Case Studies
The Michael J Fox Foundation
The Michael J Fox Foundation

Non-Profit Association

A personalized research library for the Michael J. Fox Foundation, serving every stage of the Parkinson's journey

Drupal Feature Development Personalization UX
MJFFBannerimage.png
Live
Bookmark system for all authenticated users
Auth0
Unified single sign-on
Custom
Folder organization
Salesforce
Behavioral insight

THE CHALLENGE

Three sign-on systems standing between users and a personalized experience

The Michael J. Fox Foundation wanted to let users build personalized libraries of saved pages and articles. The obstacle sat underneath that goal: the foundation ran three different authentication methods across its digital platforms, with no single source of identity to build a personalized, cross-domain experience on.

  • MJFF ran three different authentication methods across its platforms
  • A unified authentication source was needed to work across domains
  • Multiple stakeholders made alignment on a single SSO approach complex
  • Salesforce integration was required for data sharing and user behavior tracking
  • The foundation had little visibility into which content its community valued most

THE SOLUTION

A unified sign-on that made personalization possible

01

Unifying authentication with Auth0

Unifying authentication with Auth0

Specbee ran multiple discussions with MJFF stakeholders to align on requirements across platforms, then proposed three approaches for SSO integration. The team finalized Auth0 as the single authentication source for user registration and login, chosen as a future-proof strategy that could extend to new MJFF domains.

  • Stakeholder alignment on cross-platform requirements
  • Three SSO approaches evaluated, Auth0 finalized as the single source
  • Auth0 SSO integration for seamless authentication across MJFF platforms
  • Scalability designed in for future MJFF domains
02

Bookmark feature and personal library

Bookmark feature and personal library

On top of the unified sign-on, Specbee built the bookmarking feature, letting users save pages and articles and organize them into custom folders. The design was worked out through user-journey analysis, style tiles, and interactive Figma prototypes tested for usability and accessibility.

  • Bookmark system with custom folder organization
  • Personal library for authenticated users
  • User-journey analysis across account creation, bookmarking, and dashboard
  • Style tiles and interactive Figma designs for usability and accessibility
03

Salesforce integration for behavioral insight

Salesforce integration for behavioral insight

Specbee integrated Salesforce so user data and bookmarking activity could be shared and analyzed. That gave MJFF a view into what its community was saving, which informed content prioritization and gap identification.

  • Salesforce integration for user data and bookmark activity
  • Behavior tracking to surface which content the community values
  • Insight used to prioritize content updates and identify gaps
04

Accessibility to WCAG 2.1 Level AA

Accessibility to WCAG 2.1 Level AA

MJFF's platforms carry expanded accessibility requirements. Specbee assisted on WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance through the design and implementation phases.

  • WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance support
  • Accessibility built into design and implementation

BACKGROUND

Founded in 2000 by Michael J. Fox, the foundation is committed to accelerating the search for a cure for Parkinson's while advancing research and improving therapies for those living with the condition.

The Bookmark Project set out to let users build personal libraries of saved content, organized into custom folders. Delivering that meant solving an identity problem first. MJFF ran three separate authentication methods, so Specbee proposed and implemented Auth0 as a single sign-on source that could carry personalization across domains and extend to future platforms. With Salesforce integrated for behavior tracking, the foundation also gained something it hadn't had before: a view into what its community was actually saving and valuing, which it could feed back into content decisions.

KEY INSIGHT

Personalization started with identity

Sometimes it means giving people a well-organized drawer for the things they've already found. The Bookmark Project's value was partly the UX feature and partly the data it generated.

The Results

A research site that users can organize around their own needs

Measured across user engagement and content strategy impact.

MetricBeforeAfter
Authentication Three separate methods Unified via Auth0 SSO
Content saving None Bookmark system live
User organization None Custom folder management
Behavioral data Not available Tracked via Salesforce integration
Content prioritization Based on assumptions Informed by real usage data

Live

Personalized library

Users save and organize MJFF content in custom bookmark folders.

Auth0

Unified sign-on

Three authentication methods consolidated into one source.

Salesforce

Behavioral insight

MJFF sees which content its community finds most valuable.

Higher

Interactive users

The site saw a marked rise in highly interactive users.

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