Case Study: Optum

Optum, a national leader in population health and wellness services, had a problem: too much information in too many hard-to-find places. Furthermore, the content was in varying formats that ranged from 8-10 minute videos to downloadable 10-page brochures. Which meant that while answers were available, few online visitors took the time to find them.

Through research, we discovered that the single largest deterrent to people looking for answers was not the topic or format of the material, but rather its length and size. If the video was over three minutes or a PDF was over one megabyte, the number of viewers dropped dramatically. And if there were two options available with the same answer, the shortest was chosen 85% of the time, regardless of source or quality.

The answer was simple, but not easy. First, we sorted through all materials and combined or eliminated any duplication. Second, we condensed or divided the remaining information into digestible bits so that nothing took more than two minutes to view or read — whether it was a video, PDF or email. The result was the 2-Minute Answers series, where users could find the information they needed in record time.