mockup of dermatology website on a purple background

Designing for Dual Demographics: A Dermatology Website That Speaks to All Ages

How might we design and develop a responsive dermatology website that builds trust with older patients, while also guiding younger users towards cosmetic services?

Problem

This client had no online presence and needed a professional, easy to understand website for both their older patients needing medical dermatology, and younger patients wanting cosmetic services. Both audience groups had separate goals and digital expectations that needed to be accounted for.

Role

UX Designer, Web Developer, Project Lead

Skills Leveraged

UX Research, Wireframing, UI Design, CMS development

Duration

January 2025 - Present

Cosmetic Dermatology Patients

Key Needs

Users want flexible scheduling options (online vs. calling)

Users want to see real testimonials and results

Users expect minimal reading and intuitive navigation

Medical Dermatology Patients

Key Needs

Users would like to see credentials and reviews

Users prefers explicit navigation to discover services

Users want to easily be able to schedule

Research Process

Stakeholder Interview Insights

My client Jesse, wanted a design inclusive for older and younger demographics, with a simple design focused on encouraging users to schedule an appointment.

Competitor Analysis Takeaways

Competitor websites segmented their services based on service type and had trust-building sections on the landing page.

User Journey Analysis

Reviewing possible user journeys helped inform design decisions such as including testimonials on the landing page and segmenting cosmetic services based on problem-area.

Testing and User Feedback

This wireframe was tested on 2 users. Due to limited stakeholder resources, surface compositions and click-through prototypes were not created. The goal from this usability test was to see how intuitive it was for users from both audience groups to navigate their own user journeys.

Audience Pain Points

Navigation could be more explicit

Users wanted more trust building above the fold

Difficulty reading cards, headings weren't personable

Design Updates

I reorganized the navigation to highlight “Medical” and “Cosmetic” pathways more clearly, and prioritized the scheduling button to streamline user flow. Added a trust-building section right under the hero to reinforce credibility and encourage deeper engagement. Button language and section headers were refined to feel more intuitive and welcoming, and I left-aligned the service cards for better readability across audiences.

Changes Implemented

Updated navigation to state 'Medical' and 'Cosmetic' instead of 'Services'

Added a trust-building section and clarified CTA's

Improved readability of cards and updated headings

Reflection

When designing this website I was in the middle of my transition from development into design, and discovered the importance of UX research early in the discovery process. My initial sketches and wireframes didn't reflect what the actual problem was my users were experiencing, so unfortunately I was designing for the wrong problem. It wasn't until I began performing my usability tests that I realized I needed to redefine my problem based on my users feedback, not on my assumptions. This project is still under development, and many changes are still underway.