Psoriassist
HEALTH AND WELLNESS APP
UI/UX + Brand Design
Problem
Psoriasis is a moderately recognized chronic illness that causes rapid build up of cells due to constant inflammation.
It most commonly affects skin and nails, resulting in moderate to severe lesions that itch, burn, bleed, and flake. Sufferers can experience pain, discomfort, hair loss, discoloration, and nail breakage/loss in addition to non-physical symptoms including anxiety and depression. In addition, close to 30% of sufferers develop psoriatic arthritis which includes painful flares that may cause swelling, discomfort, loss of mobility and deformed limbs.
Both conditions are progressive and require often life-altering treatments including steroidal rotations, biologic infusions/injections that compromise the immune system and small dosages of chemotherapy agents. Psoriatic disease also puts patients at higher risk for some cancers, heart disease, diabetes, other autoimmune diseases and mental illness. Flares are often triggered by stress, diet, medications, alcohol, weather changes, injuries/bodily trauma, infections, and hormones (especially pregnancy).
“Common public perception is that psoriatic disease is primarily a skin problem that can be managed by topicals under the watch of a dermatologist”
The fact of the matter is that it is a serious, lifelong, autoimmune disease that must be treated in a complex, holistic matter. There are several organizations trying improve the management of psoriatic disease, but most focus on the skin and arthritic components separately. It is little known that over a quarter of the sufferers develop the arthritis and how life-altering it can potentially be. It is even lesser known to the public what risks sufferers must take in order to manage their disease, and that the consequences of poor management can be severe.
WATCH THE APP FLOW BELOW…
Solution
The Psoriassist app aims to tackle psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis as a unit (“psoriatic disease,”) to help elevate the seriousness of proper treatment and educate sufferers. It uses research from the National Psoriasis Foundation and American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)’s newly released treatment guidelines - the first in 10 years.
Psoriassist generates considerations for Skin, Joints, Wellness, and Nutrition in combination with gathering metrics specific to the patient’s unique medical history. Data collected during an on-boarding period helps generate notifications curated for that specific patient’s needs. The patient may activate the menu at any time to update information and will be reminded once a month. The Dashboard feature generates an easy-to-read color coded summary to help the patient manage their disease.
Development
COMPETITIVE RESEARCH
Industry Comparisons
Psoriassist enhances the best features from top psoriasis-related apps with clarity and ease. The existing apps involve complicated or over-simplified documentation, cluttered graphics, and poor UI/UX (including a PDF as an “app download”. Pictured is a summary of top App Store downloads containing the term “psoriasis” ranging from a PDF of recipes sandwiched between motivational quotes (#3,) and a robust, yet intimidatingly clinical dashboard (#2).
VISUAL RESEARCH
Mood Boards
The following features help reflect meaning and define Psoriassist’s visual language:
- Rounded shapes and letterforms
- Easily legible typography
- Color borrows from NPF’s iconic palette
- Dots in logo reflect the number of features within the app
- Inviting, accessible tone
PROCESS SKETCHES
Hand-drawn wireframes
Psoriassist’s aesthetic was born on paper via loose pencil sketches and lists. They were made to provide early visualization of what would become a varied and dynamic visual plan. They went through 3 revisions before transitioning to digital.
BRANDING
Logo Designs
Before bringing Psoriassist into Sketch and InVision Studio, the brand language went through a few digital iterations inspired by a combination of each of the 3 moodboards. This included logos, colors, and integration of a tagline decided upon after competitive research analysis.
CONTENT DEVELOPMENT
Digital Wireframing + Content Strategy
Psoriassist was initially wireframed in Sketch and later transferred to InVision Studio where more complex transitions and animations were implemented. Ideas for the app’s structure were borrowed from a combination of research from the National Psoriasis Foundation’s latest treatment guidelines, competitor comparisons, and over a decade of personal experience with the disease.
WHY PSORIATIC DISEASE?
I was diagnosed with psoriatic disease at the age of 12 and have since then been exposed to dozens of treatment methods that I never could have anticipated upon that initial trip to the dermatologist. I’ve discovered societal labeling of the disease as a “skin problem” often distorts people’s perception of its seriousness making effective treatment less frequent. Psoriassist was designed with the intent to help empower patients and medical staff to treat the disease with a more effective, holistic outlook.
Additional Credits:
Kelly Holohan
Instructor
Graduate Thesis at Tyler School of Art
Content Inspired by:
National Psoriasis Foundation and American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)’s Treatment Guidelines (2019)