Revamping the RESPIRAR Project’s website

When I joined the RESPIRAR Project as a graduate student, my first task was to revamp the project’s website.

Starting from the Beginning

As I delved into the website, research, and application materials submitted to the National Institutes of Health, I recognized the need to start with foundational questions:

• What is the RESPIRAR Project?
• Who are the target audiences?
• What are the key messages we want to communicate?

These questions revealed a unique challenge. The interdisciplinary nature of the team—spanning public health, law, anthropology, and system dynamics—was both the project’s strength and a communications challenge. Each discipline brought valuable insights but relied heavily on field-specific jargon and perspectives, making it difficult to craft a unified message.

Curating a Cohesive Message

Instead of jumping straight into website updates, I facilitated a series of communication and branding exercises with the team. These workshops helped establish a cohesive messaging framework that resonated across disciplines and secured stakeholder buy-in.

Balancing Change and Accessibility

One of the biggest challenges was balancing respect for what had already been created with the need for change. I also considered the practicalities of how team members would use and maintain the website, ensuring it remained accessible and user-friendly.

In the end, I believe we created communication tools that the team can be proud of—including the updated website, which now reflects the RESPIRAR Project’s mission, values, and goals in a clear and engaging way.