Identity Suite and Community Site

GIST Support International (GSI)

GIST Support International (GSI) is a nationwide, volunteer-based organization that supports Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors patients, families, and friends and the ongoing research required to treat and cure GIST. GSI needed to establish their identity to lay the foundation of its brand and future communication efforts. GSI had no visual identity and their online presence, while robust with information, was extremely difficult to navigate and built on non-standard technology.

GSI wanted a logo that represented their personality and worldwide reach that could be used for countless future purposes in any format. They also wanted a professional Web site that was easy to use, find online and was welcoming to patients are caregivers.

Spectrum designed a series of logos that could be used as the anchor of GSI's identity suite, worked with the client to finalize one logo and color palette. The final logo was delivered in multiple formats and color standards for the client's use.

We redesigned GSI's Web site, www.gistsupport.org, beginning with a complete analysis of their existing content, historical visitor behaviors, creative strategy, and information architecture recommendations. Spectrum worked with the client to identify logical groupings of information and new areas of information that should be expanded for new and experienced visitors alike. Spectrum approached the information with a technique that allows new users to become familiar with the topic of GIST, and explore deeper within the site to get specific medical advice from GSI's physician volunteers and laymen's personal experiences.

The site features experts' blogs, an RSS feed so users can subscribe for updates, a searchable glossary of GIST-related medical terms, and video and photo galleries. The site is built on a custom-modified content management system, and detailed documentation was provided to the client so the site could be maintained by one of six volunteers. The side bar on each page automatically pulls the most recently posted news and content updates.

The site averages 15,000 visits each month, and ranks on the first page of Google for terms like "pediatric GIST", "metastatic GIST", "Hepatic Artery Emobilization", "GIST recurrence", "GIST support, "gastrointestinal stromal tumor" and "gastrointestinal stromal tumors".