In this 9-week project, my group and I worked with Meredith DeZutter and Lindsey Philpot from Mayo Clinic. (Service Designer & Health service Researcher) We chose the topic of rheumatoid arthritis and worked with our mentors to learn about some of the current struggles and needs of those with this. Then, we designed a product or service that addresses this topic through interaction design.
Our final design can be forward-thinking, relevant to today’s needs, or combining both. It will focus on a screen-based solution, including mobile apps and scrolling websites.
RheuMe - Arthritis Self-Care App
Case Study
UX/UI Design
Methods: User Interviews/Surveys, User-Centered Design, Wireframing, Prototyping
Tools: Figma, Google Docs, Google Slides
Introduction
Overview
In this 9-week project, my team collaborated with Meredith DeZutter and Lindsey Philpot from Mayo Clinic to design an app for managing rheumatoid arthritis. We focused on understanding the challenges faced by individuals with this condition and developed solutions to create a user-friendly app that empowers them to take control of their health and care.
Challenge
Prioritizing your health and wellness..."
In collaboration with the Mayo Clinic, this project involves designing an innovative app aimed at helping individuals manage a chronic illness. Working closely with our mentors, our goal is to create a user-friendly and effective tool that empowers individuals with rheumatoid arthritis to take control of their health and care management.
WHAT IS RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS?
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic condition that causes joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. It can make daily activities difficult and, if not managed well, can lead to joint damage. This case study explores how we can create a solution that helps people with RA track their symptoms, see how well they’re managing their condition, and connect with others to learn more and improve their quality of life.
Solutions
Smarter Health, Happier You
Introducing the ultimate app designed for individuals with Rheumatoid Arthritis—your companion on the path to better self-care and connection. Track your arthritis symptoms, manage flare-ups, and connect with a supportive community all in one app. Take control of your health and find support today!
Solutions 01
Customize your journey
Tailor the app to track the areas that matter most to you, set personalized reminder frequencies, and easily discover new information and insights relevant to your needs. add that this happens when you first get the app
Solutions 02
Symptom Tracker
Easily manage and customize your tracking process, including mood and pain. Document pain points, rate discomfort levels, and add any relevant notes to keep an accurate log.
Solutions 03
Community Page
Find support and solutions by connecting with others living with rheumatoid arthritis. Share your experiences, exchange helpful tips, and connect with those who understand your challenges.
Solutions 04
Customizable Profile
Your profile, which includes relevant arthritis details, makes it easier to connect and can be customized for privacy. Topics you follow are color-coded to match your tracking preferences for a personalized experience.
Connect
We spoke with individuals aged 26 to 67, the youngest being 26, and found an interesting trend...
Interviewed a group of individuals to gain insights into their experiences with rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. One participant aged 26, we found that all participants, regardless of age or arthritis type, shared similar challenges. These included emotional struggles and physical limitations, highlighting how arthritis profoundly impacts daily life at any stage.
We conducted interviews to understand how arthritis affects daily life and the challenges users face. We asked about lifestyle changes, treatments, medication, mental health, and the use of arthritis apps. We also explored what features users would like to see in the app. Quotes from our interview process back up the pain points our participants expressed.
Unique needs and severity levels🧩
Though friends and family provide some support, users expressed a desire for a community of others who understand their unique struggles with RA.
Patients seek alternative treatments 🌿 Many users turn to treatments outside of conventional medication, like fish oil or turmeric, but often find a lack of guidance from doctors.
"Would appreciate a community." "Talked to friends and family for support."
Potential Solutions: The app should include social features to allow users to share experiences and advice and find peer support.
Daily pain management is a struggle 💊
Patients are aware of the importance of taking their medications but also worry about the long-term bone health impacts. Many avoid missing doses, but there’s a need for better guidance around balancing medication and bone health management.
Pain management affects daily activities, limiting users' ability to perform simple tasks like washing dishes or gardening. Morning stiffness is a common issue.
"Better to take the meds than not take them because they can deteriorate bones."
"Pain makes it difficult to perform daily activities (e.g., washing dishes)."
"Pain makes it difficult to perform daily activities (e.g., washing dishes)."
Potential Solution: The app could integrate medication tracking and side-effect guidance.
Emotional support & community are vital ❤️
Though friends and family provide some support, users expressed a desire for a community of others who understand their unique struggles with RA.
Patients seek alternative treatments 🌿 Many users turn to treatments outside of conventional medication, like fish oil or turmeric, but often find a lack of guidance from doctors.
Patients seek alternative treatments 🌿 Many users turn to treatments outside of conventional medication, like fish oil or turmeric, but often find a lack of guidance from doctors.
"Would appreciate a community."
"Talked to friends and family for support."
Potential Solutions: The app should include social features to allow users to share experiences, advice, and find peer support..
The biggest theme we discovered was the individuality of RA experiences. Each person’s severity, treatment needs, and pain management are different, so a one-size-fits-all solution doesn’t work.
Challenge
The health app market is highly saturated, with numerous applications offering similar features across various categories.
Conducting a comprehensive analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of current apps aimed at helping individuals manage their arthritis to identify gaps and areas for improvement. While looking at these, we found that most arthritis apps fail because they lack intuitive design, personalization, a sense of community and guidance, and comprehensive tracking. A truly effective app needs to be holistic, user-friendly, and backed by medical research while prioritizing privacy and support.
My Arthritis App - Manage symptoms + personalized care plan (pain tracker, activity log, treatment history).
Arthritis Care - Symptom tracking + personalized treatment plans (journal, pain points, activity log).
RA Manager - Arthritis symptom tracking + personalized insights (pain log, medication tracker, flare-up history).
Process
ILLUSTRATING THE USER JOURNEY
From these user stories, we created a concept storyboard and product map to bring the user experience to life. The storyboard showcases pivotal interactions, while the product map lays out the app’s framework, highlighting how its features connect to support user needs.
Ideate
Current-State Storyboards
Through storyboards, we can see how individuals with Rheumatoid Arthritis typically manage their condition. These visual narratives are crucial in understanding real-life challenges, as they enable us to empathize with users and develop thoughtful, practical solutions.
Concept 1: Physical Therapy
- The person is stressed out and is in pain from arthritis
- Talks to a friend who also has arthritis. They suggest yoga
- Goes with a friend to yoga class to try it out
- Helped ease pain and was able to sleep better
- Now they look up yoga videos and do them at home
- The person is stressed out and is in pain from arthritis
- Talks to a friend who also has arthritis. They suggest yoga
- Goes with a friend to yoga class to try it out
- Helped ease pain and was able to sleep better
- Now they look up yoga videos and do them at home
Situation 2: Pain Flareups
- Doing the dishes as normal
- Arthritis pain flaring up while doing dishes
- Drops plate
- Gets upset that the pain happens out of nowhere
- Gets anti-inflammatory cream
- Feels relief
- Doing the dishes as normal
- Arthritis pain flaring up while doing dishes
- Drops plate
- Gets upset that the pain happens out of nowhere
- Gets anti-inflammatory cream
- Feels relief
Concept 3: Looking for new treatments
- Notices more frequent flare-ups and is in a lot of pain
- Takes current medication,
- Medication doesn’t work, and is still in pain
- Goes to WebMD
- Still no answers and afraid of side effects, so make an appointment with their doctor
- Doctor suggests lifestyle changes and a new pain medication
- Notices more frequent flare-ups and is in a lot of pain
- Takes current medication,
- Medication doesn’t work, and is still in pain
- Goes to WebMD
- Still no answers and afraid of side effects, so make an appointment with their doctor
- Doctor suggests lifestyle changes and a new pain medication
Problem Statements
Current-State Empathy Maps
We current state empathy map to better understand the user's journey and pain points. This insight helps us create solutions that truly address user needs and improve their experience.
Approaching a Solution
Turning Pain Points Into Features
The biggest theme we discovered was the individuality of RA experiences. Each person’s severity, treatment needs, and pain management are different, so a one-size-fits-all solution doesn’t work.
User flow designed for efficiency with minimal steps and seamless accessibility.
Our findings and persona insights showed that the ideal solution should personalize the experience, track progress, and support both physical and emotional health. Additionally, the app should encourage a sense of community and help users create routines to manage their RA more effectively.
Product Map
Storyboard illustrating use cases for the proposed concepts and when they would use it.
Ideation
Style variations
We created multiple style variations to explore different design approaches and ensure we selected the one that best meets the needs of the users while aligning with the overall vision for the application.
Initial Wireframes
Using wireframes to plan the layout and structure of the user interface (UI) before adding design details, colors, or features. They help us focus on where key elements like buttons and menus go, ensuring the user experience works well before refining the design.
High Fidelity Wireframes
Using wireframes to plan the layout and structure of the user interface (UI) before adding design details, colors, or features. They help us focus on where key elements like buttons and menus go, ensuring the user experience works well before refining the design.
Final Design
Style Guide
Using wireframes to plan the layout and structure of the user interface (UI) before adding design details, colors, or features. They help us focus on where key elements like buttons and menus go, ensuring the user experience works well before refining the design.
Interactive prototype
Tailor the app to track the areas that matter most to you, set personalized reminder frequencies, and easily discover new information and insights relevant to your needs.
