To support the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) mission of advancing military health through education, research, and service, the Consortium for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP) launched Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS). OPSS offers evidence-based information on dietary supplements, empowering military personnel, their families, healthcare providers, and leaders to make informed choices about supplements. This initiative enables them to confidently pursue their fitness goals while prioritizing safety and adherence to military health standards.

CHAMP leadership and staff aimed to provide service members with a comprehensive understanding of the risks and benefits of supplement usage, but the OPSS.org website needed help with navigation, screen hierarchy, and mobile responsiveness. Users struggled to find critical features from the home page, and accessibility issues further hindered engagement. The design did not comply with modern web accessibility standards, making it difficult for users to find the needed information and potentially excluding some users from accessing critical information. Recognizing the need for improvement, CHAMP revamped the OPSS.org website to meet user needs better and offer an enhanced digital experience.

TIAG created an innovative, human-centered design to tackle these challenges and modernized the OPSS.org website. TIAG implemented a comprehensive strategy, starting with in-house user research and baseline assessments. The team analyzed usage trends, behaviors, and drop-out rates, which informed the creation of personas representing soldiers using supplements. These personas were instrumental in developing a goals-driven design roadmap tailored to soldiers’ specific needs.

• Development Strategy & Approach We started development by finalizing design blueprints and prioritizing features to create a clear roadmap, focusing on delivering the Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
• Agile Development Using Agile methodology, we implemented a sprint-based process with regular stakeholder feedback for continuous improvement. Tools like JIRA, Bitbucket, and Jenkins powered our CI/CD process, ensuring seamless development and deployment.
• Design & Prototyping We utilized Adobe XD and Figma to create intuitive, user-friendly designs, enabling real-time collaboration and iterative prototyping.
• Content & Website Management With Drupal CMS and PowerMapper, we ensured scalable content management and optimized site accessibility, addressing broken links and browser compatibility issues.
• Mobile Optimization & Accessibility We prioritized mobile performance by optimizing resources and implementing WebAim to ensure WCAG 2.1 compliance and enhancedaccessibility for users with disabilities.
• Security & Compliance Our coding standards followed strict guidelines, including STIG and NIST SP 800-53, ensuring top-tier security and regulatory compliance.
• User Testing & Maintenance We conducted continuous User Acceptance Testing (UAT) during each sprint to meet MVP criteria. After launch, our team transitioned to ongoing site maintenance, optimizing performance, security, and functionality enhancements.

Post-redesign, stakeholders reported an impressive 50% to over 100% increase in usage for some of the site’s most popular pages and features. TIAG’s comprehensive software development process for OPSS, grounded in Agile methodology and stringent coding standards, resulted in a robust, secure, and user-centric digital product. The iterative and feedback-driven approach, supported by powerful tools like JIRA, Azure DevOps, Adobe XD, Figma, Drupal CMS, PowerMapper, and WebAim, ensured the final product met user and stakeholder needs. The transition to maintenance ensured ongoing optimization and enhancements, providing a sustainable and continually improving digital solution.