In 2024, the PAN Foundation, known for helping patients afford critical medications, embarked on a bold new initiative: build trust and awareness around clinical trials, particularly among patients historically underrepresented in them.

Less than 2% of the general population are involved in clinical trials; underrepresented minorities make up <10% of patients enrolled in clinical trials.

The challenge

The project began with big ambitions: a standalone site under a new sister brand, ‘NewCo.’ But midway through, regulatory hurdles forced a pivot. This would now be a microsite that was a part of the PAN Foundation brand ecosystem.

This shift had a domino effect: the sitemap, branding, and even the tech stack (Salesforce CMS) were impacted. Visual design timelines shrank to four weeks. Branding assets from a separate agency trickled in late. And as a designer new to Salesforce Lightning, I quickly realized its out-of-the-box components wouldn’t meet our content needs. We'd end up building 80% of the site from scratch.

The process

As lead visual designer, my role was to take a recently delivered brand identity logo, colors, and type and bring it to life on a digital platform that users could trust. Working alongside another designer, we explored two strong visual directions rooted in the project’s experience principles: credibility, empathy, diversity, and ease of action.

The concept that resonated most with the client was “Part of the Picture”. Built on the insight that many patients feel invisible in the world of clinical trials, we used logo-inspired framing elements to spotlight the faces of real people—reframing inclusion both visually and symbolically.

Once selected, we expanded the chosen direction into a full design system, balancing accessibility, flexibility, and emotional resonance. I collaborated closely with developers to build modular, reusable components, and QA’d the implementation. I also authored a detailed authoring guide so the client could update the site post-launch, something I learned hands-on while updating copy and working inside Salesforce.

The outcome

The site launched successfully as a key part of PAN’s initiative to promote clinical trial access and education. It gave patients, especially those from underserved communities, a welcoming place to learn, feel seen, and take action.

The impact extended beyond a single site: the PAN Foundation later adopted our visual system and components for its main site redesign.

Want to hear more and learn about some of the challenges and solutions, reach out!