Most people with cystic fibrosis (CF) are diagnosed early in life. Therefore, the ability to address parents or guardians as well as speak to a young audience and support them as they reach adulthood were important objectives of the website. This online resource needed to be informative, easy to understand, less intimidating, and hopeful.

Utilizing our design team’s background in biocommunications and medical illustration and animation, we were able to take complex information and make it easier to understand. We conveyed different aspects of CF including explaining pioneering research findings on the structure and function of the CFTR protein, describing novel therapies to clear airways and control infections, and communicating new ways to manage CF. Illustrations and animations tell what a thousand words cannot. The content was also communicated to children through online interactive modules. This friendly approach eased the anticipation one might feel when first visiting the center. Videos and social media were also distributed to help parents, teens, and adults better understand how to live with cystic fibrosis.