DIGITAL STRATEGIES FOR THE MICHAEL J. FOX FOUNDATION FOR PARKINSON’S
RESEARCH
HCOM 512 Digital Strategies for Health Communication
Summer 2014
Jacob M. Ehrlich
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report examines the digital strategies used by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for
Parkinson’s Research (MJFF). This report will first provide the rationale for using a digital
strategy, followed by a description of MJFF which will include its goals, values and vision. Next,
it will analyze and discuss MJFF’s – and its competitors’ – digital strategy through a competitive
analysis. The report concludes with decisions and recommendations about MJFF’s design,
content, and technology, and a revised digital strategy. Here, the goal is to identify areas for
MJFF to improve its current digital strategy and become more competitive organization.
RATIONALE
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research requires a digital presence to not
only be effective, but to survive. This is because millions of people are diagnosed with
Parkinson’s disease all over the world, and many cannot be reached using traditional means (e.g.,
paper newsletter or fundraising event). A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center’s
Internet & American Life Project (Pew) provided that 72% of internet users looked online for
health information within the past year, and 77% of those people began their last online session
using a search engine (e.g., Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.).1, 2 It would be an oversight to ignore
utilizing the Internet to reach these people in the face of these statistics. Further, 87% of U.S.
adults use the Internet, and 58% of U.S. adults own a smartphone (January 2014 survey).3 52%
of smartphone owners, have used their phone to look up health or medical information, and 19%
of smartphone owners have downloaded an app specifically to track or manage health.4
Additionally, half of online health information research performed by a proxy.5
It is important to consider 65+ demographic here because Parkinson’s disease affects older
adults. Pew found that 75% of adults age 65+ are living with at least one chronic health
condition, and that 54% of these adults use the Internet.6 Additionally, 12% of adults age 65+
own a smartphone, and 30% of adults age 65+ have looked online for health information in the
past year.7
Before moving on, it is important to mention that there is difference between having an
online presence and having a strategy. A strategy is a set of specific, attainable, measurable goals
that support a vision and mission, and puts those goals into a plan to achieve them. A strategy
requires strategic thinking – typically performed by a leadership team – used to assess plans in
1
Aron Smith Maeve Duggan, Social Media Update 2013, Pew Research Center's Internet &
American Life Project(2013), available at http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/12/30/social-mediaupdate-2013/. The remaining 13% began their search with a specialized health information
website.
2
Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, Health Fact Sheet, Pew Research
Center's Internet & American Life Project(2014), available at http://www.pewinternet.org/factsheets/health-fact-sheet/.
3
Id. at.
4
Id. at.
5
See, id. at. providing that a proxy is someone researching on behalf of another.
6
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the context of the environment, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and anything else
which may be a factor in achieving a goal.
ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW
Introduction: The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) was established
in 2000 with the sole purpose of finding a cure
for Parkinson’s disease.8 Many know the
foundation simply because of its celebrity
namesake, Michael J. Fox who was diagnosed
with Parkinson’s in 1991.9 MJFF has
aggressively and strategically positioned itself
to be a leader in funding Parkinson’s research
through their use of celebrity and Internet
presence.10
The foundation has grown to be the
largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's disease
research in the world,11 and is considered "the
most credible voice on Parkinson's research in
the world.”12_ MJFF uses leaders and experts in
science and business to strategically move their mission forward by awarding grants to
promising research that will produce a potential cures for Parkinson’s Disease.13 In addition to
MJFF’s research initiates, the organization has developed Four resources to help with their
mission:
Fox Trial Finder: A web-based matching tool – not optimized for mobile – that connects
patients to clinical trials for Parkinson’s disease.
Team Fox: Team Fox was launched in 2006 as The Michael J. Fox Foundation's
grassroots community initiative, which helps raise funds and awareness for Parkinson's
research.14 Additionally, MJFF drives an education and awareness initiative through its
biannual print newsletter, The Fox Focus, and bimonthly e-newsletter, Fox Flash.15
Additionally, they launched a podcast in 2010.16 MJFF also has an online resource for
patients with Parkinson’s disease called “Living with Parkinson’s,” which includes
8
Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for
Parkinson's Resarch, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Resarch(2014), available at
https://www.michaeljfox.org.
9
Id. at.
10
Id. at.
11
Id. at. stating MJFF has invested over $350 million in Parkinson’s research._
12
Id. at.
13
Id. at.
14
Id. at. providing that team Fox activities include marathons, community events, etc.
15
Id. at.
16
Id. at.
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educational information for newly diagnosed patients, caregivers, stories from people
living with the disease, and much more.17_
Fox Shop, which is the foundation’s online store which contains products for sale, and the
profits go to support MJFF.18
Mission: A mission statement defines an organization's purpose and primary objectives in a
concise, clear, and unique statement. This statement explains why the organization exists. The
Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research has a clear mission:
“The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease
through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of
improved therapies for those living with Parkinson’s today.”19
Vision: A vision statement – like a mission statement – defines an organization's purpose. It
differs from a mission statement in that it focuses on the organizations aspirations and goals.
This is typically manifested in a brief written statement that is both compelling and inspiring.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s mission meets this criteria: “[A] world in which Parkinson's
disease is no more.”20
Values: An organization’s values refer to the shared beliefs within the organization. The
Michael J. Fox Foundation’s values are extensive and stated on the organizations webpage. Their
values are strategically written, focusing on patients first, then followed by business efficiency
related values:
 “We are 100% patient-focused. Our team works tirelessly every day with one urgent
goal in mind: Accelerating breakthroughs patients can feel in their everyday lives.
We strive to make progress in the following key areas by evaluating risk,
opportunities, and challenges through a patient-focused lens:
o Speed treatments that can slow, stop or reverse the progression of Parkinson’s
disease.
o Speed better treatments for the currently unaddressed or under-addressed
symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
o Speed treatments to address or avoid the debilitating side effects of current
Parkinson’s disease drugs.
 We are obsessed with efficiency. We operate with a focused sense of optimistic
urgency to find a cure for Parkinson's and to ensure the development of improved
therapies for people living with Parkinson's today. We won't stop until a cure is
found. We're on it.
 We won’t stop until a cure is found. We take pride in all our accomplishments so far.
But ultimately we have only one definition of success: Scientific solutions that
17
Id. at.
Id. at.
19
Annual Report 2012 – Progress. pt. 47 (2012).
20 J/P HRO, We Are J/P HRO – Saving Lives and Bringing Sustainable Programs to the Haitian
People(2014), available at http://jphro.org.
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

produce tangible improvements in patients’ lives.
We are risk-takers and problem-solvers. From inception, MJFF has invested in highrisk, high-reward research targets; an approach that in 10 short years has
transformed the broader approach in the PD research field.
Our model is different. It is accepted practice among private disease research
funders that the most important decisions — how to allocate donor-raised dollars —
are made by external scientific advisors and boards. We bucked this model from day
one in favor of building an in-house team of formally trained PhDs and businesstrained project managers.”21
Target Audience: Patients, Donors/Investors, Pharmaceuticals.
Current Online Presence: MJFF has a robust internet presence, which is likely due to their
dedicated Digital Strategy Department. The Digital Strategy department “oversees the
Foundation’s Web properties and social media strategy. The team also works to drive forward
technology-enabled solutions to increase patient engagement in Parkinson’s research and make
data and knowledge sharing more efficient for scientists at work in the field.”22
The organization’s main webpage https://www.michaeljfox.org features up to date news
and information regarding Parkinson’s research. The page provides users with three options
when they arrive. A user can either donate to advance research, fundraise, or participate in a
fundraising event. However, there is no information available on the main webpage to get users
to the Fox Trial Finder webpage. https://foxtrialfinder.michaeljfox.org. The first image below is
the organization’s main webpage which is optimized for desktop and mobile platforms. The
second image is for the Fox Trial Finder, which was created by MJFF as an as a resource to
increase the number of patients in clinical trials (note, it is not optimized for mobile).
21
The Michael J. Fox Foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation's Promise to Parkinson's
Patients(2014), available at https://www.michaeljfox.org/foundation/promise.html.
22
The Michael J. Fox Foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Prakinson's Research
– Foundation Staff – Digital Strategy(2014), available at
https://www.michaeljfox.org/foundation/leaders.html?digital-strategy.
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Social Media: The organization has an extensive social media presence. All of their accounts
are updated frequently with synopsis tailored to the specific platform.
Blog: The blog is a simple
resource providing short articles
ranging from informative
scientific information to fun
quizzes for users.
Other Social Media: MJFF tailors its content to meet the needs of the platform. Below are
screenshots for Facebook, LinkdIn, Twitter, Instagram and Google+.
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MJFF also has a active Pinterest and Flickr accounts. However, their Flickr account is poorly
utilized, only containing five photos. Below are screenshots of both MJFF accounts:
Additionally, MJFF has utilizes their YouTube page quite nicely, with clear images and easy
navigation.
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STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, THREATS
PRIMARY GOALS AND MEASURES OF SUCCESS
Primary goals and measures of success pertaining to digital strategy achievable during
planning horizon:
Goal 1: Increase the number of patients connected to clinical trials through Fox Trial
Finder by 20% within 7 months.
Measure of success 1: Analytics and Survey Research.
Goal 2: Increase the number of users who return to the site by 50%.
Measure of success 2: Analytics and Survey Research.
Goal 3: Increase the flow of users to MJFF’s webpage who seek partnership or funding
opportunities.
Measure of success 3: Website traffic, contracts, and analytics.
Planning horizon (time frame): These goals and the following strategies are designed to be
achieved within a one year time frame.
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PERSONAS
Introduction: Personas refer to the prototypical user who will interact with an organization (e.g.,
through a webpage, application, social media, etc.). They are created through a collaborative
brainstorming process with the intent of (1) creating realistic models of the key user’s attributes
and goals, and (2) avoiding two catastrophic design flaws: designing for oneself23 and designing
for everyone. Here, four personas with triggering scenarios are outlined in the text below:
Michael the patient, Allen the researcher, Britney the Investor, and Rebecca the
daughter/attorney. Therefore, personas allow one to effectively and efficiently design for a
specific audience, and understand that audience’s behaviors.
Personas Defined: A persona is an extensive narrative of a single “person” who represents a
targeted segment population. Often, personas are distilled from real life (i.e., observing real
people, surveys, focus groups, etc.). Personas also include a description of a day in the life of that
person, including events and triggers which lead the person to, in this instance, to a website.
There are many benefits which result from the process of developing personas. A persona
allows designers to empathize with/give a “face” to the end user, and understand the target
audience/user and their specific needs (e.g., owns a smartphone but not a computer).By
understanding the end user, personas can inspire the design process for specific audiences (i.e.,
making a webpage more appealing, useable, and/or effective). Additionally, they allow one to (1)
prioritize what changes need to be made to effectively meet the audience’s needs, and (2)
evaluate how well a proposed solution will meet the audiences needs.
Process for Developing Personas: The process for creating persons is important.
Step 1: Select characteristics for the personas to add realism and relevance (e.g.,
demographics). This also includes information about health literacy skills,
conditions, and any disabilities that may impact the users ability to use the
resource. It is important to consider the devices the end user owns and where
they use them because we are working to develop a digital strategy.
Step 2: Construct the personas. To do this, one should reference the characteristics
defined population in the first step that represent the population’s health status,
demographics, and environment.
Step 3: Develop a scenario describing a day in the life of that persona by creating
scenarios for each persona. This takes a narrative format which describes the
persona’s daily habits and interactions.
Step 4: Create a triggering event scenario in which an incident causes the user to initially
interact with the organization. This takes the form of a timeline or “customer
journey” which envisions key events during the day related to a health topic such
as meals, fitness, pain, medication, stress, etc. A trigger or inciting incident is an
one that catalyzes the persona to take an action. One should consider whether the
trigger were external or internal (e.g., caused by another, or arose from persona’s
23
Also referred to as the egocentric intuition fallacy of designers.
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own thoughts). One should also consider whether technology is important to the
persona, and whether the persona had any expectations or needs. It should also
consider repeat use by the persona (i.e., was the first experience positive or
rewarding enough to return).
Step 5: The fourth step is to evaluate the personas. This involves asking the following
questions:
1. Are the personas realistic?
2. Are they comprehensive?
3. Are the characteristics distributed well?
4. Do you need to validate your personas and, if so, how will you do so?
Step 6: Consider what was learned from developing the personas. This helps answer
questions about how, why, and when digital resources would and should be used.
It also allows the designer to address design, content, and technology issues
which may interfere with the personas use.
Persona 1 – Michael the Patient:
Michael is a seventy-year-old widower who
lives with his daughter in Boston,
Massachusetts. Michael was born in Santa
Barbra, California and moved to the East
coast to attend Brown University. He had a
love for education and had always dreamed
of being a professor. Upon graduating from
Brown, Michael attended a PhD program in
classic literature at Harvard University.
After earning his PhD., Michael accepted an
adjunct faculty position at Harvard where he
met his wife Emily.
Michael and Emily decided to move
out of the city and have a family after a few
years of marriage. They had one daughter,
Rebecca. Michael and Emily loved the feel, the smell, and the look of books and paper, and did
not believe in exposing their child to the internet or television when she was growing up, and
thus never became versed in digital world surrounding them. They only had a desktop computer
at home for work and a television that they would use occasionally to watch movies.
The years passed and Rebecca graduated from high school, went to college, and attended
graduate school. She moved to Boston – because she did not want to be too far from her family
– where she met her husband Mark. Michael and Emily were happy that their daughter had found
her way in the world and started a family. They were also happy to have some extra space in
their house.
Michael and Emily were about to face hard times. Michael was diagnosed with Parkinson’s
disease a few weeks after Rebecca moved to Boston. Neither Michael nor Emily knew too much
how health, and the only resource they trusted was their doctor. Michael did not know much
about his condition, except that his doctor told him it would severely impact his life, and that
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some really promising research and clinical trials were being done. He was having a difficult
time processing what was happening in his life. Emily took it upon herself to learn everything
she could about his condition. Tragically, Emily died from a stroke while she was out walking
their dog the morning of Michael’s follow-up appointment.
Stricken with grief and unable to take care of himself, Michael moved into his daughter’s
house in Beacon Hill. He has been living there for the past eight years, and his condition is
worsening. He experiences sever tremors, and requires lots of care. He hopes for a cure for
Parkinson’s disease, but feels doubtful because he is not educated about the disease.
A day in the life of Michael: Every day Michael wakes up at 5:30 AM and looks over at the
space to his left. In his mind, the left side of the bed will always be Emily’s. Once out of bed,
Michael gets up and starts his morning by brushing his teeth. This simple task has become a
battle because of his tremors: it takes him three to five minutes to get the toothpaste onto the end
of his toothbrush. Michael’s morning continues with walking down the stairs to have breakfast
with his Rebecca and Mark, who are both “early risers” as well. After the usual morning
conversation, Rebecca and Mark leave to drop off their daughter Ashley for school. Michael then
begins to read the paper editions of the New York Times, Boston Globe, and the Washington
Post. He still has a love for reading. However, this proves difficult because he cannot get the
paper to stay still due to his tremors. Eventually he frustrated and resorts to watching television,
typically the news or a PBS documentary. This takes up most of his day until Ashley returns
from school at around 3:30 PM. This is Michaels favorite part of the day because he gets to
spend time with his granddaughter and help her with her homework. At around 6:00 PM Rebecca
and Mark return from work, and Rebecca starts to cook dinner. Michael wants to help, but he
cannot do much because his hands shake too much. He sits at the table and watches the television
that is on in the kitchen until dinner is served. After dinner, Michael sits on the couch for an hour
or so, and then heads to bed at around 10:00 PM.
Scenario: Michael has just sat down to read his morning news paper. After about twenty
minutes, he begins to get frustrated and turns on the television to watch CNN or a documentary
PBS. He turns on the television and beings watching a Ken Burns documentary on baseball.
After a few minutes he remembers that while he enjoys Ken Burns’ work, he really does not like
baseball. Michael changes the channel to CNN and catches the end of a segment on dementia
and degenerative disorders. The lead correspondent is interviewing Michael J. Fox about
Parkinson’s disease, who mentions their work with clinical trials and funding research. Michael
J. Fox says that viewers should visit their website for more information. However, Michael could
not remember the name of the website once the program ended. Michael goes to the family
computer to find more information. Not being computer savvy, he just types in “Michael J. Fox”
and only looks at the first three results without scrolling down. He sees the Michael J. Fox
foundation, Wikipedia, and IMDB webpages. He clicks on the foundation link, and three phrases
displayed across the center of the page stand out: (1) donate to advance research, (2) fundraise
with team fox, and (3) participate in your area. When Michael sees the word participate he thinks
this means that this is an option to participate in a clinical trial. He was intrigued by the idea that
he could get help with his condition after he heard Michael J. Fox speak. He clicked the word
participate and was taken to a webpage to find fundraising events to participate in. This was not
what he was looking for and becomes overwhelmed with trying to look for the information he
wanted. He gets up from the computer and walks back to watch more television.
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Takeaway: A persona like Michael is difficult to reach because of his preferences and
experiences. Michael was a professor and has a fondness for words written on paper. He holds
paper documents to be more reliable and truthful than digital information. This becomes difficult
when trying to reach him over the Internet because it is not his go to resource.
Persona 2 – Allen the Researcher:
Allen is a forty-five year old researcher at a
small biotechnology firm in Seattle,
Washington. Education, science and
technology, and the outdoors fascinate him.
Allen had always been interested in science
and technology, but it was not until he was
in high school did he know what his wanted
to do in life: cure Parkinson’s disease. The
thing is, Allen was raised in Washington,
D.C. by a single mother who had
Parkinson’s. She cared for him as a child,
but when Allen reached high school their
roles reversed: Allen became his mother’s caretaker. He would come home during his lunch
periods and after school to take care of her because they did not have the finances to afford
daytime care. He saw his mother go from a capable woman to someone who needed around the
clock care in just few years. At the end of high school her condition had progress to the point that
she had to live in an assisted living facility.
When Allen left for college, he knew what future he wanted, which meant he needed a lot
of education. He earned a B.S. from Amherst College. Allen then went to Northwestern
University where he earned an M.S. in developmental psychology, followed by a PhD in
Neuroscience from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During his PhD program, he met
his future wife Laura at a supermarket, and they have been married for nearly five years.
Armed with his impressive education, Allen was able to leverage a lucrative position as
the Director of Research at a promising new biotechnology company in Seattle, Washington. He
was attracted to the company because it was created with one mission in mind: to cure
Parkinson’s disease. He knew that this was the job for him and could not ignore this opportunity.
His deep clinical knowledge and person experience is instrumental in his career. As the director
of research, he has to find funding for new research, communicate with other departments
internally, and collaborate with external organizations.
A Day in the Life of Allen: Allen wakes up at 6:00 AM and heads down to the kitchen. He
opens the fridge and begins to make what he refers to as his “morning cocktail,” which is a
freshly juiced vegetable juice. Next, he calls his mother in Washington, D.C. to catch up before
he heads to work. At 7:15 AM Allen helps get his kids ready for school and heads to work. He
usually arrives at work a few minutes before 8:00 AM. Once there, his day usually begins with
an employee meeting, followed by reviewing daily progress reports and back-to-back morning
meetings. Allen goes for a run after his last morning meeting instead of taking a typical lunch
break to clear his mind. He returns to work after his run and has lunch while reviewing ideas for
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new research proposals. From 3:00 PM until 5:00 PM he meets with his employees and helps
with research projects. He believes that a director of research needs to be in the trenches with the
employees to fully understand their projects. At 5:00 PM, Allen heads home and has dinner with
his children. After putting his daughters to sleep, He spends the rest of his night on the sofa or
front porch relaxing with his wife.
Scenario: Allen heads to work at around 7:15 AM and gets to the office a few minutes before
8:00 AM. Once there, he checks in with his employees and starts reviewing his department’s
progress. He sees that some of their projects are coming to an end and that the company needs
more funding for future research. Allen turns on his office computer and begins his search for
new funding. His company traditionally received funds from the Government and private
investors. Allen felt that these resources were a bit painful to deal with, so he went online and
typed “Parkinson’s research grant.” The first result he gets is for the Michael J. Fox foundation,
and he clicks on the link. He is taken to the foundation’s “Funding Opportunities” page, which
he finds easy to navigate. The application process makes sense, but he has questions about the
maximum amount of funding they provide in their grants. He is curious about this because his
company usually requests large grants. He clicks the “FAQ For Applying For A Grant,” but is
unable to find the answer he is looking for. He gets lost in an expansive list of questions and
answers. He returns to the previous page to contact their research team. However, Allen is
redirected to the general contact information page for the foundation where he can either call
their toll-free number, or fill out a generic contact form. He calls the number, but no one picks up
and he has to leave a message. A few minutes later he submits an inquiry through the form, but
feels that he might not get a response.
Takeaway: Allen presents an interesting problem: how to reach someone that is already plugged
in? He is educated, and versed in the topic. Additionally, he searches for this information daily.
So why is he difficult to reach? The problem is that because he understands the problem so well
and has such limited time, he is looking for very specific information very quickly. If Allen does
not see what he is looking for instantaneously, then he moves on to another resource.
Persona 3 – Britney the Investor: Britney is a thirtyfour year old investor working for a life-sciences private
equity firm in Boston, MA. Her friends would tell you she
is one of the most driven women they know. Britney went
Mount Holyoke College in Northampton, MA, and then
attended the Wharton School of the University of
Pennsylvania where she earned an MBA and graduated at
the top of her class. She is an athletic and healthy young
woman who is really into health and exercise. Britney is
most proud of herself for completing the Boston
Marathon this past spring.
Britney was born in Vail, Colorado and moved to
Phoenix, Arizona when she was seven years old. She
moved around a lot as a child because her parents were in
the military, but for some reason always returned to
Phoenix every few years. Britney was adventurous and
fun from a young age.
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Britney’s interest in health is nothing new. She had always been interested in science and
health. After graduating from her MBA program, Britney realized that she could maybe find a
job in working on the business side of operations of a company concerned wit health, from either
a business management or investing position. After some networking, Britney used her business
acumen to leverage a career in investing at a small Boston-based life-sciences private equity
firm.
Her job is highly stressful, and she is often traveling across the country. This requires her
to be connected to everything from her work email to social media. Whether it's a short drive
into work or a flight to California, Britney never leaves home without her phone and tablet. Her
primary job duty is finding new opportunities her company to partner with nonprofit foundations
to fund clinical research and development, or supply seed money to small startup biotechnology
companies.
A Day in the life of Britney: Britney’s day is planned from the moment she wakes up to the
time she falls asleep. She wakes up at 5:00 AM and goes on a five mile run along the Charles
River. After her run she has breakfast, reads the news on her tablet, and then gets ready for work.
She takes the subway into work and listens to music on her phone while checking her Facebook.
Britney arrives at the office at 8:45 AM, about fifteen minutes before her coworkers arrive. From
the time she arrives at work until noon, Britney is on the phone and reading financial documents.
This is the only time she is unplugged from the Internet. From 12:15 PM until 1:00 PM Britney
has lunch with her coworkers at a local restaurant. She begins searching for new partnership
opportunities immediately after she returns from lunch. This takes up the remainder of her day
until 6:00 PM when she leaves work. Before heading home, she goes to the gym for an hour and
then heads home and has dinner and falls asleep.
Scenario: After lunch, Britney comes back to her office and begins to search for partnership
opportunities on the Internet. She visits her usual websites, but does not see anything promising.
She types into Google “disease foundations funding research” and scrolls down the page to
review the results. At the bottom of the page Britney sees the Michael J. Fox Foundation For
Parkinson’s Research and clicks the link. Once on the website she has an instant feeling of
comfort. This is because the website’s design appeals to her. Looking at the top of the page, she
sees the words “Get Involved.” Britney places her cursor over the words and a menu appears
with different ways to be involved. None of these apply to her firm though. She loos under the
“For Researchers” to see if she can find information about partnering with MJFF and sees two
options: (1) Novel Partnerships, and (2) Partnering Program. She looks at both of them and
clicks the “contact us” link which brings her to a generic submission form page. She fears that
they will not get back to her soon enough and gives them a call, however she does not get
through to their office. She looks at the webpage some more to see if she can find additional
information. However, she does not find what she is looking for, gives up on MJFF. She starts
looking at another website.
Takeaway: Britney is very different from the other personas. She has a business mentality and is
focused on the mechanics of the business, rather than the specific disease. Britney is looking for
partnership opportunities and no knowledge concerning Parkinson’s disease. This means that
“Parkinson’s disease” is not a search term or condition she thinks to search for. She performs
generic searches. Therefore, Britney is quite hard to reach.
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Persona 4 – The Daughter: Rebecca is a
thirty-seven years old attorney in Boston,
Massachusetts. She grew up in a home were
education was the priority, and the Internet
and television were of little importance. The
years passed and Rebecca graduated from
high school, and went to college and graduate
school. She moved to Boston – because she
did not want to be too far from her family
– where she met her husband Mark.
Rebecca has always had a passion for
learning. Perhaps it was inherited from her
parents. She loves to go on the Internet and
learn a about new topics when she has a free
moment. Whether its reading the news on her
tablet, listening to a podcast on her phone, or
event researching on he desktop computer,
Rebecca will search absorb new information
like a sponge. The only thing is that she has
very little time to do this because of her hectic work schedule. Lately her work has been taking
up more time and her ability to take time to learn something new has diminished greatly.
A few weeks after Rebecca and Mark moved into their home with their daughter Ashley,
Rebecca’s mother died from a stroke. Stricken with grief, and worried about her father, she asked
him to move into her house in Beacon Hill. He has been living with her for the past eight years.
His condition is worsening and she is worry about him.
A day in the life of Rebecca: Rebecca wakes up at 5:00 AM to start her day. Once she is up, she
walks down to the kitchen for breakfast where she typically eats with her father and husband.
They are usually joined by their daughter a few minutes later. At 7:15 AM Rebecca and Mark
leave to drop off their daughter off for school and head to work. They both work at the John
Hancock building in Copley Square, so they get to spend their commute together. Their main
topic of conversation during their commute is Rebecca’s father who is really declining. Upon
arriving they go to their respective offices for the remainder of the morning. Rebecca spends her
morning replying to emails, meeting with clients, and taking the occasional break to walk around
the office. At noon she meets her husband downstairs for lunch. They usually go to a salad
restaurant across the street from their work for about an hour, then return to work at 1:00 PM.
Rebecca afternoons are very busy, so she spends the rest of her work day meeting with clients,
drafting documents, and making phone calls. At 6:00 PM Rebecca and Mark meet at the entrance
to their building and walk home. They talk about their days and arrive home at 6:30 PM. Once
home, Rebecca begins cooking dinner. Her father who is sitting at the table with Ashley wants to
help prepare dinner. Rebecca wishes that he could, but is afraid he will drop something or hurt
himself and urges him to sit at the table and relax while she prepares dinner. She helps him with
his dinner, cutting his food and sometimes feeding it to him. Rebecca watches a movie with
Mark in the same rom where her father sometimes comes to sit with them. After her father goes
to sleep at around 10:00 PM, Rebecca and Mark clean up the kitchen and head to bed.
16
Scenario: After returning home from work, Rebecca turns on the family computer to check
some personal emails. She sees that her father was the last person to use the computer and had
been searching for information on clinical trials for Parkinson’s disease. Rebecca is interested
and searches a bit more. She reads about MJFF and finds a link to learn more about clinical trials
under “Get Involved” on MJFF’s main webpage. Rebecca reads through the information and
clicks “Find a Trial” and then “Register Today.” At this point she is redirected to another
website: https://foxtrialfinder.michaeljfox.org which makes her a little confused because it looks
different. Because her time is limited, she logs out of the computer to start cooking dinner. After
dinner she mentions to her father after that she found some information about clinical trials for
Parkinson’s and would like to talk to him more about it. However, he does not want to talk
about, and says “I looked earlier and couldn’t find anything helpful. Maybe another time.” She
wished that he was able to find the same information she found.
Takeaway: Rebecca is an interesting character. She represents a secondary audience. A
secondary audience is one that influences the primary audience (that would be Michael in her
situation). Rebecca presents the unique challenge of dealing with family dynamics and
generational gaps. Designing for someone like Rebecca who has very limited time means that a
digital materials must be well designed and easy to use, allowing the user to get what they want
right away.
COMPETATIVE ANALYSIS
Introduction: In this section three organizations will be compared to the Michael J. Fox
Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. These organizations are: (PRODUCT)(RED), J/P HRO, and
Joan Lunden’s website. While these organizations are not concerned with Parkinson’s Disease
research, they are all primarily focused on seeking funding, donations, or product purchases to
drive an initiative, and they do it effectively. The goal of this section is to conduct a competitive
analysis. At the end of the analysis, the goal is to take away information and strategies which
may be beneficial to an organization with constructing a strategy.
Competitive Analysis Defined: A competitive analysis helps an organization identify
competitors’ strategies, and determine what should be borrowed, avoided, and distinguished to
have a successful online presence. Borrowed refers to borrowing an effective strategy from the
competitor. Avoiding refers to what the competition does poorly. Distinguishing refers to taking
that information and determining an organization stands out from the competition based on its
strengths.
The process for conducing a competitive analysis can be broken down into three steps.
First, identify the organization’s competitors. These may already be known. It is possible to
identify additional competitors based on the target users/personas consider their behaviors (e.g.,
tasks they would try to accomplish, search terms they would use, information they read that
would lead them there, the conduits or secondary audiences that would direct them there, etc.).
The Competition:
(PRODUCT)(RED) is the 2006 product of U2 singer Bono and journalist/activist/attorney
17
Bobby Sriver.24 The idea behind the initiative was to inspire individuals and businesses to
be involved in the fight against
AIDS.25 The organization’s
strategy is to license
(PRODUCT)(RED) as a brand to
partner companies which have
included Apple Inc., Converse,
Armani, Microsoft, American
Express, Nike, and many
others.26 The organization
requires 100% of the funds
generated by
(PRODUCT)(RED)’s partners and
events is deposited in the Global
Fund’s programs which provide
medical and support services for
individuals living with
HIV/AIDS in Africa.27
Joan Lunden’s website’s main
mission to educate people about
breast cancer.28 She is also the
face of many smaller initiatives,
which include caregiving,
ageing, and general health. Joan
became famous as the host of
Good Morning America, and has
continued the capitalize on her
fame by founding life changing
ventures women (e.g., Camp
Reveille women’s retreat,
caregiving serves for seniors,
and much more).29 She has also
built strong industry alliances
with for profit and nonprofit organizations and has a strong social media presence.30
24
RED, (PRODUCT)(RED), RED, available at http://www.red.org/en/.
Id. at.
26
Id. at.
27
Id. at. stating the organization has generated over $150 million for HIV/AIDS programs in
Africa
28
Joan Lunden, Joan Lunden, Creating a Health Lifestyle for a Better Tomorrow, available at
http://www.joanlunden.com.
29
Id. at.
30
Id. at.
25
18
J/P Haitian Relief
Organization (J/P HRO) is
a non-profit organization
founded Sean Penn in
response to the 2010 Haiti
earthquake.31
J/P HRO focuses its
programs on supporting J/P
HRO-managed camp
residents transition from
homeless life to community
living after the earthquake.32
The foundation strives
to build sustainable and
prosperous communities. J/P HRO collaborates with government leaders, communities,
donors, NGO’s and many other agencies.33 Additionally, the organization has an extensive
internet and social media presence.34
HRO, We Are J/P HRO – Saving Lives and Bringing Sustainable Programs to the Haitian
People. 2014.
32
Id. at.
33
Id. at.
34
Id. at.
31
19
The Michael J Fox
Foundation
Joan Lunden
Purpose: How clear
are the purpose and
goals of the site at a
glance from name,
tagline, logo, and
imagery?
 Very clear purpose.
The logo explains
what they do and
uses nice imagery.
 However, the tagline
is not effective.
Hard to tell whether
it is: “Our
challenges don’t
define us, actions
do.” Or if it is
“think/able”
 Not clear quite clear
from the splash
page. The slogan
does not convey a
sense of what
website is all about.
There does not seem
to be a logo. While
there is a section for
breast cancer, it is
only part of a
scrolling screen
image.
(PRODUCT)(RED)
J/P HRO
 Not clear from the site’s
main page. There is not
tag line or description.
 There are just three
words at the top of the
page: Shop, Act, Learn.
 Very clear what the
organization is
about from the main
webpage.
 However, the name
J/P HRO is
confusion. The user
does not get what
the J/P stands for
simply by reading
the name and about
page.
Users: Is the target
audience clear through
text, images, stories, or
testimonials?
 The target audience
is very clear from
 The target audience
the use of images,
seems to be women.
and text. It is clear
From the main
that they are
splash page and all
attracting
the imagery it seems
individuals who
to be older women
either want to
(no one under 30
donate, fundraise, or
years old).
get involved in some
manner.
 The target audience
seems to be consumers
and businesses.
 It’s hard to tell from
the webpage.
 Seems like they are
targeting all users.
Organizational
branding: Are the
organization and site
purpose clearly
portrayed through
name, tagline, logo,
imagery, or text? Is
 Their branding is
consistent across the
all platforms.
 There is a mission
statement.
 Very clear banding. Red
parenthesis throughout.
Very consistent and well
designed.
 There is a mission
statement.
 Consistent branding
throughout website
and social media.
 There is a mission
statement.
 Their branding is
consistent across the
all platforms.
 There is no mission
statement.
20
there a mission
statement or an “about
us”?
External affiliations:
Is there branding from
other organizations,
accreditation (such as
HONcode),
sponsorship, or
advertising? Are there
celebrity sponsors?
 The only external
affiliations seem to
be at the bottom of
the page. There are
no advertisements
on the main page.
 Lots of external
affiliations and
advertisements
below the fold.
Design: How
professional is the
design? Characterize
the design (modern,
dated, simple, busy,
etc.) and if the design
seems effective for the
site purpose and users.
 Very professional
and effective design.
It is clear that a lot
of time and
consideration went
into executing the
website design.
 Professionally
designed. It does not
have a unique look
though. It is very
commercial and
generic.
 Users will get the
feeling that it is a
lifestyle blog rather
than a professional’s
website.
Section organization:
Is information
segmented by content
type, user roles, or user
needs?
Layout and
navigation: How
organized are the
layout and navigation?
Are options apparent
 It is organized by
user type and needs,
and then content
type.
 Extremely well
organized.
 Seems to be
organized by
content type, rather
than the potential
user’s role or needs.
 Well laid out and
easy to navigate.
Some of the main
content is buried
within menus.
 Lots of external
affiliations: Beats,
Apple, CocaCola, Bank
of America, Starbucks,
etc. Uses celebrity
sponsors.
 Not on the main
page, but lots of
external affiliation
on “About” page.
 Very professional and
effective design. It is
clear that a lot of time
and consideration went
into executing the
website design.
 Professional and
effective design.
 While professional,
it comes across
feeling corporate,
rather than an
organization
dedicated to helping
people due to the
Haiti earthquake.
 Comes across as a
consulting firm.
 The information is
segmented by user and
type.
 Very easy to navigate.
There is only three
options to scroll down
the page, click one of the
 By content type.
 Well laid out and
easy to navigate.
Some of the main
content is buried
within menus.
21
and clearly labeled?
Does content seem
easily accessible or
buried?
Expert content: What
are the expertgenerated components
(including text,
graphics, audio, video,
blogs, directions, ask
an expert, and
quizzes)? Are there
supporting titles,
synopses, links, and
imagery?
option in the banner, or
look at social media.
 Very simple and
intuitive.
 All of the
information on the
site is expert
generated (text,
images, blogs,
etc.).
 All of the
information on the
site is expert
generated (text,
images, blogs,
etc.).
Authorship and
oversight: Are authors
listed and, if so, are
their credentials
available? Is there an
advisory board or
clinician involvement?
Is there a review
process?
 Authors are listed
for nearly
everything written
on the website. The
author’s name is
highlighted in
orange and listed at
the top of the page.
Names are clickable
and take the user to
a different page with
a synopsis of the
author.
 It seems that
everything is written
by Joan Lunden.
Currency: Does
information seem
timely and recent? Are
dates included for
when content was
 Frequently updated
with publication
dates.
 Frequently updated
with publication
dates.
 All of the information on
the site is expert
generated (text, images,
blogs, etc.).
 All of the
information on the
site is expert
generated (text,
images, blogs,
etc.).
 None Listed
 Authorship is not
provided. Only the
posting date is
provided.
 Frequently updated, but
no publication dates.
 Not frequently
updated. Last update
was in November
2013.
22
published and
reviewed?
Health literacy and
readability: Is the
content easy to
understand? Is there
any confusing
language, jargon, or
abbreviations? Are the
reading and health
literacy levels
appropriate?
Language: Which
languages are
available?
User-generated
content: What are the
user-generated
components (including
stories, blogs,
discussion forums,
videos, likes,
comments, ratings, and
reviews)? Can content
be shared? Is “most
read” or “most
emailed” content
listed? Is usergenerated content
delineated from expert
 The content is very
easy to understand
and clearly written
with little jargon.
 English only but can
be translated into
other languages
using Google
translate.
 None, except for
some comments.
 The content is very
easy to understand
and clearly written
with little jargon.
 The content is very easy
to understand and clearly
written with little jargon.
 The content is very
easy to understand
and clearly written
with little jargon.
 English only but can
be translated into
other languages
using Google
translate.
 English only but can be
translated into other
languages using Google
translate.
 English only but can
be translated into
other languages
using Google
translate.
 There seems to be a
fair mix of expert
and user generated
content. Users can
contribute through a
“share your story”
popup window.
 None
 None
23
content?
Policies: Are there
explicit privacy
policies or ones for
how user-generated
components are
managed, organized, or
moderated?
Registration: Can
users register or create
profiles to personalize
content or appearance?
Can users login and, if
so, what are their
benefits?
Notifications: Can
users subscribe to
newsletters or new
content alerts?
Transactions: Can
users make donations
or purchases?
 Yes, located at the
bottom of every
page.
 Yes, located at the
bottom of every
page.
 Yes, located at the
bottom of every page.
 Yes, located at the
bottom of every
page.
 No registration
option to build a
profile on main
webpage, but can
build one if user
joins a fundraising
event.
 No registration
option to build a
profile.
 No registration option to
build a profile.
 No registration
option to build a
profile.
 Users can sign up
for email updates.
 Users can sign up
for email updates.
 Users can sign up for
email updates.
 Users can sign up
for email updates.
 Yes, Users can shop
directly from the
webpage.
 Yes, Users can shop
directly from the
webpage.
 Users can make
donations and
purchases through
the website.
 There is a mobile
version of the main
website which is
designed to mimic
the main webpage.
 Active social
Social media: Which
media:
social media
technologies are used?
 Facebook
Are they integrated into
 Twitter
Mobile: Is there an app
or a mobile website? Is
responsive design
used?
 Users can buy her
books or book her
for speaking events
directly through the
website.
 There is a mobile
version of the main
website which is
designed to mimic
the main webpage.
 Active social
media:
 Facebook
 Twitter
 There is a mobile
version of the main
website which is
designed to mimic the
main webpage.
 Active social media:
 Facebook
 Twitter
 Pinterest
 There is no mobile
opitmization
 Active social
media:
 Facebook
 Twitter
24
the site or a set of
icons?
Overall assessment:
What are the best and
worst features of the
site?




Pinterest
Instigram
YouTube
Google+
 Best aspect:
 its eye catching
professional design.
 Worst aspect:
 With all of the
design, there are
places where users
may get lost.
 Pinterest
 Instigram
 Google+
 Best aspect:
 Branding of Joan.
Her face appears at
the top of every
page and her name
is mentioned at least
three times before a
user scrolls down
the page.
 ADD IN WHAT I
DISLIKE ABOUT
IT
 Instigram
 Google+
 Best aspect:
 Great design that is
modern and appeal to
most users.
 Worst aspect:
 Too
professional/commercial.
Feels like a store’s
website and not an
organization tying to
make a difference.
 Does not feel
personalized to the user.




Pinterest
Instigram
Whosay
Google+
 Best aspect:
 Clear and well
designed.
 Worst Aspect:
 Uses a grey font on
black background.
Makes it hard to
read.
25
What have you learned from the analysis that you can:
Borrow:
a. Joan Lunden: Consistent name placement and banner across website.
b. (RED): Simple design.
c. J/H HRO: Clear organized links which take the user to exactly what they say.
Avoid:
a. Joan Lunden: The generic feel and lifestyle feel of the website.
b. (RED): Lack of transparency and “e-store” design.
c. J/H HRO: The corporate design.
Distinguish yourselves:
a. Use consistent design and color scheme.
b. Unique status of being a powerful organization funding disease.
c. Professional tone that is still inviting to patients.
DECISIONS
[Design, Content, Technology, and Strategy]
Design Overview: The first question to ask is whether the visual design characteristics help the
user understand the information and use the site/app? This involves answering the following
questions:
 Can I read/use it?35
 Can I skim and get the gist to help me decide if I want to read?
 Are there images or video that help explain the content?
 Can I tell what will happen if I click? Do the design of controls indicate what will
happen? Can I see feedback from what I did
The second question to ask is whether the design is helpful: Does it make sense? This involves
answer questions like:
 Can I see where I am?
 Can I see where to click? Are the actions and links clear?
 Can I tell what will happen if I click? Do the design of controls indicate what will
happen?
 Can I tell what changed? Can I see feedback from what I did?
The idea here is that the site should appeal to the target audience, and thus be easily understood,
trusted and useable by the target audience from the moment it is viewed.
Decisions About Design:
1. Color is Key: The current design is inconsistent between the MichaelJFox.org and
FoxTrialFinder.MichaelJFox.org. The use of imagery and color is inconsistent:
35
I.e., is the font and color scheme appropriate?
26
MichaelJFox.org uses blue, orange, and white throughout the website, while
FoxTrialFinder.MichaelJFox.org only uses orange, white, and grey. This may not seem
like a big difference, but they appear as being only tangentially connected, rather than
fully integrated.
By correcting the
color issues, it may
make a user like
Rebecca or Michael
more likely to
continue searching on
the webpage because
it makes it feel like
the user does not
have to become
acquainted with
another resource.
2. Consistency is key: First glance the Michael J. Fox foundation seems to have an
27
impressive and well designed internet presence. However, the organization falls short
in one area: platform consistency. There is a lack of consistent and reliable linking and
imagery across the website, which may be due to two different versions of the same
page.
Main Webpage
Secondary “Main” Webpage
28
The secondary webpage provides more detail about what the organization does, and
makes a clear distinction between participate in a clinical trial and participate with a
fundraising team. The main webpage does not make this distinction. Participation on
the main site mean participating in a fundraising, compared to the second site which
refers to participating in a clinical trial. This would make it easier for users like Allen,
Britney and Michael to find the information they require.
3. Create a Tagline: MJFF does not have an apparent tagline. If the organization is trying
to brand “think/able” it is not doing so effectively. They should come up with a
consistent phrase and put it on nearly every image of Michael J. Fox. They have
effectively branded them, but now the organization needs to do something to tie his
image with a tagline.
Content Overview: Every element of a website is considered content from it’s layout and
images, to the text and color scheme. Content should be crafted to reach the target user. It is
important to consider how people use content on the Internet. This is important because users
typically like brevity: they like to skim and scan, read summaries, spend as little time as they can
to get the most information. A user wants a to view something that easy on their eyes and brain.
With regard to text, it should be eye catching/conversational while still answering the
user’s questions. The writing should entice the user to stay on the website longer and make them
want to return. Additionally, A great use of text is a story. A story is personal and allows the
organization to convey a message that will hopefully resonate with the user (e.g., a story about
having Parkinson’s Disease).
Decisions about Content:
1. Replace ambiguous words: The text in the banner that runs across the middle of the
main webpage should be replaced with the text from the banner that divides the
29
secondary main webpage:
Do Not This Text
Use This Text
By replacing the text, it will allow users like Michael, Rebecca, and Ashley find the
information they need quickly and efficiently the first time, which in turn will create a
positive association with visiting the website.
2. Contacting MJFF: MJFF only provides limited contact information through either a
general inquiry phone number or website submission form. This information is very
important for individuals like Allen and Ashley who need to speak with a
representative directly. If MJFF could provide a more robust directory, it would be very
helpful to those potential end users.
3. Intergradation: This would require MJFF to terminate the Fox Finder webpage and
integrate it into their homepage as a search box on the right side of the window. This
would make finding clinical trials readily available to users like Michael and would
thus work to achieve MJFF’s goal of improving the number of clinical trial volunteers.
Decisions about Technology: Which web, social media, and mobile technologies should be
used? For each, how will they be used and what is needed for their effective use and
management?
1. Discard poorly used social media accounts: Currently, MJFF does not manage its
Flickr account well: they have only posted five photos which are all of their logo. It is
redundant because the organization provides photos and messages across many of their
social networks. Additionally, Flickr would likely not impact these personas because it
would not provide the information they would be looking for (i.e., funding, clinical
trials, and partnerships).
2. YouTube: MJFF has an active YouTube account that is not featured on the main
webpage. Video is frequently uploaded to it, and they may be able to engage users like
Michael and Rebecca so that they return to use the site. These forms of media are
engaging to viewers and make them more likely to return.
3. Utilize Applications: Mobile applications are one place where MJFF falls short. They
do not have any applications for mobile. While their site is optimized for mobile, there
could be some benefits to a dedicated application. For instance someone like Britney
30
who spends her mornings communing on the train and looking at her smart phone may
see the application in the App Store or Google Play. This would provide more chances
for interaction and exposure, and thus more traffic to MJFF’s site for individuals
seeking partnerships, funding, donations, etc.
REVISED DIGITAL STRATEGY
Recommended Initiatives:
1. Live Google Hangout: MJFF could organize a live group conversation with Michael J.
Fox and other experts in the medicine (e.g., Dr. Besser). By doing this, they would
engage a greater audience, and perhaps engage an older audience who is looking for a
sense of authority and realism, rather than just reading information from a webpage.
These talks could be promoted on the main webpage, email newsletters, and advertised
on specialized websites like WebMD.
2. Website Redesign: MJFF should provide consistent linking and imagery across all
webpages. As noted above, some of the imagery and links are not effective. While
redesigning the website, The organization could integrate the MJFF dedicated
YouTube channel into a playlist that could be accessed at the top of the screen. This
would provide users with a more robust experience and entice them to come back to
view new videos.
3. Create an Application for Fox Trial Finder: This would be achieved through an
Indiegogo or Kickstarter campaign for a Parkinson’s research. Crowd-funding is a
growing resource with websites like Indiegogo and Kickstarter. MJFF could create a
campaign to develop a mobile application that seamlessly links individuals with
Parkinson’s to the Fox Trial Finder. Additionally, MJFF could use this application to
create a social networking platform connecting these individuals to one another, and
with Team Fox members to organize and recruit people for support events.
Wild Initiative – A Day with Michael: This initiative would be unlike MJFF’s efforts. Here,
Michael J. Fox would be followed around the country with a camera crew as he met
with people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He would hear their stories and share
his and build personal connections. Footage would be uploaded to YouTube as he
traveled so that viewers would get a real time experience. It would also allow those he
spends time with to view the videos at a later date. Additionally, the footage could then
be circulated to news stations, television shows, and featured at live events to promote
the foundation’s mission and educate everyone about their progress and clinical trials.
CONCLUSION
MJFF has a clear strategy but may be trying to do too much at one time by trying to appeal
to multiple audiences. The foundation needs to redesign its Fox Trial Finder website and
integrate it with the organization’s main webpage to expose more individuals to that resource.
Additionally, MJFF needs to fix the ambiguous word choice and layout on its main page to
provide users with a more effective and enjoyable experience. MJFF is doing many things right
and has very little direct competition. If the organization can continue to keep its content up to
31
date and consistent across all platforms, MJFF will be unstoppable.
REFERENCES
Annual Report 2012 – Progress. pt. 47 (2012).
The Michael J. Fox Foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation's Promise to Parkinson's
Patients(2014), available at https://http://www.michaeljfox.org/foundation/promise.html.
Aron Smith Maeve Duggan, Social Media Update 2013, Pew Research Center's Internet &
American Life Project(2013), available at
http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/12/30/social-media-update-2013/.
Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, Health Fact Sheet, Pew Research
Center's Internet & American Life Project(2014), available at
http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/health-fact-sheet/.
Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for
Parkinson's Resarch, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Resarch(2014),
available at https://http://www.michaeljfox.org.
Annual Report 2012 – Progress. pt. 47 (2012).
J/P HRO, We Are J/P HRO – Saving Lives and Bringing Sustainable Programs to the Haitian
People(2014), available at http://jphro.org.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation's Promise to Parkinson's
Patients(2014), available at
https://http://www.michaeljfox.org/foundation/promise.html.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Prakinson's Research
– Foundation Staff – Digital Strategy(2014), available at
https://http://www.michaeljfox.org/foundation/leaders.html?digital-strategy.
RED, (PRODUCT)(RED), RED, available at http://www.red.org/en/.
Joan Lunden, Joan Lunden, Creating a Health Lifestyle for a Better Tomorrow, available at
http://www.joanlunden.com.
APPENDIX A: WHAT DID YOU LEARN IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THIS
RESEARCH?
There is one main lesson I learned from this process: developing a digital strategy is a full
time job. Each part of this process needs to be done in a collaborative manner. For instance,
when creating a persona there are so many different facets to a human character and multiple
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perspectives are necessary to create a lively, well-balanced prototypical user. I used many life
experiences to create these personas. However, they still seem to lack the life that they would if
this was a collaborative endeavor. I found challenges at every corner, whether it was coming up
with the name of a persona, or determining what to avoid, borrow, or distinguish from another
organization. This project opened my eyes to a whole new exciting and complex world of
communication.
APPENDIX B: ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jacob Ehrlich is finishing up a Master of Public Health at Tufts University School of
Medicine and will be graduating this August. Before pursuing an M.P.H., Jacob earned his B.A.
from Hampshire College, and a J.D. from Stetson University College of Law. He is interested in
the legal issues surrounding drug development. Jacob’s prior work experience includes lobbying
for an aquaponic farming organization, legal work, and some pharmaceutical R&D consulting
work. In his free time, Jacob cannot resist a bad science fiction movie, food, exercise, and good
adventure.
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