Case Study
The Neurosurgical Atlas
A technology transformation to support the future of neurosurgery
01
The Challenge
Update the design system, technology, and user experience of the Atlas’s digital presence to position them for the next ten years.
02
The Approach
Redesign the site from the ground up, with a focus on user experience and composable tech.
03
The Outcome
A sleek, modern website that leverages composable tech to ensure it stays relevant well into the future.
Client Introduction
The World's Foremost Neurosurgical Resource
The Neurosurgical Atlas is a cutting-edge healthcare technology company focused on pushing the boundaries of excellence in neurosurgery. Its flagship offering–the non-profit Neurosurgical Atlas–is the world’s foremost resource for neurosurgical knowledge. With over 60 terabytes of content, including articles, videos, and more, the Neurosurgical Atlas is an invaluable resource for surgeons, students, and patients alike.
Project at a Glance
What Our Team Provided
Solutions
- Ecommerce
- Websites
- Search & Discovery
Technologies
The Ask
Delivering a website that can adapt as quickly as healthcare innovation
Atlas’s existing website was over a decade old and reaching the end of its lifecycle. An outdated CMS made managing the Neurosurgical Atlas’s content challenging, and the site's look and feel was outdated. The ask? Redesign and re-platform the site to match the innovative, tech-forward approach of the company as a whole.
research & discovery
Identifying pain points and opportunities
During the discovery phase of this project, we conducted a comprehensive audit of the existing site to identify what was working and what wasn’t, as well as stakeholder interviews to determine the goals and requirements. Leadership at Atlas wanted to ensure that the content was easy to navigate and access, that the tech stack would be flexible enough to continue growing with the organization, and that the site had the look and feel of a company pushing the boundaries of neurosurgical technology.
UX Strategy & Design
Crafting the ideal experience for the neurosurgical community
The Neurosurgical Atlas contains a vast amount of content that can be cumbersome to navigate. Improving the user experience was a primary goal of this project, and to that end, we focused on the user experience and completely revamped the brand elements used in the site. This modular approach to design provides flexibility, allowing for modification and expansion over time as needs and preferences change.
Another design feature was to develop both light and dark modes, making it more comfortable for users to read long-form articles. The components for each mode are well documented in the design system to ensure the consistency of look and feel as the site grows over time.
content management
Enabling iterative, adaptable content management and delivery
The existing website was built using ExpressionEngine for content management, a decision that made sense a decade ago but which was hindering the adoption of new technology moving forward. As Atlas wanted to take a more composable approach to the new site, we implemented Contentful, a composable content platform.
As a developer-friendly, API-first platform, Contentful made it possible for us to efficiently migrate over the Atlas’s data from ExpressionEngine. It also gives Atlas a more structured approach to hosting its vast trove of content and allows the design system we developed to be implemented more consistently. Another benefit of Contentful is that it allows us to use content across channels. For example, we can Atlas Meditech's AtlasGPT product.
tech stack
Embracing composable tech for performance and innovation
Atlas wanted a website that could grow and adapt with the organization as a whole, a solution that could innovate and pivot quickly when necessary. To that end, we took a composable approach to their updated tech stack. In addition to implementing Contentful, we also implemented Stytch for auth and Netlify for hosting and DevOps, and Cloudinary for asset hosting and delivery.
The existing site was already using Algolia for search, but because of issues with ExpressionEngine, it was not as fast as it could be, and would occasionally time out and cause the site to go down. Now, thanks to a modern, composable tech stack, Algolia is much more stable, accurate, and fast.
commerce
Processing international subscriptions
The Neurosurgical Atlas relies on subscriptions from individuals and institutions all over the world. This requires international sales to be properly documented and the appropriate taxes paid in subscribers’ home countries. We implemented Paddle to process payments and to serve as a merchant of record, automatically tracking tax obligations and ensuring they're being paid correctly. Importantly, this reduces the burden on the organization. It allows them to focus on innovating rather than spending time with administrative tasks.
Client Testimonials
"Our vision for the Neurosurgical Atlas is forward-looking, and we needed a website that could keep pace—something visually stunning, user-friendly, and scalable. Foster Made delivered a site that exceeded our expectations, meeting our needs for today and the future."
the end result
Paving the path for the future of neurosurgery
The result is a modern website that looks better, is easier to navigate, and is faster and more stable than its predecessor. And thanks to our composable approach, the site has the flexibility to scale with the company as it continues to push the boundaries of neurosurgical knowledge.
Client Testimonials
"The team at Foster Made is beyond extraordinary and amazing. As a neurosurgeon, I have very high expectations for perfection and they satisfied all my requests and beyond."
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