4alivio
4alivio
4alivio
Creating a Digital Health Experience that Empowers Users to Understand Their Pain
Creating a Digital Health Experience that Empowers Users to Understand Their Pain
Creating a Digital Health Experience that Empowers Users to Understand Their Pain
Client:
Client:
Client:
Caitlin West (Founder of 4alivio)
Caitlin West (Founder of 4alivio)
Caitlin West (Founder of 4alivio)
My Role:
My Role:
My Role:
Client Communicator
UX Designer
Client Communicator
UX Designer
Client Communicator
UX Designer
Team:
Team:
Team:
• Winla Vang
• Elizabeth Boney
• Winla Vang
• Elizabeth Boney
• Winla Vang
• Elizabeth Boney
Duration:
Duration:
Duration:
January 2024-May 2024
January 2024-May 2024
January 2024-May 2024
Project Overview
Project Overview
Project Overview
4alivio is a mobile app designed to help people with arthritis and chronic pain identify what triggers their flare-ups and discover ways to manage them more effectively. As part of my senior capstone project, I collaborated in a team of three to create a supportive, user-friendly experience that helps users better understand their pain patterns and feel more in control of their health. Our design process was grounded in comprehensive user research, ensuring we delivered solutions precisely tailored to address real user needs.
4alivio is a mobile app designed to help people with arthritis and chronic pain identify what triggers their flare-ups and discover ways to manage them more effectively. As part of my senior capstone project, I collaborated in a team of three to create a supportive, user-friendly experience that helps users better understand their pain patterns and feel more in control of their health. Our design process was grounded in comprehensive user research, ensuring we delivered solutions precisely tailored to address real user needs.
4alivio is a mobile app designed to help people with arthritis and chronic pain identify what triggers their flare-ups and discover ways to manage them more effectively. As part of my senior capstone project, I collaborated in a team of three to create a supportive, user-friendly experience that helps users better understand their pain patterns and feel more in control of their health. Our design process was grounded in comprehensive user research, ensuring we delivered solutions precisely tailored to address real user needs.
Design Process
Design Process
Design Process
We applied the Design Thinking framework to understand how people manage chronic pain and the challenges they face in their daily lives. This process kept our team grounded in empathy from the start, guiding every design decision through research, ideation, and testing to create a more supportive and intuitive experience.
We applied the Design Thinking framework to understand how people manage chronic pain and the challenges they face in their daily lives. This process kept our team grounded in empathy from the start, guiding every design decision through research, ideation, and testing to create a more supportive and intuitive experience.
Problem
Problem
Problem
Many people living with chronic pain are unaware of noninvasive, drug-free methods to manage their symptoms. This gap in awareness often leads to frustration, dependence on temporary relief, and low confidence in their ability to control their health.
This led us to ask: "How might we integrate both holistic and medical approaches into 4alivio’s treatment feature to help users make informed, meaningful choices about their pain care?"
Many people living with chronic pain are unaware of noninvasive, drug-free methods to manage their symptoms. This gap in awareness often leads to frustration, dependence on temporary relief, and low confidence in their ability to control their health.
This led us to ask: "How might we integrate both holistic and medical approaches into 4alivio’s treatment feature to help users make informed, meaningful choices about their pain care?"
Many people living with chronic pain are unaware of noninvasive, drug-free methods to manage their symptoms. This gap in awareness often leads to frustration, dependence on temporary relief, and low confidence in their ability to control their health.
This led us to ask: "How might we integrate both holistic and medical approaches into 4alivio’s treatment feature to help users make informed, meaningful choices about their pain care?"
Solution
Solution
Solution
The goal was to design a treatment feature that empowers people with chronic pain to better understand and manage their symptoms through clear insights and accessible tools. We focused on simplifying the interface, improving readability, and weaving both holistic and medical perspectives into the treatment feature. The result is a supportive, research-informed experience that helps users identify their pain triggers, track progress, and make more confident health decisions.
The goal was to design a treatment feature that empowers people with chronic pain to better understand and manage their symptoms through clear insights and accessible tools. We focused on simplifying the interface, improving readability, and weaving both holistic and medical perspectives into the treatment feature. The result is a supportive, research-informed experience that helps users identify their pain triggers, track progress, and make more confident health decisions.
Final Prototype
Final Prototype
Final Prototype
Let's Dive into Research
Let's Dive into Research
Let's Dive into Research
Building on the initial customer discovery data, our team conducted in-depth interviews with 4alivio users to better understand their daily experiences and needs. I led one of these sessions, focusing on how users manage chronic pain and the challenges they face along the way.
Building on the initial customer discovery data, our team conducted in-depth interviews with 4alivio users to better understand their daily experiences and needs. I led one of these sessions, focusing on how users manage chronic pain and the challenges they face along the way.
Building on the initial customer discovery data, our team conducted in-depth interviews with 4alivio users to better understand their daily experiences and needs. I led one of these sessions, focusing on how users manage chronic pain and the challenges they face along the way.
Key Insights
Key Insights
Key Insights
Through these interviews, we identified three main insights that shaped our design direction:
Through these interviews, we identified three main insights that shaped our design direction:
Pain Point #1
Users depend on prescription medication but often lack clear information about unwanted side effects.
Pain Point #2
Users actively seek ways to manage pain and conditions.
Pain Point #3
Users want more control over their pain management and are open to holistic or alternative options.
The Voices Behind the Design
The Voices Behind the Design
The Voices Behind the Design
Our team designed three personas — a patient, a western practitioner, and a nurse practitioner — to capture different perspectives within the chronic pain ecosystem. The patient persona highlights frustrations, like inconsistent tracking and unclear treatment information, while the clinician personas empathize evidence-based decisions, safety concerns, and the balance between holistic and medical approaches. We also created empathy and journey maps to visualize the users' emotions and experiences, helping us identify key moments of frustration and opportunity.
Our team designed three personas — a patient, a western practitioner, and a nurse practitioner — to capture different perspectives within the chronic pain ecosystem. The patient persona highlights frustrations, like inconsistent tracking and unclear treatment information, while the clinician personas empathize evidence-based decisions, safety concerns, and the balance between holistic and medical approaches. We also created empathy and journey maps to visualize the users' emotions and experiences, helping us identify key moments of frustration and opportunity.
The Market Landscape
The Market Landscape
The Market Landscape
We conducted a competitive analysis to understand how different apps help users track and manage pain. Most competitors focused on pain tracking, with only a few offering features relating to treatment or symptom relief.
In addition, we also explored wearable-integrated apps like Quell, Hinge, and Enso Relief to see how they connect data and user experience, identifying opportunities for 4alivio to bridge the gap between tracking and personalized care.
We conducted a competitive analysis to understand how different apps help users track and manage pain. Most competitors focused on pain tracking, with only a few offering features relating to treatment or symptom relief.
In addition, we also explored wearable-integrated apps like Quell, Hinge, and Enso Relief to see how they connect data and user experience, identifying opportunities for 4alivio to bridge the gap between tracking and personalized care.
We conducted a competitive analysis to understand how different apps help users track and manage pain. Most competitors focused on pain tracking, with only a few offering features relating to treatment or symptom relief.
In addition, we also explored wearable-integrated apps like Quell, Hinge, and Enso Relief to see how they connect data and user experience, identifying opportunities for 4alivio to bridge the gap between tracking and personalized care.
Drafting the Blueprint
Drafting the Blueprint
Drafting the Blueprint
Based on the current 4alivio app and collected data, the team and I initiated the design process by sketching wireframes on the whiteboard. This hands-on approach helped us visualize ideas for managing treatment options, anticipating weather changes, and syncing with the wearable device. These early sketches laid the foundation for our digital wireframes, ensuring that every screen addressed real user pain points.
Based on the current 4alivio app and collected data, the team and I initiated the design process by sketching wireframes on the whiteboard. This hands-on approach helped us visualize ideas for managing treatment options, anticipating weather changes, and syncing with the wearable device. These early sketches laid the foundation for our digital wireframes, ensuring that every screen addressed real user pain points.
Based on the current 4alivio app and collected data, the team and I initiated the design process by sketching wireframes on the whiteboard. This hands-on approach helped us visualize ideas for managing treatment options, anticipating weather changes, and syncing with the wearable device. These early sketches laid the foundation for our digital wireframes, ensuring that every screen addressed real user pain points.
Usability Testing
Usability Testing
Usability Testing
We conducted usability testing with five participants to uncover pain points and understand how users navigated new concepts within the 4alivio app. This helped us identify barriers in navigation and gather feedback to guide the next round of design improvements.
We conducted usability testing with five participants to uncover pain points and understand how users navigated new concepts within the 4alivio app. This helped us identify barriers in navigation and gather feedback to guide the next round of design improvements.
We conducted usability testing with five participants to uncover pain points and understand how users navigated new concepts within the 4alivio app. This helped us identify barriers in navigation and gather feedback to guide the next round of design improvements.
Task #1
Task #1
Based on tomorrow’s weather, use for 4alivio app to make a treatment plan.
Based on tomorrow’s weather, use for 4alivio app to make a treatment plan.
Task #2
Task #2
Walk through how you would set up your device and change the intensity control to your liking with completing a treatment
Walk through how you would set up your device and change the intensity control to your liking with completing a treatment
Task #3
Task #3
You want to explore other treatment options that won’t cause nausea. Walk me through on finding other holistic treatments.
You want to explore other treatment options that won’t cause nausea. Walk me through on finding other holistic treatments.
Key Results
Key Results
4 out of 5 participants struggle to navigate to the treatment plan from the navigation bar over the anticipation of the weather treatment plan.
4 out of 5 participants struggle to navigate to the treatment plan from the navigation bar over the anticipation of the weather treatment plan.
Solution: highlight the day with anticipated weather with a red border.
Solution: highlight the day with anticipated weather with a red border.
All five participants were able to pair a device and complete a treatment session.
All five participants were able to pair a device and complete a treatment session.
Adding guidelines to ensure safety to users when completing a session.
Adding guidelines to ensure safety to users when completing a session.
4 out of 5 users were able to navigate the holistic treatment section.
4 out of 5 users were able to navigate the holistic treatment section.
Next Steps
Next Steps
Next Steps
If my team and I continued this project, we'd focus on integrating the Mount Mary team's design into the beta platform and adding a rating feature to evaluate flare-up prediction accuracy. I'd also explore ways to enhance the holistic experience by incorporating community-driven ratings for top products and effective pain management methods.
If my team and I continued this project, we'd focus on integrating the Mount Mary team's design into the beta platform and adding a rating feature to evaluate flare-up prediction accuracy. I'd also explore ways to enhance the holistic experience by incorporating community-driven ratings for top products and effective pain management methods.
If my team and I continued this project, we'd focus on integrating the Mount Mary team's design into the beta platform and adding a rating feature to evaluate flare-up prediction accuracy. I'd also explore ways to enhance the holistic experience by incorporating community-driven ratings for top products and effective pain management methods.
Reflection
Reflection
Reflection
This project taught me the importance of empathy and collaboration when designing for real human needs, especially in healthcare. My curiosity for UX in this field began after taking a Digital Technology and Human Application course in college, where I saw how thoughtful design can improve patient experiences. Since then, I've been eager to explore how UX can make healthcare more accessible, human, and empowering through innovation and emerging technologies like AI.
4alivio reminded me why I'm drawn to designing in healthcare — to create experiences that make people feel seen, supported, and in control of their well-being.
This project taught me the importance of empathy and collaboration when designing for real human needs, especially in healthcare. My curiosity for UX in this field began after taking a Digital Technology and Human Application course in college, where I saw how thoughtful design can improve patient experiences. Since then, I've been eager to explore how UX can make healthcare more accessible, human, and empowering through innovation and emerging technologies like AI.
4alivio reminded me why I'm drawn to designing in healthcare — to create experiences that make people feel seen, supported, and in control of their well-being.
This project taught me the importance of empathy and collaboration when designing for real human needs, especially in healthcare. My curiosity for UX in this field began after taking a Digital Technology and Human Application course in college, where I saw how thoughtful design can improve patient experiences. Since then, I've been eager to explore how UX can make healthcare more accessible, human, and empowering through innovation and emerging technologies like AI.
4alivio reminded me why I'm drawn to designing in healthcare — to create experiences that make people feel seen, supported, and in control of their well-being.
Other Work
Other Work
