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AHA Community Platform

Heart to Heart — a community platform for the American Heart Association that turns one-time awareness into ongoing engagement with women's heart health.

Overview

I collaborated with the American Heart Association through SCAD Serve to design a digital platform that strengthens community engagement around women’s heart health. The project focused on supporting the Circle of Red network by creating a content-driven experience that connects women through stories, education, and local events.

Through research, stakeholder interviews, and concept development, our team designed Heart to Heart, a hybrid community platform that blends digital content with in-person experiences. The goal was to inspire participation, build authentic connections, and encourage ongoing engagement with heart health initiatives.

Fig. 01 — The SCADserve team with the American Heart Association
Fig. 01 — The SCADserve team with the American Heart Association

The challenge

Despite the American Heart Association’s strong reputation and wide digital presence, many women struggle to stay consistently engaged with heart health initiatives. Existing programs often rely on one-time events or fragmented communication channels, leaving participants without a clear path to continue their involvement.

Research

Secondary research

1 in 3 female deaths globally are caused by cardiovascular disease
  • Women report difficulty finding clear and trustworthy health information.
  • Community-based initiatives increase long-term engagement.
  • Younger donors prefer frequent micro-donations.
  • Digital platforms that blend online and real-world experiences drive stronger participation.

Primary research

  1. People stay for the people. Women may join heart health initiatives for the cause, but they remain involved because of the people they meet along the way. Participants emphasized meaningful relationships, shared personal experiences, and a sense of belonging within a supportive network.
  2. Engagement often drops after major events. Large fundraising events generate excitement and awareness, but there are limited opportunities for continued interaction afterward. Users wanted a centralized space to discover follow-up activities, conversations, and ways to stay involved.
  3. Authentic storytelling builds trust and motivation. Participants responded more positively to real stories and lived experiences than to traditional health messaging. Hearing from other women, experts, or community leaders made the information feel relatable and meaningful.
  4. Health information needs to be accessible and easy to understand. Interviewees felt overwhelmed by the amount of health information online — complex terminology, fragmented resources, conflicting advice. They preferred clear, digestible content that surfaces the most important information quickly.
  5. Low-barrier participation encourages sustained involvement. Users wanted small, manageable actions rather than large commitments. Micro-donations, short activities, and casual community events were seen as approachable and sustainable.
Fig. 02 — Synthesis: affinity mapping and whiteboard sessions
Fig. 02 — Synthesis: affinity mapping and whiteboard sessions

Core objectives

  1. Awareness is inconsistent. Many women encounter misinformation or feel overwhelmed by complex health information.
  2. Community engagement drops after events. Participants want to stay involved but lack a centralized space to connect with others or follow up after initiatives.
  3. Motivation requires personalization and low barriers. People are more likely to participate when engagement feels personal, authentic, and easy to access.

Concept direction

Sustained engagement in women’s heart health depends less on traditional health messaging and more on community, authenticity, and accessibility. The concept became Heart to Heart.

Storytelling meets heart health

  • A digital “masterclass meets talk show” series featuring influential women, chefs, creators, and community figures.
  • Raises awareness of women’s heart health through lifestyle-driven storytelling and interactive education.

Learning that fits real life

  • Uses gamification and social sharing to make learning fun, rewarding, and approachable.
  • Designed for busy women — easy to enjoy during lunch breaks or while waiting at kids’ activities.

Goals

  • Share relatable, expert-led stories that make learning simple and inspiring.
  • Build consistent engagement through short, interactive content.
  • Empower women to take action and connect through shared experiences.

Design opportunity

How might we create a content-driven, top-of-funnel digital experience that addresses the gap between awareness and sustained engagement in women’s heart health, encouraging women to connect both online and in real life?

01Awareness Stories 02Learning Play 03Engagement Events a show, not a pamphlet lunch-break sized where the gap opened where it closes: local, small, often
Fig. 03 — Top of the funnel to the bottom of it

Solution

To address the gap between awareness and sustained engagement, we designed Heart to Heart, a community-driven digital platform that connects women through storytelling, education, and shared experiences.

The platform blends digital interaction with real-world participation, enabling women to learn about heart health, connect with others, and engage in meaningful activities both online and in their communities. By combining accessible content, authentic stories, and community-driven events, Heart to Heart guides women from initial awareness to ongoing engagement in heart health initiatives.

Mobile

Fig. 04 — Joining: two questions, a zip code, and you're in
Fig. 04 — Joining: two questions, a zip code, and you're in
Fig. 05 — Neighbor Hearts: local events, members nearby, event detail, conversation
Fig. 05 — Neighbor Hearts: local events, members nearby, event detail, conversation

Desktop

Fig. 06 — Medical Ambassador: a series page with the episode, the coach, and the comments beside it
Fig. 06 — Medical Ambassador: a series page with the episode, the coach, and the comments beside it
Fig. 07 — Events, upcoming and on-ground · a live session with the community feed
Fig. 07 — Events, upcoming and on-ground · a live session with the community feed

Business model

Fig. 08 — Business model canvas: storytelling, challenges, and micro-giving as the key activities
Fig. 08 — Business model canvas: storytelling, challenges, and micro-giving as the key activities

Visual campaign

A social and print system the chapters could run themselves — templated Instagram posts, event calendars, and a sticker sheet.

Fig. 09 — Campaign system on Instagram
Fig. 09 — Campaign system on Instagram
Fig. 10 — Templates: hook post, sticker sheet, local events calendar
Fig. 10 — Templates: hook post, sticker sheet, local events calendar

Pamphlet

Fig. 11 — Trifold pamphlet for chapter events
Fig. 11 — Trifold pamphlet for chapter events

Reflection

This project highlighted the importance of community in sustaining engagement. Rather than focusing only on delivering information, we explored how storytelling, shared experiences, and local events can motivate people to stay involved.

It also strengthened my ability to translate research insights into design opportunities that support both digital interaction and real-world participation.

Fig. 12 — In the studio
Fig. 12 — In the studio
SCADserve × American Heart AssociationSavannah · 2025

People stay for the people.

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