Case Study: Research Data Assistance Center
Providing free assistance to academic, non-profit, for-profit, and government researchers interested in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data.
Established in 1996, the Research Data Assistance Center (ResDAC) is a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) contractor that provides free assistance to researchers interested in the CMS data. As a CMS contractor, ResDAC provides assistance to academic, non-profit, for-profit, and government researchers. Their staff members have diverse skills and backgrounds, including epidemiology, public health, health services research, statistics, and health informatics. ResDAC faculty are actively involved in research using Medicare and Medicaid data. The ResDAC Assistance Desk is staffed by masters level Technical Advisors and Executive Advisors with specialized training on federal privacy rules.
The ResDAC website was launched as a Drupal site in 2012. Due to its age, they wanted to revise the site both in terms of visual design and some aspects of functionality. Major functional issues involve the search feature, identification of specific data request materials, workshop registration and administrative tools. Due to Nighthawk Marketing's extensive experience with Drupal, along with our proven track record of working with State and Federal government agencies, ResDAC hired us to work on this highly-visible project.
About the project
Project Highlights
Information Architecture
ResDAC had a complex menu structure, with a mega menu that offered a wide variety of links. We conducted user experience (UX) research to simplify and organize the IA that focuses on more meaningful interactions.
Wireframe, Prototype and User-Centered Visual Design
Wireframes and prototypes allow us the opportunity to create a roadmap for visual design that is focused on user goals and journeys. We use online tools that allow for quick review, rich collaboration, and adaptation.
Custom Data Application
Sometimes complex software development applications need to be built on top of standard website modules.
Why Drupal was chosen
ResDAC had a complex menu structure, with a mega menu that offered a wide variety of links. Drupal was a great choice to help combat this issue. Also by developing a Drupal CMS website from a Bootstrap foundation, we were able to achieve a modular and responsive design that would display optimally regardless of screen size or device used. This allowed ResDAC to organize, display, and map its voluminous content in multiple ways so that users can find the information they needed quickly and easily.
Technical Specifications
Drupal version:
Our project team conducted user experience research and need finding studies in order to provide insights into their web platform and market positioning. Together, we used all of this information to collectively decide on the right theme to go forward with.
