Cost and Coverage Collaborative
A Digital Hub for Healthcare and Equity Advocates
The Cost & Coverage Collaborative, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), needed a members-only digital hub designed to bring advocates, leaders, and communicators together. This centralized platform provides message guidance, creative content, and research-driven communications strategies to help build coordination and enhance the communications infrastructure needed to create a more affordable and equitable healthcare system. In partnership with alignco, a communications agency, we served as their design and technology team, crafting a comprehensive brand identity and building a sophisticated, user-friendly website. The Collaborative’s hub features a welcoming homepage, a research repository, a message lab for communication resources, and a media listening dashboard tracking national healthcare conversations.
Creating a Distinctive Brand Identity
The Cost & Coverage Collaborative needed a visual identity that would resonate with its audience while avoiding typical healthcare and nonprofit design clichés. Through several rounds of exploration and refinement, we developed a logo, color palette, and overall aesthetic that would convey professionalism and innovation while remaining approachable and engaging for users from diverse organizations.
The final logo design emerged from a thoughtful exploration of the Collaborative's name and mission. We developed a bold, colorful identity system that is professional yet aspirational which sets the Collaborative apart.
A Powerful, Purpose-Built Platform
The website was designed to be more than an information repository—it became an active hub for collaboration and resource sharing, combining sophisticated functionality with a clean, intuitive look and feel. Featuring a clear value proposition on the homepage and a bento box-style layout for organized, digestible content, the platform offers robust filtering options, custom dashboards, seamless integration with external tools, and a scalable interface that balances advanced features with effortless navigation.
Real-Time Media Listening
One of the most innovative features of the site is the media listening dashboard, which provides a state-by-state view of healthcare conversations happening across social media. This tool allows members to monitor and analyze public discourse around healthcare policy in real time, helping them stay informed and responsive to emerging trends and concerns.
Scalable Architecture
While launching with a focused feature set like robust member management, the platform was built with growth in mind. The WordPress foundation provides the flexibility to add new capabilities as the Collaborative evolves, ensuring the platform can adapt to changing needs over time. Our developers were able to innovate a hybrid WordPress theme for the site that combines classic WordPress and Full Site Editing, making the website easy to customize for non-technical content editors.
Accessibility & Usability
Every aspect of the design was crafted with accessibility in mind, ensuring that users from all member organizations can easily navigate and use the platform's resources. The clean interface and intuitive organization make it simple for users to find what they need quickly and efficiently.
When we approached Aten for this project, we had big ambitions. We needed a platform that was bold, sophisticated, and intuitive – and on an aggressive timeline. Aten’s team exceeded our expectations and excelled in every capacity - from design and development to project management - but most importantly as creative thought partners. They proved extremely responsive and flexible as our needs regularly evolved and grew. We can’t wait to partner with Aten on future projects.