EMU
Tailored exercise app for women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Unfortunately, due to privacy reasons, I can’t show the details of my user research in this client’s project.
This fictitious mockup is to showcase the general concepts and design principles without revealing sensitive data/logo or the actual company's identity.
This is a project I was assigned to as a UIUX designer in Rehasaku.
Process:
Research, Interviews, survey, competitive analysis, wireframing, prototyping, testing
Scope:
14 Days (Design Sprint)
Role:
Product Designer
Tools:
Figma, Adobe Illustrator
Defining the problem
In Japan, there is currently no dedicated exercise app tailored for women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), despite clinical guidelines recommending a minimum of 150 minutes of weekly physical activity as an essential component of PCOS management.
This gap in accessible healthcare tools poses a significant challenge for both PCOS patients and healthcare professionals who rely on evidence-based recommendations.
How can we？
Create an app service that encourages patients to independently track their physical activity progress and enables their personal healthcare professionals to remotely monitor its effectiveness and send physical activity recommendations.
Competitive Analysis
Competitive Analysis
I conducted an early-stage competitive analysis, given the app's specific nature. It was crucial to comprehend the app's tone, unique value proposition, and its approach to addressing delicate issues. To gain insights into cultural distinctions, I chose to examine popular apps from Japan and from other countries as part of my portfolio assessment. The reason I chose these app was that it had similar target audience (patients with chronic pain or long-term disease).
Location
Peer Ring,
Japan
Flo,
Belarus
Cancer Ally Suite,
USA
Unique Value Proposition
Diary feature, social community, QnA feature
keeps period start date and length, fertile window, peak ovulation days, PMS symptoms
targeted information updates,
specific exercises for patients,
Interactive and patient-specific ,send prompts to check on patient
Content
Uplifting, supportive community, motivating
Accommodating, not overwhelming
Every information are sent directly from the doctor , reliable
Gap
No personalized update from doctor
No community feature or coping feature
The color scheme does not communicate the intended appeal for a women-oriented app.
User Research: Interview & User Takeaways
User Survey & Interview
Our research involved user interviews through web survey, and collaborating with the client's company, which had direct access with the patients. Additionally, I watched youtube documentaries on pcos communities in Japan and scour online forums to gain deeper insights on their day to day lives and struggles.
Takeaways
When researching exclusively in Japanese websites, I found that most PCOS active communities and documentaries are aimed for patients who want to conceive but very few for those searching to improve lifestyle through exercise. From our indirect (competitive analysis) and direct research (user interviews) we came to a conclusion that the most important features are:
Sense of community
Ability to feel that you are improving/ there is result
The need for specific proven exercise
Focusing on the MVP
Scope
Within 10 days I have to come up with a high-fidelity prototype to be used for user testing.
User Flow
Users sign up and submit questionnaires to physical therapist. In return, they receive personalized exercise videos. To promote consistent use, we've implemented a rewards system, granting tokens for daily logins and exercise, which can be converted into real currency.
App Goals
Increase user’s trust towards the app
PCOS patient
Focusing on the MVP
We utilize a visual dashboard to allow users to easily track their progress.
High-fidelity explorations
Due to time constraints I decided to go forward with high-fidelity design to present to the internal company to receive initial feedback.
My Monitor Screen: Allows users to track their progress and achievements in one screen.
Focusing on the MVP
Receiving Feedback
Following discussions with internal stakeholders and my design mentor, we chose to simplify the graphics in the prototype to reduce distractions for usability testing.
We also decided to include the community feature, as it was a highly important feature from user research.
Integrate onboarding questionnaires for users to complete and send to healthcare providers.
Iteration
After submitting the prototype, the client provided feedback, and I was assigned the task of making revisions. User testing involved five participants.
#1 Users doesn’t understand the doctor button (4/5 users)
“It feels like a paid feature instead of a messaging feature”
“I know the doctors are busy anyways so I won’t use it”
The doctor icon is now an inbox/chat icon, making communication feel more casual and encouraging users to message their doctor in a relaxed manner.
Iteration
#2 Community features seem unmoderated.(3/5 users)
“It would be nice if community is segmented”
“I don’t usually write anything but I like reading other people’s daily life”
I added flairs to the community section, allowing users to select which categories they want in their feed. This was inspired by platforms such as Reddit which have millions of users consisting of different topics on one community.
#3 The onboarding questionnaires seem unnecessary (3/5 users)
“The doctor should know my health information”
“I would rather have a feature that checks my progress”
Replaced the onboarding questionnaire with weekly check-up questionnaire. This change aims to ensure the effectiveness of personalized exercises and boost user engagement, as users are aware that we continuously gather feedback and prioritize their well-being.
Final Design
Design Style Guide
I simplify the Logo, which will then be our prototype name “Emu”. The name comes from the Japanese pronunciation as well as the shape of the logo of “M” “えむ” . We want the app to have more personality rather than just a medical app. We chose a vibrant orange-red to set the tone to motivating and warm.
To help humanize the app, I created Emu (絵夢) the human. Who became the bringer of good news in the form of notifications or as a small accountability partner to encourage you to keep the routine going!
Orange and pink are bright and cheerful colors that symbolize optimism and positivity. Living with PCOS can be challenging, and maintaining a positive outlook is essential for overall well-being. The vibrant colors can help uplift users' spirits, motivate them to engage in exercise, and reinforce the idea that progress and improvement are possible.
What I learned
Creating one message
When we received feedback on our first MVP prototype, it became apparent that users were getting distracted by the onboarding screen, which included detailed questionnaires. Too much emphasis was placed on this aspect, even though it shouldn't have been the primary focus. Additionally, it was clear that we needed a well-defined end goal, and in this case, the reward points screen should serve as the final stage of the exercise.
Why our product ?
Despite our reward system and progress tracking we still need to figure out a way to encourage users in a way that empathize with their condition. We received feedback such as “if there is constant push from the app (notification) then I will be encouraged to do it”, In this case I believed that the main motivation would be that sense of accountability or having someone else helping them in check (Community) .
I believe that we need more research on the daily lives of PCOS women and improve the app into something they will use habitually. Or integrate it with a feature that allows accountability partners