Behind the Scenes of the Lifespan Intranet: Balancing Patient Care and Company Culture in a Single Digital Platform

A day-in-the-life of a Lifespan employee can vary greatly depending on the role one has. There are doctors and nurses, of course, but also critical support staff, vendors, administration, Human Resources, Facilities, Marketing, and more. A critical tool that binds all 15,000 employees together is the intranet — a single digital platform that needs to serve all of the needs of this diverse audience.

J. Hogue, Director of Design & UX at Oomph, and Kristen Connolly, Digital Director at Lifespan, will give a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the intranet, some of the process that went into the nearly 18 month effort to redesign and redevelop the site in 2021–2022, and the future roadmap of the platform. We will touch on many of the reasons why it was recently chosen as one of the 10 Best Intranets of 2023 worldwide as selected by the Nielsen Norman Group.

At the core of the philosophy of the platform design is supporting two modes of work — critical paths for front-line workers supporting patient care balanced with the need to communicate, support, and celebrate company culture. This was especially important during the pandemic and will continue to be important as Lifespan evolves its policies to allow those who can to work from home.

We plan to cover such topics as:

• Research and planning, both qualitative and quantitative
• Technical architecture (lightly) with a focus on custom tools to support critical communication
• Workflow tools and personalization features that allow employees to make the intranet work the way they prefer
• Digital accessibility design practices
• Visual design and the communication of brand values

J. Hogue

I have over 20 years of experience in design and user experience. I lead a team of digital platform experts with strategic thinking, cutting-edge UX practices, and visual design. I have worked with all sizes of business, from national brands to local nonprofits, in the health, education, cultural institutions, and new technology sectors.

I am passionate about solving complex business problems by asking smart questions, probing assumptions, and envisioning an entire ecosystem to map ideal future states and the next steps to get there. I use psychology, authenticity, and unique visuals to deliver impact, authority, and trust. I write about emerging technology and creative practices, as well as methods to attain high accessibility and inclusion.

I have been a business owner and real-estate developer, so I know what it is like to run a business and communicate a value proposition to customers. I find that honest and open communication, a willingness to question everything, and an empathy towards individual points of view are the keys to successful creative solutions.

I live and work in Providence, RI, and love this post-industrial city so much that I maintain ArtInRuins.com, a documentation project about the history and evolution of the local built environment. I help to raise two amazing girls alongside my equally strong and creative wife and partner.

Kristen Connolly