Body Balance
Jan – June 2024
Design is a Balancing Act
Problem
Body Balance’s main problem with their old website was that it didn’t feel like an expression of the company’s values, their customer base, or their growth as a business. The existing site felt disconnected from their mission as physical therapists: it was outdated, unfriendly, and overloaded with information. So, they wanted a refresh, moving their branding away from harsh orange tones to calming blues, and from an intimidating aesthetic to a welcoming and modern one. Patients, especially their target audience of middle-aged women, found the site overwhelming, with its cluttered pages and confusing hierarchy. My path was clear: refresh the Body Balance website into an asset that feels both informative and approachable, simplifying the overall experience without losing the essential details that any patient needs.
Wireframe Iterations
Mockup v1
Tools
Adobe XD
Adobe Photoshop
HTML / CSS
WordPress
Paper & Pencil
Contribution
Brand Development
UX/UI Designer
Lead Web Developer
Team
Irving Gonzalez — Asst. Web Developer
Katelyn Sweeny — Content Strategist
Zach Fergeson — Photography
Emilie McGowen — Account Manager
Discover
By studying the primary audience’s demographics, behavior, and preferences, I identified some opposing challenges. While the clinic’s existing audience was older, Body Balance wanted to appeal to a younger demographic without alienating their established patients. The site’s overwhelming calls to action and it’s rigid structure made navigation a struggle, but over-simplification and ultra-minimalism would lower the website’s professionalism and accessibility for older patients. The challenge was to balance the old with the new, keeping essential elements intact while refreshing the aesthetic and user experience.
Original Site
Final Redesign
Process
The design process began with a flurry of exploration — sketching, brainstorming, and mapping out different possibilities. I experimented with varying layouts, color schemes, and typography like a sculptor: each decision a careful balancing act between form and function. Some concepts leaned too formal, others too casual, but with many iterations came a harmonious design of trust and community began to take shape. All the while, I fought to maintain clarity and trust for older patients while ensuring younger audiences felt welcomed and engaged.
As the design evolved, so did the collaborative process. My team helped by providing feedback when I struggled to make decisions and by assisting with development to meet deadlines. A pivotal moment came when we incorporated the storybranding method — bringing the clinic's core values to life through wording and imagery that emphasized community and human connection to solve the patients' problems. To emphasize this, I directed doctors to be photographed smiling and interacting with patients in ways that made the service feel personal and empathetic. Each design decision, from initial concepts to functional adjustments, was made to create a seamless balance between aesthetics and usability, result in a site that felt both sincerely professional and warmly inviting.
Impact
Body Balance’s redesigned site has since become a vibrant, welcoming, and useful space for the clinic’s patients at all their offices, offering easy access to appointments, classes, and referrals at any time. This project marked a turning point in my design journey, expanding my skills and reiterating the strength of commitment when innovating. The clinic’s staff now proudly shares the site as a reflection of their values, and this design became a reference for other projects as inspiration for creating balance and growing creativity. This design has set a new standard for how I approach web projects big or small, and it continues to be a reference for both myself and my colleagues as an example of how we can do more.