Background
Mukki Gill, a Northeastern student and founder of ZOR, is developing a wearable device to track and manage epileptic seizures. As part of her goals, she assembled a team to create a mobile app to help people with epilepsy better understand and handle their seizures. She wanted a Beta version of the app, where users could log seizures, symptoms and patterns, and see how seizures might correlate to things like heart rate, appetite, and medications.
The team of seven consisted of developers, designers, and marketers. We met bi-weekly to brainstorm ideas, design and implement features, and gather feedback. My role as a designer was to help create an intuitive, accessible interface that would empower users to take control of their health management journey.
Design Process
We worked together to define the core features for the app's Beta version based on research with people living with epilepsy and conversations with physicians and other experts in the epilepsy patient care space. Through extensive user and competitor research, we identified commonly requested features and barriers to use, which guided our design decisions throughout the project.
A huge inspiration for us was Apple Health's display of information. We particularly noted its clean, intuitive Summary view, which lets users quickly understand key health metrics. The app's use of interactive charts and highlights to show trends over time, and the ability to pin favorite categories for quick access, was a valuable reference point for designing ZOR's data visualization and personalization features.
We created sketches and low-fidelity wireframes for each page and flow, which Mukki shared with members of the epilepsy community and healthcare professionals. We used their feedback and other team members' input to continuously make improvements and make high-fidelity protoypes. The process involved numerous iterations, particularly for the Trends page, where we focused on refining the data visualizations to be as clear and insightful as possible.
Core Features
- Logging system for tracking seizures, medications, lifestyle metrics like sleep and stress, and other key symptoms
- Reminders for appointments, medications, and other essential tasks
- Calendar view for tracking seizure, medication, appointment, and lifestyle metrics history
- Trends page for viewing visualizations and identifying patterns in health data
- Ability to export data for medical use and sharing with healthcare providers
- Profile with medication information and caregiver contacts for emergency support
What I Learned
Designing ZOR's Beta Version was a balancing act between functionality, usability, and the distinct needs of patients and caregivers. We centered the app around accessible data logging, visualization, and personalization to build a strong foundation that can be expanded in later versions. To achieve this, we made intentional trade-offs, like putting the Appointments feature on hold to keep the initial experience focused. Through thoughtful design and user feedback, ZOR's Beta provides a solid base for future development. I'm excited to see how the app continues to evolve and make a real difference in people's lives.