Summary
In 2023, I took ownership of the research design initiative that increased HealingBridge’s couples workshop attendance by 326% and its earnings by $13,482/workshop while helping couples reconnect.
Background
What is HealingBridge Therapy?
HealingBridge has served over 3,000 clients in couples therapy and continues to work with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Gottman Institute, and clients all over the U.S., reaching over 1.8k people with their couples workshops.
ROLE: UX Research, UX/UI Design
PLATFORMS: Web and Mobile
TIMEFRAME: 2023 - Present
Old vs. new couples workshop page
Problem
Low number of signups for the couples workshops
Current Signups: Average 5-6 couples/workshop
Goal: 25 couples per workshop
Discover
Stakeholder Interview
KPI’s to measure:
Referral rates
Google reviews
Post-workshop surveys
How quickly are clients able to learn workshop tools and use them in their relationships?
User Interviews
14%
Referred by their therapist
35%
Referred by a friend
50%
Saw an ad through the Gottman therapy network
Using data from 143 past attendees
50% of couples quit OR attend a couples workshop after their first appointment package (4 sessions).
After 12 sessions, many couples either quit therapy or attend a workshop.
Requirements and Constraints
Legal Requirements - sensitive, private information
Business Constraints: There are very few “recurring members” because the Couples Workshop is a one-off for couples to learn certain tools. What other services can we offer to couples who have attended the workshop?
Competition: Gottman.com serves as a marketplace for 120 therapy practices offering couples workshops each year. This triggered HealingBridge’s need to stand out and cultivate a unique audience. Since being added to Gottman’s network, HealingBridge has successfully held 2 workshops each year with 10 couples on average at each. HealingBridge’s goal is to 25 couples/workshop, totaling 50 couples/year. This is projected to happen within the next 2-3 years.
Explore
Customer Journey Mapping - Key Insights
Workshops are dependent on referrals and the Gottman network.
Although the information was present on the website, almost every couple that signed up emailed with questions.
Transparency to both people in a couple is key = open communication lines
Here’s a visual for a customer finding and purchasing a HealingBridge Couples Workshop:
Is there an opportunity to stand out from the competition?
Include a cancellation policy
Use visual aids to display information clearly
Real photos from workshops instead of stock photos
Quotes/reviews from former attendees front and center
Competitor Sites
Why I chose the pattern I chose:
Mobile-first focused
Text punctuated by visuals for clarity and simplification
Empathetic marketing on the site shows real life workshops for emotional value
Based on Gottman marketplace (they have the most research on couples workshops)
Defining Personas
I found two patterns in my interviews and the data of 143 past workshop attendees:
The client referred to a HealingBridge Workshop by a friend
The client who is interested in the Gottman Method, has had at least 4 sessions at HealingBridge, and wants to learn more.
Personas
Accessibility
I was limited to a certain color range but made accessibility a primary focus as I designed the forward-facing site. As a result of user research, I incorporated transparency of price, quotes from past participants, moved the CTA above the fold, and included a FAQ’s section for any additional questions.
Further Impact
Beyond re-designing the Couples Workshop page, I made adjustments to the structure of the entire Couples Workshop signup system:
I created automations within our system when appropriate - freeing up our team’s time.
The data showed how valuable referrals AND the Gottman Institute are to our users so I recommended investing in advertising on Gottman’s website as well as instituting a referral promo to benefit users and the business all at once.
I also met with the Stakeholder and reviewed past participants’ feelings on traveling to the location and booking hotels. I suggested teaming up with a hotel for a group discount while offering the option for attending the Workshop virtually.
Automizing the user flow in scheduling
BEFORE:
AFTER:
Automizing first time appointments
HealingBridge uses “The Gottman Method,” a practice that requires clients to schedule their first four appointments all at once. My job was to automate this action, working with our developers to do so. First, I created the different types of services clients can choose when signing up. Then I created the ability to schedule a package (including up to four services). With the way our current system works, I had to create different types of packages depending on the user wanting a telehealth or in-person appointment.
To solve this problem, I created options to mix and match telehealth and in-person appointments in a first appointment package. Now, when the user schedules a session, they can not only choose telehealth or in-person appointments, but they can schedule all four of their first appointments at once without having to manually go back and schedule each of their first four appointments with fear of missing one.
Impact
After usability testing the new website, I incorporated a post-workshop survey into HealingBridge’s process for all workshop participants.
At the most recent workshop, there was a 326% increase in attendance, 20% increase in user satisfaction scores, and an influx of new clients requesting information for the next workshop.
The new website design also opened the door for adding “Singles Workshops” as a product because the Couples Workshop was so successful. With good practices in place, explicit KPI’s, and more of an understanding about our client-base, we were able to increase HealingBridge’s earnings per workshop by $13,482 while helping that many more couples reconnect in their relationship.