Canon Medical Research Europe | Website Workshop
The Brief:
Canon Medical Research Europe stands as a prominent center of excellence in medical software research and development. It spearheads the creation of revolutionary technologies and valuable intellectual property for Canon Medical Systems. This distinguished facility is located in the enchanting city of Edinburgh. Within its Edinburgh office, a diverse team of engineers, medical professionals, scientists, testers, and specialists collaborates on pioneering medical imaging technology that leads the market.
Back in June 2023, the Canon Medical Research team asked us to re-design & re-build their new website.
Having worked with their wonderful team since the beginning of the year, we were only too aware of how limiting the current website CMS was and how the general look & feel on site no longer suited the brand. It was time to change the narrative, and build something that represented the Edinburgh office – giving a platform for the fantastic work they do!
This led us to start our work with a Website Workshop! It was time to board a plane to Edinburgh.
We have worked with Grant, Jason and Creative Blend for several years and are now a key part of the Disruptive HR Team! During this time we have enjoyed great communication with friendly advice, which was a key feature throughout the build of our websites and ongoing support, keeping us informed and helping us make key decisions at each stage. We look forward to continuing our work with them on our new digital projects!
The Approach:
Following a safe arrival in Edinburgh, Dan and Grant visited the Canon office armed with recycled post-it notes, Sharpies, and Workshop cue cards – all essential tools for our mission. Collaborating closely with the Canon team, we meticulously planned a tightly scheduled itinerary that enabled us to conduct interviews with over 30 staff members within a span of just two days. These sessions were thoughtfully designed to encompass a diverse range of individuals, from interns to senior engineers, aiming to grasp the essence of the office’s collective personality, the significance of their contributions, and the profound meaning of the brand to each person.
Session Goal:
Before starting any workshop or interview, it is important to make sure all attendees understand the “Session Goal”. Workshops and Interviews can be noisy and busy with ideas so our “Session Goal” acted as our North Star throughout, leading us back to safety in case things started to stray off course.
Our Session Goal was:
“To understand how the current website supports the team and where it can be improved, taking your thoughts, ideas and inspiration into the new website build.”
If ever the conversions strayed into territory that didn’t support our goal we brought it back. With our goal in place, it was time to start!
With this clear objective in mind, we embarked on our journey, beginning with a series of one-on-one interviews with a range of staff members. These interviews, ranging from 15 to 30 minutes, comprised rapid-fire questions and answers, interspersed with moments for anecdotes and additional information.
We learned from the early sessions the sheer scale of the organisation and its impact on medical equipment, working from granular details through to medical testing/rationale. We also began to uncover the vast amount of benefits the team receives… this is something that became so much more apparent during our workshops.
Following on from our morning of interviews, we moved into our workshops. During the workshops, we worked across 3 rounds of questions or prompts to inspire debate and discussion.
Workshop Format:
- Welcome and introductions
- An agreement to the session goal (very important)
- Explanation of the workshop format; working through 3 rounds of questions/prompts
- Allowing time for the Canon team to write post-it notes, and apply along side each prompt
- Lively discussion and debate on each point to hone down the meaning of each statement, and thought from the Canon team
- Consolidation of each point, with the agreement of the individuals who wrote the post-it notes
- Then repeat!
The results:
A refined scope of work that encapsulates the team’s aspirations:
Following an intense two-day collaboration with the Canon Medical team, we gained profound insights into their organisation, its personnel, the significance of internships, and the team’s desire to showcase their accomplishments.
Enhancing the Knowledge Foundation:
Given the nature of their work, projects undertaken within the Edinburgh office extend over multiple years. The progression from early-stage research, intellectual property development, and ultimately product realisation is a prolonged journey. Through comprehensive discussions with the team, we gained a thorough understanding of this timeline and began formulating strategies to effectively narrate this journey.
Highlighting the Office’s Rich History:
Engaging with the founding members of the Edinburgh office, we delved into its complete history, including transformative phases. This interaction equipped us to comprehend the office’s legacy and weave together a narrative that deserves to be showcased on their website.
We’d like to thank the Canon Medical team for supporting us during our sessions and engaging so intently!
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