Welcome to uncommon: CommonHealth

February 4, 2010 – 7:17 pm by Gina Monari

CommonHealth’s newest Website launch is anything but common. Its fresh Web presence — which went live on Feb. 4 — takes a simplistic approach that is straightforward, yet cuts directly through a digital environment of fast-paced interactive noise.

The Website features the network’s culture, family of agencies, knowledge, and a showcase. A news section visually profiles their awards and features employee news, business news, and some food for thought. The network even playfully leads into its own “code of conduct.”

Most intriguing to me, personally, is the whimsical design of its text.

Each line to the point.

Tight like a prose poem.

Here is a taste of the CommonHealth Home page…

According to CommonHealth executives, this entirely new Website is revamped to better reflect who they are as a company. The navigation is simple and reads in column form, a bit like a newspaper. Many Websites present copy and images in scroll-down form, but this form of navigation is unexpected and helps suggest a sense of depth to CommonHealth’s story.

Although the animations are meant to be fun and whimsical, all have a definite purpose for being. The Website is a hybrid site — with Flash and HTML — with motion-capture technology used to bring the stick figure to life.

CommonHealth’s in-house interactive group, Qi, did all of the creation and production. It was a team effort with many individuals putting countless hours in after the clock to bring this Website to life. Beth Paulino, senior VP, director of corporate communications and public relations, provided the strategic direction. Scott Watson, executive VP, group chief creative officer, CommonHealth, handled the creative direction.

“Our priority is always about meeting the needs of our clients so often the site took a back burner to client-focused work,” CommonHealth executives told Med Ad News. “It took a little longer to develop than we’d typically want — about six months. You know what they say about the cobbler’s kids and their shoes…!”

CommonHealth’s intent with the new Website is to engage the viewer, not overwhelm them, while other companies are trying to impress and over-communicate their offerings. CommonHealth executives believe that after a while it all begins to look the same.

“We believe if you can cut through the clutter, it’s easier for people to hear what you have to say,” executives say. “To develop a site like this, one that speaks to your offerings as an organization, communicating in a clear, concise, yet creative way that engages the viewer on a personal level – it’s almost like a whisper that rises above the din. That’s the intent, at least – to eliminate the excess so the message can stand out.”