Designing accessible solutions for rural Texans to better understand their diabetes diagnosis.
Role
UX Researcher and writer
Timeframe
8 weeks
Team
Endocrinologist, Camera Crew, Production Crew, Project Manager, UX Researchers
Team Size
>10 people
HEALTHCARE | INFO ARTICLES | VIDEOS | 2025
I was brought on to the EndoMD team to develop strategies that make health information more accessible and approachable for rural Texans. Preliminary research revealed how the average 7th-grade reading level in these communities often made medical content feel overwhelming or inaccessible, leaving many vulnerable to misinformation.
My work focused on simplifying complex health topics, creating clear and engaging educational materials, and supporting efforts to empower individuals to better understand and manage their type 2 diabetes through design and research.
The result? By editing scripts with support from medical research and close collaboration with the endocrinologist, I reduced filming time for our educational materials to just one hour. I also streamlined the scriptwriting process by conducting targeted research, which allowed me to deliver accurate content quickly and consistently stay 2–3 days ahead of production deadlines.
The American Diabetes Association estimates 12.3% of Texas adults have been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus
The majority of these adults live in underserved rural areas, with a significant portion identifying as lower-income, Black and Hispanic, suburban, and having lower levels of formal education.
EPISCOPAL HEALTH FOUNDATION, 2024
Context
How can we provide clear, accessible information to rural Texans to help them better understand and manage their diabetes diagnosis?
The question?
We quickly began ideating ways to streamline information and ensure clarity when convening information. Through this, we also created user journey maps to identify pain points in how patients understood medical information.
Ultimately, we found two major things...
We could refine script content to make videos both engaging and easy to understand.
We could also leverage video content to guide users toward our articles for deeper learning.
Ideation
Planning Ahead Article Information
Begin Phase 1: Scripting
To align video content with articles, our first step was mapping how each piece of information connected.
With the plan in place, we shifted our focus to scripting and outlining the content.
Tools used
We specifically applied design thinking to scriptwriting by focusing on real-life scenarios, such as guiding rural Texans with diabetes on different kinds of medication available for Type 2 Diabetes. By empathizing with user needs and simplifying complex medical advice, we created approachable, practical content that made disease management feel less intimidating.
Adding design thinking to scripting process.
So how did scripting and planning help expedite our content recording by an hour?
Implementing table readings with a minimum of two days before the shoot.
Ensuring all information was correct by meeting with Dr. Haque (the endocrinologist we worked with.)
Journey Map
Pinning Pain Points
Once the day of the shoot rolled around, we had the privilege of working alongside a video and recording team.
Sophia Lee, 2025
Throughout the shoot, I was made responsible of keeping track of the recording material, updating the articles if needed, and taking quick notes of any changes to the script made.
As this project continues, our next steps focus on expanding content variety and reach.
Next steps...
Streamlined diabetes education materials by simplifying scripts, cutting filming time by 1 hour, staying 2–3 days ahead of deadlines, and improving accessibility for rural Texans.
Result Outcome
Used designing thinking as support for the creation of clear, engaging materials that improved accessibility and reduced the spread of misinformation.”
We plan to create additional video modules and supporting articles tailored to everyday scenarios rural Texans face, while incorporating user feedback to refine clarity and accessibility.
We’ll also explore new distribution methods—such as community partnerships and mobile-friendly platforms to ensure the information is both widely available and easy to understand.
As this project continues, our next steps focus on expanding both content and reach. We’re conducting user research with survey participants to gather feedback and refine how information is presented, ensuring it resonates with rural Texans.
We will be exploring new ways to distribute materials through community partnerships, mobile-friendly platforms, and additional video modules with supporting articles to make diabetes education more accessible