Solace
Uncluttered migraine management
UX Research
UX Design
Health
Timeline
14 Weeks
Role
Product Designer
Tools
Figma
Problem
Migraine patients struggle to monitor and understand their headache patterns. Traditional journaling is cumbersome and doesn’t give healthcare providers comprehensive insights for treatment. Existing apps lack user-friendly interfaces for easy symptom and trigger documentation, hindering effective migraine management and potentially leading to poor health outcomes.
Solution
Solace is a mobile app designed to transform migraine tracking and management. With an intuitive interface that minimizes typing, it allows users to easily log migraine attacks, triggers, intensity, medication, and after-effects using visual cues. Solace provides detailed reports and insights, enhancing communication between patients and healthcare providers for more effective migraine management and improved quality of life.
Ideation
The brainstorming process overwhelmed me with ideas, but most were already popular in the market. After exploring and reviewing self-help and habit-tracking apps, I noticed a lack of apps specializing in migraines. Researching existing migraine apps, I found that patients prioritized tracking their migraine attacks. Many apps were cluttered and complicated, increasing cognitive load. This led me to delve deeper and gather more information on the issue.
Research
The research aims to understand current methods and challenges in tracking migraines, identify common triggers and effects, and explore patients' preferences for migraine tracking apps.
It will investigate the effectiveness and limitations of existing apps, assess the role of visual cues and minimal typing in enhancing user experience, and examine communication between patients and healthcare providers.
Additionally, the research will evaluate the potential impact of a mobile app like Solace on improving migraine management and patient outcomes. These insights will inform the design and development of Solace to effectively address migraine patients' needs.
User Interview Insights
User interviews have highlighted several key areas for improvement in migraine tracking applications. Users report significant challenges with maintaining consistent tracking of their migraine attacks and symptoms, indicating a need for a more streamlined and user-friendly system. Additionally, identifying triggers remains a complex task for many, suggesting that enhanced features for pattern recognition and data analysis could be beneficial. There is a clear preference for applications that are intuitive and easy to navigate, as overly complex interfaces deter consistent use. Moreover, users desire personalized recommendations and actionable insights to better manage their migraines, emphasizing the importance of tailored guidance based on individual data inputs. These insights underscore the necessity for a migraine tracking app that prioritizes ease of use, effective data analysis, and personalized support.
Inconsistency in Tracking Methods
Preference for User-Friendly Interface
Complexity of Identifying Triggers
Desire for Personalized Recommendations
User Survey Insights
The user survey insights from the Solace case study reveal several key findings regarding the experiences and preferences of migraine patients. Firstly, a significant number of users report experiencing migraines frequently, with varying symptoms such as throbbing headaches, sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, and visual disturbances. These attacks often last between 4 to 24 hours, necessitating effective tracking methods. Currently, many users rely on traditional means like pen and paper or basic mobile applications, but they express dissatisfaction with these methods due to their cumbersome nature and lack of comprehensive features. There is a strong interest in a specialized mobile application for migraine tracking, with essential features including an easy-to-use interface, symptom and trigger tracking, calendar views for frequency, medication reminders, and integration with wearable devices. Users emphasize the need for an intuitive, user-friendly design that minimizes typing and provides personalized recommendations based on their data, ultimately aiming for better migraine management and improved communication with healthcare providers.
Digging Deeper
I tested the proposed features with seven participants to assess engagement with gamification and response to environmental updates, conducting tests in person and remotely while meticulously documenting feedback for insights.
User Frustrations
Challenges in Tracking Migraine Patterns: Users find it difficult to effectively monitor and comprehend their headache patterns using traditional methods like journaling, which can be cumbersome and may not provide comprehensive insights for treatment planning.
Lack of Versatile Migraine Tracking Apps: Existing migraine tracking apps lack versatility, especially in offering user-friendly interfaces for symptom and trigger documentation without extensive typing. Users struggle to find an app that suits their needs.
User Needs
Simplified Tracking Methods: Users need a streamlined and user-friendly method for tracking their migraine attacks and related symptoms without the need for extensive typing or manual entries.
Identification of Triggers: Users require assistance in identifying and tracking potential triggers for their migraine attacks, especially when triggers are not obvious or consistent.
Personalized Recommendations: Users seek actionable insights and personalized recommendations based on the data they input into the app to effectively manage their migraines.
User Motivations
Improved Migraine Management: Users are motivated to find effective tools and methods for managing their migraines to improve their overall quality of life and daily functioning.
Empowerment Through Understanding: Users are motivated to gain a deeper understanding of their migraine patterns, triggers, and symptoms to take control of their health and make informed decisions.
Enhanced Communication with Healthcare Providers: Users are motivated to effectively communicate with their healthcare providers by providing comprehensive tracking data and receiving personalized recommendations for migraine management.
The results of the user testing were overwhelmingly positive. Participants responded enthusiastically to the gamification element, expressing eagerness to earn eco-conscious badges and track their environmental impact. They found the concept engaging and believed it would enhance their experience with B Cycle. Additionally, users welcomed the idea of real-time environmental impact updates, seeing it as a valuable tool to increase their awareness of their contributions to sustainability. These insights will be invaluable for refining the features during the iteration phase, ensuring an optimal user experience for B Cycle users.
User Flows
Home
Recording an Attack
After Attack Entry
Mid-fidelity Wireframes
During the initial stages of building Solace, I wanted to provide users with more than just journaling. Even though most of the research I conducted, led me to the idea that most of my users were having an issue with the most basic part of migraine management -the journaling. However, I was still inclined to see if I can add some more helpful features that can assist in the overall alleviation of the issues faced my migraine patients. This is also where I start thinking about my key features -which ones to keep and which ones to discard.
Design Iterations
V1
I scraped this version quite early on as I saw it start taking shape into more of a mental health app and not really focusing on fixing the problems I was trying to solves. It wasn't really doing much to help migraine patients understand their attacks and learn their patterns.
V2
I had finally found my footing with this version. I was understanding the structure and they way I could use the space. Here I was still. pretty determined to provide my users with mote than just a migraine journaling app. I wanted them to have support of community, of exercises, articles and what not. However, I was still doubtful and conducted a short round monitored user testing with this version. Through testing I realized, because of all this clutter I was losing the main purpose of Solace. As much as I wanted to provide my users with a lot more features, I wanted to focus on the target problem and ended up scraping it.
V3
From the previous iterations I was able to decide to spend my time focusing on the problem statement and working on making sure the journaling process was as smooth as possible. This way I was able to also generate some very clear data for the users who could use those reports to find a pattern and track their migraine attacks. These reports would also be really helpful to healthcare providers to find the best relief solution for their patients. This was the last iteration before a final MVP was made. Not a significant difference between the two except some minor changes in the colors and digital elements used.
Final Solution
High-fidelity Wireframes
Prototype
Conclusion
Through extensive research, testing, and iteration, I've developed Solace, a project aimed at revolutionizing migraine management. This endeavor was driven by a desire to address the frustrations and unmet needs of migraine patients, providing them with a comprehensive tool to track, understand, and manage their condition effectively.
Throughout this journey, I've learned the importance of collaboration and the limitations of working solo on such a project. With the support of professors, mentors, and friends, I navigated challenges while remaining positively motivated. Looking ahead, I aim to better plan my tasks, setting realistic expectations and allowing room for setbacks.
Despite the challenges, this project has been incredibly rewarding, offering invaluable learning experiences and sharpening my skills as a designer. I'm proud to have created something that not only meets the needs of users but also promotes sustainable behaviors in migraine management. Overall, this journey has been fulfilling, and I'm excited to see the impact Solace will have in empowering individuals to take control of their migraines.