The Respiratory Illness Data Channel is a new 0-1 product launch for the CDC to relay critical public health data to the general public in a way that was easily digestible and actionable.

Following the public health emergency, as health officials looked to rebuild public trust, the CDC needed a new way to communicate with the public about several diseases that presented similar symptoms to COVID-19, including RSV and influenza. The “data channel” as a concept began with respiratory illnesses, a major topic that many people needed up-to-date information on, and was used as a proving ground to lay the foundation for additional data channels to be built about other health topics. Follow-on data channels have since been launched on firearm injuries, measles, and bird flu, using the Respiratory Illness Data Channel as a template.

Background

In the fall of 2023, as COVID-19 cases once again began rising across the United States, the CDC began laying plans to respond. Earlier efforts during the height of the pandemic, like the COVID Data Tracker, were no longer viable as many of the ad-hoc data sources were not reporting anymore. Additionally, since many public health measures like masking and vaccinations had fallen off, CDC needed to communicate not just about COVID-19, but about other respiratory diseases as a grouping. A cross-functional rapid response team was set up, made up of data SMEs across CDC, along with our team of designers, researchers, and data analysts tasked with launching a new product during an emerging crisis. I served as the designed for this launch.

Proving value through research

The initial “launch” included a simple landing page on CDC’s public site to serve a placeholder for upcoming releases. Our team saw a number of early challenges with the landing page, primarily that it was focused on a higher data literate user than the general public. We proposed a discreet round of user testing to evaluate several data visualizations, through 2 potential user flows. Working closely with the lead researcher on the team, we created research materials, clickable prototypes, and conducted the study. We used the specific prompts to answers some additional foundation research questions that helped us form the building blocks of the data channel concept.

Key insights

1. Users found the “combined” category confusing, and were unclear how to read 52-week trend lines

2. As data becomes increasingly local, users find it increasingly actionable

3. Users want to make data-informed decisions about their health, but their specific mental models lead them in different decision-making directions

4. Users perceive a lack of clear and specific guidance as untrustworthy, and at times, that CDC may be “hiding something”

5. Outdated or irrelevant information negatively impacts trust in CDC

6. For those looking for information for friends and family, the primary motivator was to counter mis-infromation

Recommendations

1. Elevate the prominence of local data tools and allow users to quickly access contextual data about their area

2. Provide clear, plain language recommendations on what to do, depending on risk tolerance

3. Elevate general guidance at a glance, and repeat throughout discovery in subsequent sections

4. Be transparent when specific data is not available and include a rationale

Launching an MVP

Leveraging our insights and recommendations from early research, the team moved into a heavy design and prototyping phase. The project pace was very quick given the timely nature of rising case levels, wand our team began working closely with engineering and data SMEs, led by a product manager. We settled on weekly release cycles to coincide with updated data. The initial MVP launch included a front door with localized results, general guidance, and data visualization sections that allowed users to dive deeper into specific data sets and visualizations.

Continuous improvements

We conducted 2 additional rounds of research, 1 through usability testing clickable prototypes, and 1 through a custom survey specific to this data channel. We learned valuable insights through both efforts, and used those learnings to continue making improvements in subsequent launches. We completed several design cycles through the initial several months post MVP.

Key updates

1. Navigation improvements

2. Connections to relevant CDC information to allow users to dive deeper on specific respiratory illnesses

3. Integration of updated guidance with new prevention strategies

4. Improved local results feature

5. Branding and design system updates to coincide with a new CDC web strategy

6. Improved mobile view and accessibility, beyond 508 compliance

The outcome

The Respiratory Illness Data Channel was launched with high acclaim, with various media outlets sourcing the data in news stories, as well as CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen announcing the release on a public CDC town hall. Key updates included improved mobile view, with over 70% of public visitors on mobile. In total, the data channel received over 860K views since the latest launch on August 2024. The guiding principle of iterative improvement has led ongoing development, which includes foundational research, usability testing, a survey, and working with CDC and STLT SMEs. Our team was successfully able to bring a human-centered approach to a traditionally science-led organization, helping lay the groundwork for additional digital products.