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Busse Design Propels PlanetAide into Orbit
New website enlists doctors and donations to treat African HIV victims
EMERYVILLE, CA - September 4, 2003 - Earlier this year, PlanetAide was faced with mounting problems with its website. The situation was desperate; Executive Director Jack O. Weatherford was receiving increasing reports that the site wasn't working properly. For some viewers, pages weren't accessible from their browsers, critical email addresses were bouncing, and web-based application forms were not getting through. For PlanetAide, a non-profit organization whose mission is to enlist U.S. doctors to train doctors from developing countries to treat HIV, its website plays a critical role in convincing American doctors to volunteer, and African doctors to enroll for much-needed training in HIV treatment.
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"We were about to launch our new Low Cost Medicine Program so it was imperative to redesign the website to communicate who we are, what we aim to achieve, and how people can get involved," recalls Weatherford, who decided it was high time PlanetAide's site reflect the gravity of its charter. "I did my homework, including checking out peer reviews and seeking the opinions of industry experts. All my research pointed to Busse Design as the firm that is consistently focused on clarity and a great user experience."
Image is everything; adopting the right tone
In the business of matching volunteer efforts with recipients, credibility is key. As Busse Design began the task of redesigning PlanetAide's identity and website, two over-arching objectives became apparent. First, the site needed to draw visitors in, educate them and convince them to donate time and/or money. Second, it had to convince doctors in African and other developing countries that PlanetAide means business. It's no small commitment for a doctor to leave his or her country to spend time in the U.S. and receive expert training. The site had to exude professionalism and assure members of the medical community that PlanetAide's programs were legitimate. A clean, elegant design would be key " but the emotional aspect also had to come across loud and clear.
"Knowing that this site would instantly help AIDS victims with critical needs and become the launch-pad for future humanitarian programs made this a very special project for us," said Joy Busse, CEO and president, Busse Design USA. "We were fortunate to be given a clean slate from which to work, which meant we were able to create a fresh, professional identity from scratch, and to re-architect the site for sleek, elegant navigation."
The response has almost been overwhelming. "The site is performing beyond our most optimistic expectations," observes Weatherford. "We are continually told that our new image places us in the realm of some of the most well-known non-governmental organizations. While this is obviously reassuring it also translates into believability and enables us to quickly build trust with our volunteers and donors. Without this site, there's no way we could have launched our Low-Cost Medicine Program."
The new Low-Cost Medicine Program complements the existing volunteer doctor and drug recycling programs to provide a low-cost source of advanced antiretroviral medications for AIDS victims in developing countries. For a tax-deductible contribution of $630, PlanetAide arranges for the donation and distribution of one year's supply of antiretroviral therapy to someone living with AIDS in a developing country. This same therapy can cost someone in the United States in excess of $10,000 and is made possible through PlanetAide's relationships with drug manufacturers in India, who are able to provide generic equivalents of these powerful drugs for a fraction of the U.S. retail cost.
About PlanetAide
PlanetAide is a non-profit organization and a grassroots network of volunteer individuals and organizations whose sole purpose is to assist doctors in developing countries who care for people with HIV/AIDS. Priority is given to doctors who are treating patients who are indigent and without assistance otherwise, people who are subject to prejudice and women who are pregnant who have AIDS. PlanetAide operates a volunteer program in the United States in which doctors experienced in preventing and treating AIDS volunteer to train doctors from developing countries. For more information, visit www.planetaide.org.
About Busse Design USA
Busse Design USA Inc., founded in 1997, and Busse Design Ulm GmbH, founded in 1959, together form a full-service design agency. Busse Design USA provides a wide range of services for their clients "including user interface design, product design and development, branding and packaging design, and a wide range of usability testing services. Working from a human factors perspective, Busse Design USA combines compelling design with strong process methodologies that result in superior user experiences for both its clients and their customers and partners. Headquartered in a restored 1913 building in Emeryville, CA - home to one of the largest populations of artists studios in the San Francisco Bay Area - Busse Design USA employs accomplished designers, Human Computer Interaction specialists, information architects, as well as brand and marketing experts. More information about Busse Design USA can be found at www.bussedesign.com.
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