HealSpace
HealSpace ( WORK IN PROGRESS!!! )
My role: product Designer
tIMELINE: MARCH 2025 - MAY 2025
Tools Used: FIGMA, FIGJAM, PHOTOSHOP, google suite
Overview
This project was completed as part of DSID 131 - Interaction Design, a course at San José State University. In collaboration with mentors from the Mayo Clinic, I worked on a team of four designers. Our challenge was to create an app that could provide supportive care for people dealing with chronic pain.
What is HealSpace?
HealSpace is a digital companion designed to support individuals living with chronic pain. The app helps users understand, track, and manage their physical and emotional well-being through evidence-based tools, emotional support, and personalized insights.
Research
We began by diving deep into the lived experiences of people with chronic pain through interviews and secondary research. Our goal was to understand not just the symptoms, but the emotions and daily challenges that accompany them.
Key Findings:
Emotional Toll: Chronic pain often leads to feelings of anxiety, depression, and isolation.
Confusion & Frustration: Patients struggle with inconsistent care and conflicting online advice.
Need for Personalization: Users want solutions that reflect their unique conditions, triggers, and goals.
Low Energy, High Stakes: Many apps place cognitive or emotional burden on users who are already exhausted.
Concept Development
Problem Statements
“I am a chronic pain patient trying to manage and mitigate my symptoms but struggle with being consistent because tracking feels too tedious and there seems to be no end in sight, which makes me feel frustrated, unmotivated, and unsupported in my care.”
“I am a chronic pain patient trying to manage my pain on my own but feel unsure if I am doing it right because there is so much conflicting information online, which makes me feel lost and hopeless about my recovery.”
“I am a person with chronic back pain trying to get updates on my condition but I feel it is not worth it to visit a doctor because it might just be a waste of time and money which makes me feel hopeless.”
How Might We…
“How might people with chronic pain feel connected to personalized care for their physical and emotional well-being when and where they need it?”
This guiding question helped us stay focused on emotional resonance, accessibility, and gentle motivation throughout the design process.
Storyboards
Visual Design Development
To bring HealSpace to life, we moved from wireframes to refined visual design.
Style Guide:
Color Palette: Soft, calming tones to reduce stress
Typography: Readable, friendly fonts for accessibility
Iconography: Rounded, minimalist icons to feel warm and intuitive
Key Features
1. Smart Check-In
A no-pressure journaling system that allows users to log symptoms only when something feels off. AI gently prompts follow-up questions and maps pain visually.
2. Personalizable Goals
A collaborative goal system with provider-set and user-created goals. Encouragement is focused on small, meaningful progress.
3. Community
Interest-based support groups and a curated content library (Mayo Clinic, peer stories, expert tips) help users feel less alone.
4. The Pond
An emotionally rewarding task incentive system. Gentle visual feedback and calming graphics help turn episodic actions into sustainable habits.
5. Flare-Up Mode
On-demand, guided support for moments of acute pain or emotional overwhelm. Adapted to pain level and mobility with bite-sized relief activities.
6. Profile Insights
An AI-powered dashboard providing users with progress visualizations, summaries of doctor notes, and appointment scheduling tools.
Final Product
Here is our prototype link below! Our final prototype aimed to feel like a soft place to land, a companion that empowers without overwhelming.
HealSpace: Interactive Prototype (Figma)
Reflections
This project challenged me to design for emotional nuance and physical accessibility. I learned how to balance technical features with human needs and collaborate in a highly interdisciplinary team.
If I could take this further, I’d focus on:
Testing with real users managing chronic pain over weeks
Expanding AI capabilities for emotional tone detection
Exploring deeper integration with medical providers