaluation, Stakeholder Interviews, Accessibility Audits, Prototyping, User Testing

① The Hook: Steering a Critical Digital Overhaul

The Initial Spark: King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) embarked on a crucial mission: to revamp its primary digital presence, the main website. This wasn't just about aesthetics; it was about ensuring seamless access to world-class healthcare information and services. As the Digital Experience Analyst & UX Lead within KFSHRC, my role was unique. I wasn't executing the design directly but acting as the internal champion, strategist, and quality gatekeeper, overseeing the external agency tasked with the redesign over a demanding 8-month period.

The Challenge (What Was at Stake?): The existing website, while functional, lagged behind KFSHRC's reputation for excellence. It suffered from usability issues, inconsistent branding, and failed to meet the evolving expectations of patients, staff, and the global medical community. My challenge was to bridge the gap between KFSHRC's complex internal needs and the agency's creative execution. I needed to ensure the final product was not only visually stunning but deeply user-centered, accessible, culturally relevant, and aligned with KFSHRC's strategic goals. The risk was significant: a mismanaged redesign could damage the hospital's brand, disrupt critical services, and waste substantial resources.

② Observe: Auditing the Landscape and Defining the North Star

The Quest for Understanding: Before guiding the agency, I needed a crystal-clear understanding of the current state and the desired future. My observation phase focused on auditing the existing digital ecosystem, understanding user needs from an internal perspective, and benchmarking against global best practices.

Methodology & Empathy: My internal role allowed for deep access and a nuanced approach:

Internal Stakeholder Alignment (20+ interviews): Engaged with department heads, clinicians, researchers, and marketing teams to capture diverse internal requirements and strategic objectives.
Existing Analytics Review: Conducted a thorough audit of website analytics to identify user behavior patterns, drop-off points, and content gaps.
Evaluation & UX Audit: Performed an expert review of the existing site against usability principles.
Agency Brief Development: Synthesized findings into a comprehensive brief outlining KFSHRC's vision, user personas (leveraging prior research), technical constraints, and success metrics.
Competitive Benchmarking (10+ institutions): Focused on how leading global healthcare institutions structured their digital presence and served diverse audiences.

Uncovering Insights: The internal audit and benchmarking revealed critical gaps and opportunities:

Fragmented User Journeys: Key tasks often required navigating multiple disconnected sections.
Inconsistent Messaging: Branding and tone varied significantly across the site.
Accessibility Shortfalls: The existing site failed to meet WCAG 2.1 standards in several areas.
Lack of Personalization: The experience was generic, not adapting to different user needs (patient vs. researcher).
Underutilized Content: Valuable resources were buried or poorly presented.

③ Reflect: Crafting the Vision and Guiding Principles

Synthesizing the Learnings: Reflecting on the internal needs, analytics data, and global best practices, I worked with key stakeholders to forge a unified vision. We synthesized the complex requirements into clear guiding principles for the agency. The core reflection was that the website needed to transition from a passive information repository to an active engagement platform.

Defining the Core Problem (for the Agency): We framed the challenge for the agency: KFSHRC requires a redesigned website that seamlessly integrates its diverse services and research activities, providing intuitive, accessible, and culturally relevant experiences for patients, staff, and the global community, while elevating the brand and supporting strategic objectives.

Hill: A KFSHRC user (patient, staff, researcher) [Who] can easily find relevant information and access services [What] through an intuitive, accessible, and world-class digital experience that reflects the institution's prestige [Wow].

Establishing the Vision & Guiding Principles: Our vision was a world-class digital experience reflecting KFSHRC's leadership. We established clear principles for the agency:

User-Centricity First: Design decisions must prioritize validated user needs.
Accessibility as Standard: Exceed WCAG 2.1 AA compliance.
Bilingual Parity: Ensure equal quality and functionality in Arabic and English.
Brand Consistency: Maintain a unified brand voice and visual identity.
Performance & Scalability: Build a fast, future-proof platform. Success would be measured by metrics similar to the previous redesign effort, focusing on task completion, satisfaction, and operational efficiency, but with an added emphasis on agency adherence to the brief and principles.

④ Make: Overseeing, Critiquing, and Iterating with the Agency

The Collaborative Creation Process: My role in the 'Make' phase was primarily oversight, feedback, and ensuring adherence to the vision. It involved a continuous loop of the agency Making (delivering designs, prototypes), KFSHRC (led by me) Observing (reviewing deliverables against the brief and principles, conducting internal reviews, facilitating user testing), and jointly Reflecting (discussing feedback, identifying gaps, agreeing on revisions).

Key Oversight Activities & Iterations:

Reviewing Deliverables: Critiqued wireframes, mockups, and prototypes against user personas, journeys, and guiding principles.
Facilitating User Testing: Organized and synthesized feedback from usability tests conducted on agency prototypes.
Ensuring Accessibility: Worked with accessibility consultants to audit designs and code.
Championing User Needs: Advocated for usercentric solutions when faced with technical or stakeholder constraints.
Feedback Loops: Consolidated internal feedback and communicated clear, actionable revisions to the agency.

Example Iteration: The agency initially proposed a visually striking but complex navigation menu. Observing user testing revealed significant confusion. Reflecting on the 'User-Centricity First' principle, I pushed back, providing specific feedback. The agency Made revisions, resulting in a simpler, more intuitive mega-menu structure that tested much better.

The Solution Takes Shape: Through this rigorous oversight process, the agency delivered a solution aligned with our vision:

Streamlined Information Architecture: Clear pathways for different user groups.
Modern & Accessible UI: Visually appealing design adhering to brand guidelines and accessibility standards.
Enhanced Content Strategy: Clearer language, better organization, and richer media integration.
Improved Functionality: More intuitive tools for appointment requests, doctor searches, and accessing resources.

⑤ The Climax: Launching a Transformed Digital Experience

Measuring the Impact: The successful launch, achieved through careful coordination between KFSHRC and the agency, resulted in significant improvements, validating the effectiveness of the oversight process:

User Satisfaction: Post-launch surveys showed satisfaction scores exceeding the target, reaching 93/100.
Task Success Rates: Key task completion rates (e.g., finding a doctor) improved by 45%.
Accessibility Compliance: Achieved WCAG 2.1 AA compliance across the site.
Brand Perception: Positive feedback highlighted the site's modern look and improved usability.
Agency Performance: The project was delivered on time and within budget, meeting the defined quality standards.

The Transformation Story: KFSHRC's digital front door was successfully transformed. The collaborative, user-focused approach, guided by strong internal leadership, ensured the agency delivered a platform that truly met the needs of its diverse audience and reflected the hospital's prestigious standing. The narrative shifted from managing an external vendor to co-creating a strategic digital asset.

Qualitative Feedback:

The new website is a breath of fresh air. So much easier to use." - Patient
"As an internal stakeholder, I felt heard. The process ensured our needs were met alongside user needs." - Department Head
"The agency delivered quality work, largely thanks to the clear direction and feedback from Rakan's team." - Agency Project Manager

⑥ The Resolution: Lessons in UX Leadership

Project Reflection (Reflecting on the Journey): This project underscored the critical role of internal UX leadership when working with external agencies. Maintaining a clear vision, establishing strong guiding principles, and facilitating effective communication were paramount. The biggest challenge was balancing internal stakeholder desires with user needs and agency capabilities. The Observe-Reflect-Make loop wasn't just for design; it applied to the entire project management and collaboration process.

Key Learnings:

A detailed brief and clear guiding principles are essential for agency success.button 7 1
Internal UX leadership is crucial for translating organizational needs and championing users.
Rigorous review and user testing of agency deliverables prevent costly mistakes.
Effective collaboration requires structured feedback loops and mutual respect.

Future Considerations: The new platform provides a solid foundation for ongoing optimization, personalization features, and integration with emerging digital health technologies.

Concluding Thought: By acting as the strategic UX lead and applying the principles of Observe, Reflect, and Make to the agency management process, we ensured KFSHRC's significant investment in its digital presence resulted in a truly user-centered, highperforming platform, demonstrating the power of informed oversight in complex digital transformations.

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