Dynamic Diagrams was approached by the American College of Physicians (ACP) to develop an architecture and interface for the full-text Web presentation of Annals of Internal Medicine. Annals is the world's leading evidence-based medical journal and provides editorial coverage on a wide range of clinical topics and issues.

In addition to creating an appropriate translation of the print journal to an online format, it was important to optimize the site's organization and navigational structure for users with varying degrees of technical skill and sophistication. In particular, the ACP staff was aware that, unlike the print journal, the online journal would need to serve consumer audiences looking for trustworthy medical information on the Web.

Working closely with ACP's editorial, technical, and business groups, we conducted a detailed analysis of user expectations, with specific attention to non-physician users searching for reliable medical information. The end result was a site architecture rich in features that offered clear and consistent navigation, several new and innovative features for seasoned users of Web-based medical journals, and the novel "Summary for Patients" content for consumer audiences.

Upon approval of the architecture, our designers created an elegant and sophisticated visual presentation for the site. Reflective of its print counterpart, the Annals Web site design successfully integrated intuitive navigation with the ease-of-use requirements identified in the user study. Implementation of the site brought a number of powerful technologies to bear including complex SGML-to-HTML conversion tools and a robust dynamic HTML menu system.