Retail / Ecommerce
The DeGroote Pain Institute at McMaster University
The DeGroote Pain Institute at McMaster University set out to reimagine how people living with neuropathic pain access information, support, and expert insight, evolving scattered resources into a unified, trusted digital experience through PainHQ.
- Brand Strategy
- Creative Services
- Web Development
The solution & impact
A modern community platform for McMaster University that transforms neuropathic pain education into a guided, accessible, and human experience.
PainHQ was designed as more than a content platform. It functions as a structured learning and support environment where education, lived experience, and clinical expertise converge.
The experience centers on clarity and calm navigation. Users can move through video-led learning, guided tools, and community resources without friction or overwhelm. Every interaction is shaped to reduce cognitive load while increasing confidence in what to explore next. For McMaster, the platform becomes a scalable digital extension of its leadership in pain research and care innovation.
Platform benefits
Structured clarity
Guided pathways, helping users understand neuropathic pain without feeling overwhelmed or lost in dense material.
Progressive learning experience
Deeper learning and education at the users own pace, without friction or confusion.
Human-centered platform
Prioritizes emotional ease and accessibility, creating a calm, supportive environment for people navigating complex health challenges.
Scalable experience
Built to evolve with McMaster’s ongoing research and education needs, allowing new content, tools, and initiatives to be integrated seamlessly over time.
Who it helps
People living with neuropathic pain
Individuals seeking clear, trustworthy guidance to better understand symptoms, treatments, and day-to-day management.
Caregivers and support networks
Friends and family who need accessible education to better support loved ones through long-term pain journeys.
Patients exploring care options
Patients looking for reliable, research-backed information to help inform conversations with healthcare providers.
Healthcare professionals and researchers
Clinicians and academics who want a structured way to share insights, tools, and evolving pain science with the public.
Project Features
Patient engagement experience
Video-first learning experience
Structured educational modules designed to simplify complex pain science into accessible, guided learning.
Community-centered architecture
A digital space built to encourage connection, shared experience, and supportive engagement.
Expert-driven content access
Clear pathways to research-backed information and clinical perspectives from leading specialists.
Accessible across channels
Mobile-optimized experience
A responsive platform designed for real-world use, enabling access across devices without friction.
Guided information discovery
Intuitive content pathways that help users move from general understanding to deeper learning.
Resource and tools hub
Centralized access to support materials, services, and patient-facing educational tools.
“Working with Striking Idea helped us translate a complex clinical and research vision into a digital platform that feels intuitive, supportive, and genuinely useful for patients. The new PainHQ experience brings structure to an otherwise overwhelming space of information and makes it far easier for individuals to find meaningful guidance. The balance between strategy, design, and execution was exceptional. Every decision felt grounded in both user need and institutional integrity, which is critical for a platform connected to ongoing pain research and care innovation at McMaster.”
Dr. Levinson
Professor, Division of e-Learning Innovation, McMaster University
Results
The final platform gives McMaster University a unified digital ecosystem for pain education and community support, translating academic expertise into a patient-friendly experience that is easier to navigate, more engaging to use, and built for long-term scalability.
Unified patient education platform launched
Delivered a single, centralized experience that brings neuropathic pain education, tools, and community resources into one structured environment.
Simplified access to complex medical content
Reframed dense academic and clinical material into guided learning paths that improve usability and reduce cognitive friction.
Scalable digital foundation established
Created a flexible system that allows McMaster University to expand content, add new programs, and evolve PainHQ without rework of core structure.
Let’s build something together.
Partner with Striking Idea and focus on what you do best, running your business. We’ll handle the rest.
