UCSF RENEW — Cancer Survivorship eLearning
UCSF RENEW is a breast cancer survivorship program helping patients navigate life after treatment at one of the nation’s leading research hospitals. However, their 300-page manual was overwhelming and inaccessible. My role: transform it into a calming, interactive eLearning program survivors could easily understand and use.
Role
Learning Experience Designer
Adult learning theory, plain-language rewriting, scenario design, video creation
18-module eLearning program in Articulate Rise, Synthesia videos, technology tutorials
San Francisco, CA
1864
Healthcare
$11.4 billion
20,000+
Challenge
Breast cancer survivors often leave treatment with little structured guidance for life after cancer. UCSF researchers had created a 300-page clinical manual, but it was:
Too dense and text-heavy for patients
Not designed for underserved populations (ESL, limited health literacy)
Inaccessible in digital/mobile formats
Difficult to update or scale
The team needed a patient-friendly eLearning program that could support long-term survivorship care and data collection — on a tight timeline and budget.
Solution
I transformed the RENEW program into an interactive, survivor-centered eLearning experience:
Built 18 interactive modules in Articulate Rise with quizzes, flashcards, and video explainers
Applied adult learning theory with reflection prompts, scenarios, and self-checks
Rewrote content for diverse literacy levels while preserving clinical accuracy
Produced Synthesia videos, tutorials and audio voiceovers to complement written content
Designed a calming, mobile-friendly interface aligned with UCSF branding
Collaborated with doctors and researchers to ensure accuracy, inclusivity, and empathy
Results
The redesigned program launched as a scalable, patient-friendly eLearning course with built-in survey data collection to measure outcomes. It improved accessibility and engagement, and positioned UCSF to grow RENEW into a long-term, evidence-based digital health intervention.
18
modules
18
hours of materials
48
interactive activities
Process
Research & Content Analysis: I began by reviewing the original 300-page survivorship manual and reorganizing it into smaller, patient-friendly sessions.
Broke down content into 18 hour-long modules each (mapped to survivor needs)
Simplified language to plain English at a 7th–10th grade level
Flagged opportunities for visuals, quotes, and reflection prompts
Instructional Design: I mapped survivor needs into learning objectives and structured sessions for short, digestible learning.
Applied adult learning theory to drive reflection and retention
Designed scenario-based learning and selected interactions (flashcards, checklists, quizzes, reflection prompts, videos, etc.) for engagement
Prototyping & Production: To validate the approach, I created pilot sessions in Articulate Rise 360 and gathered iterative feedback from UCSF researchers.
Built early sessions in Rise and shared for feedback
Simplified long slides into smaller blocks and interactive activities
Added images, quotes, videos to complement text
Produced AI-generated Synthesia tutorials and welcome videos to guide patients
Visual & Sound Design: Consistency and calm were critical to building trust with patients.
Chose a calming palette of greens and purples, paired with generous white space and clear typography.
Selected a soothing AI voice to create a supportive audio environment.
Final Pilot
To launch the pilot, I produced 2 key videos:
an intro video welcoming patients and setting expectations
a tutorial video showing how to navigate sessions and interactive activities
Intro Video
Tutorial video
“ Ava is a rare blend of creativity and rigor. She can distill complex materials into experiences that are not only intuitive, but also meaningful to the people they serve. ”
Moxuan Zhang
Co-founder | Apex Learning
Conclusion
This project taught me to translate complex, domain-specific content into simple, engaging learning experiences. I learned to balance accuracy with empathy, design for underserved populations, and collaborate closely with subject-matter experts. These skills — content transformation, stakeholder alignment, and outcome-driven design — are ones I now bring to every project.
Get Athos Pro