Empowering Better Healthcare Through Strategic Product Design

05 May 2025

At Fruto, we believe that great design has the power to transform healthcare experiences. As a specialist product strategy agency, we combine rigorous research, insightful strategy, and thoughtful design to deliver digital healthcare products that are accessible, intuitive, and truly user-centred. 

From supporting cancer patients to enabling radiology innovation, our healthcare work spans the full digital product lifecycle; from product vision through to user interface design refinement and usability testing.

A product strategy agency with a healthcare focus

Our work in the healthcare sector as a product strategy agency is grounded in the belief that digital experiences can and should reduce stress, improve workflows, and empower users; whether they are patients, clinicians, or carers. 

As a UX and product strategy partner, we help organisations discover what users need, prioritise product decisions, and translate complex journeys into meaningful, accessible solutions.

Whether you are building a healthcare app from scratch, improving an NHS-facing platform, or ensuring regulatory compliance while maintaining UX best practices, our expertise enables confident, insight-led decision-making.

Here’s how we’ve done it before.

Case study: Prostate Cancer UK: transforming information architecture through testing

Prostate Cancer UK approached us with a critical mission: to make their growing repository of life-changing information easier to navigate for patients, families, and those at risk. Over time, the charity’s website had become difficult to navigate, particularly within the ‘Prostate Information’ and 'Get Support’ sections.

We began by benchmarking the existing site navigation through tree testing using Optimal Workshop’s Treejack tool. With scenarios tailored for three core user groups; high-risk individuals, those diagnosed, and their families; we were able to measure how successfully each user journey performed.

The average success rate from this baseline test was 53%. By combining this with usability testing and open-ended interviews, we gained deep insights into how users perceived the structure, where they got stuck, and how they mentally grouped content.

With these insights, we redesigned the site’s information architecture, mapping it to real-life prostate cancer journeys; from pre-diagnosis to post-treatment support. We refined labels, grouped content more meaningfully, and ran a second round of tree testing to validate our proposed structure.

The result? A 20.7% increase in success rate (to 73.7%) and a 19.3% drop in failure rates. Crucially, we improved outcomes for the most critical tasks, such as navigating to diagnosis information and side effect support; demonstrating how user-led design directly enhances access to vital healthcare information.

Case study: Adaptix: designing a user interface for 3D medical imaging software

Adaptix, a pioneering medtech startup, engaged Fruto to enhance the usability and visual appeal of their 3D X-ray imaging software. Initially targeted at veterinary and orthopaedic uses, their innovation needed a user-friendly and commercially viable interface to go to market with confidence.

We began by refreshing the user interface (UI), transitioning to a dark mode UI to suit clinical environments and simplifying the layout by relocating navigation. This not only reduced screen clutter but also helped users focus on the imaging task at hand.

To support design scalability, we developed a comprehensive UI Pattern Library. This included reusable design components, style guidance, and templates; giving Adaptix the tools to iterate efficiently across their product ecosystem.

Through usability testing, we uncovered real-world user behaviours and interaction patterns; not just with the software, but with the hardware and clinical workflows. This led to informed iterations and adaptation of the design for orthopaedic use, highlighting the need for a holistic approach that looks beyond just screens.

Our strategic design enabled Adaptix to present a professional, investor-ready product and accelerate the UI adaptation for future medical use cases.

Case study: Doctors.net.uk: building a design system for a national healthcare network

Doctors.net.uk, the UK’s largest professional network for doctors, engaged us to lead a major website redesign. With over 200,000 members and daily usage by tens of thousands, the challenge was to modernise the interface while making it more useful and engaging: particularly for younger medical professionals.

After a collaborative vision workshop, we designed wireframes, tested navigation through treejack testing, and ran usability sessions with practising doctors. We also facilitated design system workshops and delivered a robust UI Pattern Library, ensuring future scalability and consistency across the site.

The outcome was a visually modern and user-friendly interface underpinned by a flexible and efficient design system. This now empowers their in-house teams to maintain and evolve the platform with ease; while providing an excellent user experience for the doctors who rely on it daily.

Why partner with Fruto?

At Fruto, we don’t just make things look good; we make them work better. As a healthcare-focused product strategy agency, we:

  • Uncover real user needs through expert research methodologies

  • Shape product direction with evidence-based strategies

  • Design digital experiences that are inclusive, accessible, and effective

  • Enable scale and sustainability with design systems and pattern libraries

  • Drive measurable improvements through usability testing and iteration

From charities like Prostate Cancer UK to cutting-edge startups like Adaptix, we deliver results that matter; helping healthcare organisations provide better digital experiences for those who need them most.

Let’s improve healthcare together

If you’re ready to take a user-centred, strategic approach to healthcare product design, we’d love to talk. Whether you’re improving an existing product or launching something new, our team can help you deliver with clarity, confidence and impact.

To get started, please contact our team today

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