Multiple Sclerosis App

Overview

This project demonstrated my ability to lead complex healthcare UX projects from strategy through delivery, combining user research, technical innovation, and agile project management to deliver meaningful patient outcomes.

Scope: iOS app serving MS patient population with complex accessibility needs

Timeline: Aggressive 6-month development cycle with iterative releases

Tools: Axure, OmniGraffle, Invision, iOS SDK, Hardware functionality analysis

Constraints: Medical regulation compliance, accessibility requirements, aggressive timeline and budget

The Challenge

Biogen wanted to create an app to give patients more insight into their condition. The solution needed to help users collect various health metrics easily and share data with caregivers to manage symptoms effectively. This was their first mobile app, and I spearheaded our agency-client app design and development process.

The Problem

• Limited Patient Insight: MS patients lacked tools to track and understand their complex, varying symptoms across multiple categories
• Caregiver Communication Gap: No effective way for patients to share meaningful health data with their care team
• Aggressive Timeline: Incredibly tight budget and timeline constraints requiring coordinated agile processes
• Complex Symptom Tracking: MS symptoms span mood changes, body sensations, vision, balance, dexterity, and cognitive function
• No Internal Mobile App Expertise: This was the first mobile app released by our client, so we needed to rapidly establish our design and development process.

My Approach

Discovery: Understanding MS Patient Needs

Through comprehensive stakeholder interviews including a medical advisor, two patients, a clinical psychologist, and the client, I identified the main categories of MS ailments: mood changes, body sensations and pain, vision impairment, balance, dexterity issues, and cognitive impairment. I created a Hardware Functionality Matrix to align iPhone capabilities with specific MS patient needs, exploring innovative features using gyroscope and AR technology.

Key findings revealed 5 critical needs:

1. Intuitive symptom tracking across multiple health categories
2. Innovative interaction methods accommodating physical limitations
3. Meaningful data visualization for patient and caregiver insights
4. Simple yet comprehensive tracking methodology
5. Seamless caregiver sharing capabilities

Strategy: Agile Innovation with User-Centered Design

The strategy centered on rapid iteration with continuous stakeholder alignment while leveraging cutting-edge mobile technology to address MS-specific challenges.

User-Centered Research

• Conducted medical advisor and patient interviews
• Created hardware functionality matrix
• Developed feature concepts using AR and motion tracking
• Established KPIs and success metrics

Agile Development Framework

• Led UX strategy workshops with stakeholders
• Created feature roadmap with development feasibility scoring
• Implemented modular architecture for future updates
• Coordinated cross-functional team processes

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Organized two half-day workshops for client onboarding
• Built collaborative feature prioritization process
• Established transparent development timeline and process
• Created the workflow for releasing daily demo packages for rapid feedback

Key Deliverables

Comprehensive UX Strategy & Research Foundation

Led complete discovery process including stakeholder interviews, competitive research, and innovative feature conceptualization addressing MS-specific needs.

Interactive Prototypes & Specifications

Created detailed wireframes, functional specifications, and focused prototypes to communicate complex interactive scenarios to development team.

• Low-fidelity wireframes and user flows
• High-fidelity interactive prototypes
• Detailed functional specifications
• Modular design system for scalability

Agile Project Management Framework

Established and led team processes to meet aggressive deadlines while maintaining quality and stakeholder alignment.

• Feature roadmap with development cost estimates
• Sprint planning and milestone tracking
• QA process coordination
• Budget and timeline management

Impact & Results

Quantified Improvements

• Timeline Success: Launched on time and within budget despite aggressive constraints
• Client Satisfaction: Secured 2 additional releases based on initial success
• User Reception: Very positive initial user reviews leading to international deployments
• Technical Performance: Adhered to SDK design principles for optimal performance
• Process Efficiency: Agile methodology reduced development friction and improved team coordination

Qualitative Outcomes

• Created sustainable framework for future app iterations through modular design
• Established strong client relationship leading to expanded project scope
• Delivered innovative mobile health solution addressing complex accessibility needs
• Built cross-functional team capabilities for healthcare app development

Key Learnings

Healthcare UX Requires Deep Empathy and Technical Innovation

Working with MS patients taught me that effective healthcare UX must balance sophisticated functionality with accessibility. The gyroscope and AR features we conceptualized pushed technical boundaries while remaining grounded in real patient needs.

Agile Processes Enable Creative Problem-Solving Under Pressure

Tight timelines can actually foster innovation when supported by clear processes and stakeholder alignment. The workshop approach built trust and collaborative momentum that sustained the project through challenges.

Modular Architecture Pays Long-Term Dividends

Designing for future scalability from the start enabled the client to expand the project scope efficiently, demonstrating the business value of strategic UX thinking.