My Role

Mobile App Designer
Researcher
Illustrator
Prototype

The team

3 UX Designers, 1 Visual Designer, and 1 Researcher

Project brief.

My professor challenged me and my team to explore the design challenges of interactive systems on AI enabled Assistive Technology for a user with a physical or mental disability to improve the user's everyday life. My role in this project involved developing the interface, visuals, and wireframes for the mobile application as well as conducting primary and secondary research for the project.

Meet Haley.

Haley is a 20 year old college student suffering from Type 1 Diabetes. Being diagnosed only 2 years ago, Haley experienced a sudden lifestyle change that permanently damaged her mental health.

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The problem.

Our user constantly struggles to manage her mental health and diabetes through her outdated and bulky insulin device; the device's awkward design and complex use affect the user's mental health, constantly reminding her of the ever-present disease.

Research.

We conducted several interviews with our user to better understand what her daily routine consisted of. We became familiar with her current devices, went in depth on how they worked and analyzed how our user’s lifestyle changed after her diagnosis.

Insulin pump.

There are many Insulin Pumps on the market that perform similar functions to the user’s current Insulin Pump. However, most lack communication with the CGM and are bulky, frustrating to use, painful, and very time consuming.

Depression management system.

Seeking professional help is the number one priority when suffering from mental illness. However, many patients make use of social media to reach out to people and mobile apps to deal with loneliness.

What is our user currently using?

Our user wears two main pieces of technology: the CGM and PDM. The CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) tracks our user's blood sugar with a needle attached to a fatty part of her body that she's able to read using her phone. However, the CGM is not always accurate, so she also carries a glucose monitor.

The PDM (Personal Diabetes Manager) is a device that has a pump attached to another fatty part of the user's body. The user has to manually input everything she eats, especially the carbohydrates, so that the pump can deliver the amount of insulin needed to regulate her blood sugar. It is important to mention that the CGM and PDM work independently from one another.

The solution.

An app and capsule that work together to help the user manage her diabetes and depression by monitoring her health and mood on a daily basis.

GREENER

Greener is a mobile app and partnering capsule designed to track the user's mental and physical health to facilitate the user's diabetes and depression management.

Greener works in conjunction with the Apple watch to replace the traditional CGM for a noninvasive glucose monitor. Optical sensors in the Apple Watch all for accurate reading of the user's glucose levels. A Greener Capsule is also provided to work with the phone and watch application, which contains a Glucagon Cartridge that automatically delivers insulin and/or sugar water into the blood stream.

How is our solution better than the current device?

Greener is comprised of 3 parts: the app, the watch, and the capsule. The app tracks the user's sugar and insulin levels as well as her mood. The Greener mobile app has a social network built into it to help her manage her depression. The user is able to view her blood sugar levels in the app with the help of the Apple Watch, which acts as a noninvasive glucometer. Finally, the Greener Capsule is able to deliver the exact amount of insulin or sugar water needed automatically.

Mobile app.

Real-time growing “garden” provides a safe space for the user.

Tasks and Waterdrop

Daily tasks and exercises are presented to the user to help her manage the ups and downs that come with depression. Completed tasks fill up the water droplet, which then waters the garden when it is filled 100%.

Data and Harvest

Blood sugar levels and remaining basal can be previewed through the app. The system is able to adjust the glucose or basal administered to the user by detecting the sugar levels in the blood or by inputing the kind and amount of food that the user will consume.

Apple watch.

A non-invasive glucose monitor that tells the insulin pump how much insulin or sugar water needs to be injected in the body.

Greener capsule.

The Greener Capsule is designed to match the user’s skin tone, making it more discreet. Its thinner, rounder curves make it less bulky and therefore less likely to bump into something and fall off.
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The capsule communicates with the Greener App to monitor the user's glucose, automatically delivering insulin or sugar water without the need to input a number to deliver insulin or eat something to raise your sugar levels.

Takeaways

Greener was my introduction to Product Design. I had taken what I knew about graphic design, motion media, and illustration and applied them into this project while learning different methods of research and design thinking. Working with a user with a physical and mental disability also sparked my interest in helping others through design and innovating in the healthcare sector. Even though we prototyped the app and watch and had our user go about her day using or product, some things I would consider doing in the future are:

Updating the UI to be more accessible and user friendly.
Further testing the effects of tasks on the user's mood and developing a working greener pod.
Scaling up the product to treat multiple users.