Project Synopsis
Roles & Responsibility
Over the course of 15 weeks, I worked solo to research wearable tech and find an
opportunity for how it could be used to solve a problem. Once finding a problem
to apply wearable technology, I began to develop a sound strategic approach,
design a roadmap and talked to people. After validating my hypothesis, I
designed a wearable ecosystem called MAMA.
The infant mortality rate of black babies is
2.3 times higher than other races.
Black women are 4 times more likely to die due to pregnancy related causes than any other race.
(illustration by Kelsey Cowan)
Mama is a wearable device ecosystem that amplifies the voices of women who often go unheard
A Skin-Like Wearable
The wearable is made of a skin like rubber. It consists of four sensors that pull data from both the baby and the mother. The system then relays the collected information back to the MAMA app and to the doctor’s CRM.
Key Considerations
I had my first hiccup here! In the early stages I wanted to created a smart-garment, but quickly found that smart leggings for pregnancy were a TERRIBLE idea!
3D Mockup created in Cinema 4D
Where Mommy can stay up to date
The MAMA app gives the mom peace of mind. The app allows the mother to monitor aggregated data that was pulled from the wearable, message their doctor, practice self care techniques and journal about their experience over the course of their pregnancy.
App Dashboard
Health Tracking
Here it will display data from the wearable. In attempts to keep anxiety levels at a minimum the app will only release data that is aggregated into trends rather than a minute to minute view. It will show Day, Week or Month view. When something is wrong the app will first alert the doctor and then switch into active monitoring mode which then and only then will it show minute to minute data.
Self-Care Activities
In the first self-care screen the user is able to track mood daily and journal/vlog about their day.
In the second self-care screen, this is a pop-up that will remind the mother to do certain things. This screen is often triggered when the device realizes that something is off for example if the heart rate is up.
Where the Doctor can stay up to date
The doctor dashboard is an advanced patient CRM that will allow the doctor access to wearable data and alerts about their patients. If the wearable senses that something is off it will show up in the doctor dash as an alert as well as send an alert to the doctor’s phone.
Patient CRM Dashboard
In the home page of the patient CRM the doctor is met with a greeting and reminders/to-do’s at the top of the page. Moving further down the page the doctor is able to view upcoming appointments, Alerts from the wearable device, emails and relevant news articles.
CRM Dashboard - Next Appointment Call Out
Doctor Dashboard - Patient Profile
Phase 1
For my Independent study, I knew I wanted to work in the wearables space. I spent five weeks researching the wearables market. I wanted to know everything from the history, different types of wearables, and emerging innovations in the wearables market. I explored accessories, implants, appendages, textiles, clothing, and everything in between.
From this research, I arrived at a few key takeaways that guided me further into my project:
- The wearables market is evolving and we can now step away from the wrist and still remain connected.
- User-centered design is the basis for designing for wearables like “smart-garments”
This research also allowed me to create a list of questions that became the basis for my considerations that drove decisions as the project progressed:
Phase 2
I spent about five weeks finding a hole in the market and finding a problem worth solving by applying wearable technology.
In this phase, I was able to take a deep dive into the current market landscape, compare existing products, and see what their value propositions were. Here is where I found a sweet spot. I noticed that tons of new wearables helped monitor newborn babies, but the number of wearables that monitored fetal activity seemed to be lacking.
I then began looking at how wearables could solve problems in the pregnancy space. This is when I became more aware of the racial disparities amongst black mothers and babies in comparison to those in other racial and ethnic groups.
Phase 3
After deciding the problem I wanted to solve, I needed to understand more about the journey of a pregnant woman, so I began talking to people, mapping out their journey, and brainstorming possible solutions to their pain points.
From talking to people, I found that although labor and recovery presented complications, many people encountered stress and negative experiences during provider visits.
- • mothers did not feel like their care provider was listening to their concerns
- • mothers did not feel confident when speaking about their concerns after having been dismissed previously
- • doctors were more concerned with diet and
Meet Sade LaRoy
26 year old, first time mother, works a traditional 9 to 5
Wants and Needs
- She wants to successfully get through her first pregnancy
- She wants to be actively informed about her baby’s health
- She wants to make sure she is prepared to be a mom
Fears and Frustration
- She is afraid that something will go wrong
- She’s had doctors in the past that have failed to listen to her concerns
- She doesn’t want to feel like she’s bugging her doctor for answers to all the unknowns
Motivations
- She wants to be the best mother she can be
Phase 4
After understanding and empathizing with my target market, I had a better understanding of their needs. I crafted a set of goals for the wearable device based on the needs and concerns of pregnant women and their care providers.
Phase 5
The final phase is a culmination of all the research, into MAMA the MVP and finding a brand that this aligned well with. I began sketching out my ideas, creating wireframes and bringing everything together. Below are a few high fidelity grayboxing screens that I created as templates and kicked off my final designs.
Thank you
Thank you for being interested in my work and making it all the way to the end! Here is a downloadable version of this case study
*some of the images are outdated as there has been changes*