GUM's
EXPERTS
Client
meridol Eurasia and Ogilvy
Industry
Health / Advertsing
Role
Product Designer (Project lead)
Year
2024
Key words: User interface, User Experience, Advertising, Oral Health, AgencyProject Overview
Context
Meridol, a Colgate-Palmolive brand, has the challange to educate consumers and positioning itself as the go-to solution for gum health in Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
The challenge: improve brand presence and collect first-party data in markets where gum health awareness is limited.
Strategy
To address this challenge, the Ogilvy creation team developed a gamified user interface for the Meridol Gum Experts program, a digital platform designed to help users identify potential gum issues through customized content.
Co-developed with dental professionals, the interface engages users through interactive questions and, based on their responses, delivers personalized advice, product recommendations, and ongoing email support.
Problem
Secondary user research revealed that while basic oral care is common in Saudi Arabia and South Africa, gum health isn’t a priority— especially among high-risk user personas like pregnant women, diabetics, and people with HIV.
Goal
The goal was to acquire first-party data while expanding brand awareness in Saudi Arabia and South Africa markets, where gum health is often overlooked.
UX Process
In collaboration with Product Designers, Copywriters, and Art Directors, we applied and adapted the Double Diamond framework to align business goals with real user needs.
Methods
Discovery
Desk research.
Competitive benchmarking.
User journey analysis.
Define
Data-driven content strategy.
Definition of brand voice and tone for consistency and empathy.
Ideation
User flow mapping and decision trees for a gamified interface.
Content development tailored to outcome-focused journeys.
UX writing and microcopy are crafted to drive clarity, motivation, and user action.
Delivery
The final interface is gamified and driven by content personalization, designed to engage users and guide them through a seamless, intuitive experience.
Discovery
Desk Research
A desk research was conducted to gain a deep understanding of user behaviors, audience segments, and cultural nuances in Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
These insights informed the creation of a gamified user interface—with tailored content and personalized coupons—designed to drive sign-ups, support first-party data acquisition, and educate users about gum diseases through content.
Benchmark
To design a high-impact quiz experience, we analyzed health and wellness apps such as Zenklub, Systema, and others.
The goal was to understand how top platforms structure quizzes and forms to engage users, collect data, and convert actions into value.
We focused on 3 pillars:
Quiz Structure & Content Flow
Placement in the User Journey
Business Alignment
Define
‘‘How might we design a personalized digital experience that helps users identify early signs of gum issues — while driving engagement, educating high-risk groups, and supporting first-party data collection?’’
Ideation
Mapping the User Journey and Defining the User Flow
During the ideation phase, we focused on understanding the users’ behaviors, needs, and pain points. This involved creating a comprehensive User Journey Map to visualize the end-to-end experience and designing a detailed User Flow to outline how users would interact with the digital solution.
These tools helped align the team on opportunities for improvement and innovation.
Content development
All content was developed with a clear focus on guiding users through personalized outcomes to the user personas, rooted in Meridol’s established brand tone, visual identity, and UX patterns.
Simplicity, trustworthiness, and clarity were the guiding principles to ensure users feel supported, and not overwhelmed with not valuable information.
UX Writing strategy
The content experience was designed around a diagnostic approach, delivering just three clear outcomes based on user input:
Gingivitis
Periodontitis
Good Oral Health
Visual Design
Designing without a design system — and turning it into an opportunity.
In the development of the GUM’s Experts platform, Ogilvy's creative team faced a common but critical challenge: the absence of a ready-to-use design system. Although the client provided helpful brand guidelines, there was no existing UI kit or design framework to support the creation of the interface.
While aware of robust systems like Google’s Material 3 and Apple’s iOS kits, I chose to create a fully customized design solution — one tailored to the brand’s identity, communication goals, and the specific needs of the platform.
Working within a tight timeline, I led the development of a scalable and cohesive interface that:
Respected Meridol’s visual identity.
Ensured consistency across components.
Delivered a clear, accessible experience for users.
This process demanded a pragmatic and collaborative approach, balancing creative freedom with design rigor.
