Gamified Healthcare Experience for Pregnant Women
My Role
My Role
My Role
UI/UX Designer
UI/UX Designer
Project Type
Project Type
Project Type
Heathcare
Heathcare
Project Timeline
Project Timeline
Project Timeline
2 Months
2 Months
Team Members
Team Members
Team Members
Simi (head of e-commerce)
Simi (head of e-commerce)
Background & Inspiration
Background & Inspiration
As a close brother to three pregnant sisters (all unmarried), I had a front-row seat to the challenges expectant mothers face, especially when it comes to consistent medication, attending prenatal lectures, and staying mentally motivated.
As a close brother to three pregnant sisters (all unmarried), I had a front-row seat to the challenges expectant mothers face, especially when it comes to consistent medication, attending prenatal lectures, and staying mentally motivated.
This happened not once, but with all three of them, and each time, I found myself anxious, asking:
This happened not once, but with all three of them, and each time, I found myself anxious, asking:
1) Why is this happening?
1) Why is this happening?
2) What could make this easier or more motivating?
2) What could make this easier or more motivating?
3) What kind of support would make them feel seen, not overwhelmed?
3) What kind of support would make them feel seen, not overwhelmed?
As a UX designer deeply passionate about healthcare (though not medically trained), I began to take notes and map emotional flows, much like a field researcher would, watching how real-life hospital interactions unfold: the doctors, nurses, receptionists, and how my sisters engaged (or avoided) care.
As a UX designer deeply passionate about healthcare (though not medically trained), I began to take notes and map emotional flows, much like a field researcher would, watching how real-life hospital interactions unfold: the doctors, nurses, receptionists, and how my sisters engaged (or avoided) care.
Problem Validation
Problem Validation
This wasn’t just a personal issue. After further desk research and user interviews with expectant mothers, I discovered it was a widespread concern:
This wasn’t just a personal issue. After further desk research and user interviews with expectant mothers, I discovered it was a widespread concern:
1) 30–60% of pregnant women adjust, skip, or stop medication during pregnancy, many without medical consultation. (FDA, 2023)
1) 30–60% of pregnant women adjust, skip, or stop medication during pregnancy, many without medical consultation. (FDA, 2023)
2) Emotional fatigue, lack of motivation, and a sense of isolation were recurring reasons in self-reported studies. (Frontiers in Global Women’s Health, 2024)
2) Emotional fatigue, lack of motivation, and a sense of isolation were recurring reasons in self-reported studies. (Frontiers in Global Women’s Health, 2024)
3) Many women skip antenatal classes because of energy levels, stigma, or transportation issues.
3) Many women skip antenatal classes because of energy levels, stigma, or transportation issues.
This underscored the real-world impact of the problem I had observed personally, and confirmed that it needed an intentional, empathetic design solution.
This underscored the real-world impact of the problem I had observed personally, and confirmed that it needed an intentional, empathetic design solution.
The Design Challenge
The Design Challenge
How might we support pregnant women in staying consistent with medication and antenatal education, while offering motivation, human connection, and emotional ease?
How might we support pregnant women in staying consistent with medication and antenatal education, while offering motivation, human connection, and emotional ease?
The Solution: A Mobile App for Medication, Peer Support & Learning
The Solution: A Mobile App for Medication, Peer Support & Learning
Key Features:
Key Features:
1. Medication Tracking
Daily reminders for AM, PM, and night doses
Daily reminders for AM, PM, and night doses
Visuals for each medication (color + pill shape)
Visuals for each medication (color + pill shape)
“Taking Tips” – motivational notes or gentle education
“Taking Tips” – motivational notes or gentle education
Dose feedback: “You’ve taken 3 of 4 AM pills. Almost there!”
Dose feedback: “You’ve taken 3 of 4 AM pills. Almost there!”
Notice Tags (e.g., “Take with food”, “May cause dizziness”)
Notice Tags (e.g., “Take with food”, “May cause dizziness”)
2. Team Support Model
Upon onboarding, each user is matched to a peer group (team)
Upon onboarding, each user is matched to a peer group (team)
Teams can send check-ins like: “Hey, don’t forget your meds today ”
Teams can send check-ins like: “Hey, don’t forget your meds today ”
Rewards for consistency (badges, team leaderboard, free health calls)
Rewards for consistency (badges, team leaderboard, free health calls)
Encourages a gentle layer of accountability without pressure
Encourages a gentle layer of accountability without pressure
3. Antenatal Learning (Webinars & Videos)
Weekly bite-sized classes with real health experts
Weekly bite-sized classes with real health experts
Includes Live, Upcoming, and Past sessions
Includes Live, Upcoming, and Past sessions
Tracks attendance for rewards
Tracks attendance for rewards
Attendees list shown on Live sessions only to boost engagement
Attendees list shown on Live sessions only to boost engagement
4. Healthcare Team Booking
Appointment system with OB-GYNs, midwives, nutritionists, and therapists
Appointment system with OB-GYNs, midwives, nutritionists, and therapists
Filter system by provider type
Filter system by provider type
Confirmation UI: “You’re booked for April 30, 9:00 AM with Nurse Tola.”
Confirmation UI: “You’re booked for April 30, 9:00 AM with Nurse Tola.”
Emergency CTA: “Request a Telehealth Call Now”
Emergency CTA: “Request a Telehealth Call Now”
5. Subscription Gate
Certain specialists (e.g., therapists, private OBs) require a paid plan
Certain specialists (e.g., therapists, private OBs) require a paid plan
UX Decisions & Design Rationale
UX Decisions & Design Rationale
1) Emotional UX tone: The app uses calming colors, motivational microcopy, and social warmth to reduce the feeling of "medical pressure."
1) Emotional UX tone: The app uses calming colors, motivational microcopy, and social warmth to reduce the feeling of "medical pressure."
2) Illustrations: Each pill-taking screen features a subtle, friendly illustration showing a woman smiling while taking her meds.
2) Illustrations: Each pill-taking screen features a subtle, friendly illustration showing a woman smiling while taking her meds.
3) Human-centered language: Replaces cold clinical terms with phrases like “You’ve got this,” “Your baby needs this,” and “Almost done for the day.”
3) Human-centered language: Replaces cold clinical terms with phrases like “You’ve got this,” “Your baby needs this,” and “Almost done for the day.”
01
Splash Screen Design Decisions
Splash Screen Design Decisions
In the first iteration of the splash screen, we used a peach background because it felt warm and aligned with the friendly, wellness-focused theme of the app. However, after testing, we noticed it didn’t give enough visual presence to the logo placed at the top of the screen , it felt flat and lacked contrast.
In the final version, we switched to our primary brand color, enhanced with a subtle linear gradient. This not only added more depth and vibrancy to the background but also gave our logo the visual “life” and clarity it needed. The result was a more engaging and brand-consistent splash experience.
In the first iteration of the splash screen, we used a peach background because it felt warm and aligned with the friendly, wellness-focused theme of the app. However, after testing, we noticed it didn’t give enough visual presence to the logo placed at the top of the screen — it felt flat and lacked contrast.
In the final version, we switched to our primary brand color, enhanced with a subtle linear gradient. This not only added more depth and vibrancy to the background but also gave our logo the visual “life” and clarity it needed. The result was a more engaging and brand-consistent splash experience.
02
Onboarding Experience Design
Onboarding Experience Design
In designing the onboarding flow, I wanted to reduce friction and give users control right from the start. Instead of forcing users to tap through multiple screens before accessing the Login or Sign Up, I introduced a persistent action area at the bottom of the onboarding screens.
While the onboarding illustrations and descriptions auto-scroll, the two key action buttons “Get Started” and “Login” remain visible and fixed in place. This gives users the option to either continue learning about the app or jump straight into using it, depending on their preference.
This approach improves user autonomy, shortens time-to-task, and supports both first-time users and returning ones.
In designing the onboarding flow, I wanted to reduce friction and give users control right from the start. Instead of forcing users to tap through multiple screens before accessing the Login or Sign Up, I introduced a persistent action area at the bottom of the onboarding screens.
While the onboarding illustrations and descriptions auto-scroll, the two key action buttons — “Get Started” and “Login” — remain visible and fixed in place. This gives users the option to either continue learning about the app or jump straight into using it, depending on their preference.
This approach improves user autonomy, shortens time-to-task, and supports both first-time users and returning ones.
03
Authentication Design Decision
Authentication Design Decision
Initially, we explored using social login options (like Google or Facebook) for a faster sign-up experience. However, after reviewing the onboarding flow with the hospital team and considering the user journey, we pivoted.
Since patients are already registered with the hospital and their medical records exist in the hospital database, we decided not to use third-party sign-up options. Instead, the onboarding is hospital-led: once a patient registers at the hospital, they receive a Hospital ID.
To access the app, users simply:
Enter their Hospital ID
Create a secure password
This approach keeps the process simple, secure, and tightly integrated with the hospital's existing system , no need for external account linking.
Initially, we explored using social login options (like Google or Facebook) for a faster sign-up experience. However, after reviewing the onboarding flow with the hospital team and considering the user journey, we pivoted.
Since patients are already registered with the hospital and their medical records exist in the hospital database, we decided not to use third-party sign-up options. Instead, the onboarding is hospital-led: once a patient registers at the hospital, they receive a Hospital ID.
To access the app, users simply:
Enter their Hospital ID
Create a secure password
This approach keeps the process simple, secure, and tightly integrated with the hospital's existing system , no need for external account linking.
04
Home Screen Evolution
Home Screen Evolution
Home Screen Evolution
Our initial home screen design aimed to be clean and functional, but during testing, we noticed it lacked the energy and visual appeal needed to motivate pregnant women to engage with the app, especially when it came to medication reminders.
We identified two key issues:
The interface didn’t feel warm or fun enough to create emotional engagement.
The search bar was unnecessary, as the content was focused and minimal, so it only added clutter.
What Changed
We redesigned the home screen with a more playful and comforting visual language, introducing soft illustrations and more emotionally engaging colors to lift the overall mood.
We added visual cues and illustrations to the medication cards, iterating through several variations until we landed on a format that was both functional and delightful.
The final design presents information clearly while feeling supportive and encouraging, reducing friction in the user journey.
Home Screen Evolution
Our initial home screen design aimed to be clean and functional, but during testing, we noticed it lacked the energy and visual appeal needed to motivate pregnant women to engage with the app, especially when it came to medication reminders.
We identified two key issues:
The interface didn’t feel warm or fun enough to create emotional engagement.
The search bar was unnecessary, as the content was focused and minimal, so it only added clutter.
What Changed
We redesigned the home screen with a more playful and comforting visual language, introducing soft illustrations and more emotionally engaging colors to lift the overall mood.
We added visual cues and illustrations to the medication cards, iterating through several variations until we landed on a format that was both functional and delightful.
The final design presents information clearly while feeling supportive and encouraging, reducing friction in the user journey.
05
Medicine Details Screen
Medicine Details Screen
To encourage consistency in taking medications, we designed the “Medicine to Take” details screen with both accountability and community motivation in mind.
Key Interaction
Pregnant women are prompted to upload a photo of the medicine they’ve taken as confirmation. This image upload serves two purposes:
Verification – Confirms that the medication was taken.
Gamification – Earns them points that contribute to their score and their team’s group ranking.
Why This Matters
This small act of uploading a photo does more than track compliance; it:
Builds a sense of responsibility and routine.
Encourages healthy peer pressure, where members uplift one another.
Creates a fun, reward-driven system to support health behavior.
By integrating these features, we’ve made an otherwise mundane task feel interactive and meaningful.
To encourage consistency in taking medications, we designed the “Medicine to Take” details screen with both accountability and community motivation in mind.
Key Interaction
Pregnant women are prompted to upload a photo of the medicine they’ve taken as confirmation. This image upload serves two purposes:
Verification – Confirms that the medication was taken.
Gamification – Earns them points that contribute to their score and their team’s group ranking.
Why This Matters
This small act of uploading a photo does more than track compliance; it:
Builds a sense of responsibility and routine.
Encourages healthy peer pressure, where members uplift one another.
Creates a fun, reward-driven system to support health behavior.
By integrating these features, we’ve made an otherwise mundane task feel interactive and meaningful.
06
Scoreboard & Team Motivation
Scoreboard & Team Motivation
The Scoreboard is a central gamified feature designed to make medication adherence more engaging and team-driven.
How it Works
Pregnant users are grouped into teams.
Each time a user uploads proof of taking their medicine, they earn points.
These points contribute to their team’s overall score on the leaderboard.
Team Engagement Features
Remind Teammates: Users can send a friendly nudge to teammates who haven’t logged their medication for the day.
Top of the Board: The shared goal of ranking highest on the scoreboard fosters collaboration and positive pressure.
Healthy Competition: It keeps users engaged and builds a community of mutual encouragement around a serious goal—maternal health.
This system turns health management into a shared mission, making it fun, supportive, and purposeful.
The Scoreboard is a central gamified feature designed to make medication adherence more engaging and team-driven.
How it Works
Pregnant users are grouped into teams.
Each time a user uploads proof of taking their medicine, they earn points.
These points contribute to their team’s overall score on the leaderboard.
Team Engagement Features
Remind Teammates: Users can send a friendly nudge to teammates who haven’t logged their medication for the day.
Top of the Board: The shared goal of ranking highest on the scoreboard fosters collaboration and positive pressure.
Healthy Competition: It keeps users engaged and builds a community of mutual encouragement around a serious goal—maternal health.
This system turns health management into a shared mission, making it fun, supportive, and purposeful.
07
Seminars & Community Learning
Seminars & Community Learning
To support ongoing education and emotional connection, the app includes live and recorded seminars led by healthcare professionals such as doctors, midwives, and specialists.
Key Features:
Join Live Seminars: Pregnant women can attend sessions virtually and get real-time guidance from trusted health experts.
Ask Questions Freely: A Q&A feature lets attendees ask anything they’re unsure about, from symptoms to medication routines.
Rewatch Missed Sessions: If a user misses a live session, they can easily rewatch the video anytime.
Fun & Bonding Moments: Seminars also include light-hearted moments, like games or group discussions, to help users bond and feel supported by other pregnant women.
This feature creates a supportive learning environment, ensuring no one feels alone in their pregnancy journey.
To support ongoing education and emotional connection, the app includes live and recorded seminars led by healthcare professionals such as doctors, midwives, and specialists.
Key Features:
Join Live Seminars: Pregnant women can attend sessions virtually and get real-time guidance from trusted health experts.
Ask Questions Freely: A Q&A feature lets attendees ask anything they’re unsure about, from symptoms to medication routines.
Rewatch Missed Sessions: If a user misses a live session, they can easily rewatch the video anytime.
Fun & Bonding Moments: Seminars also include light-hearted moments, like games or group discussions, to help users bond and feel supported by other pregnant women.
This feature creates a supportive learning environment, ensuring no one feels alone in their pregnancy journey.
08
Community Teaching Channel
Community Teaching Channel
Beyond seminars, the app includes a dedicated community teaching space where pregnant women can learn together in a structured way, separate from casual chat.
Key Details:
Learning-Focused: This space is designed exclusively for teaching, not general conversation.
Led by Health Experts: Nurses, midwives, and doctors share bite-sized educational posts, tips, and reminders.
Organized by Topics: Lessons are grouped into key categories like nutrition, prenatal care, labor prep, and postpartum tips.
Safe & Supportive: The environment encourages safe learning with clear, trustworthy information — no misinformation or spam.
This helps mothers stay informed without feeling overwhelmed, while reinforcing habits that support a healthy pregnancy.
Beyond seminars, the app includes a dedicated community teaching space where pregnant women can learn together in a structured way, separate from casual chat.
Key Details:
Learning-Focused: This space is designed exclusively for teaching, not general conversation.
Led by Health Experts: Nurses, midwives, and doctors share bite-sized educational posts, tips, and reminders.
Organized by Topics: Lessons are grouped into key categories like nutrition, prenatal care, labor prep, and postpartum tips.
Safe & Supportive: The environment encourages safe learning with clear, trustworthy information — no misinformation or spam.
This helps mothers stay informed without feeling overwhelmed, while reinforcing habits that support a healthy pregnancy.
09
Booking Appointments & Revenue Model
Booking Appointments & Revenue Model
Pregnant women can book appointments with general healthcare professionals (like nurses and midwives) for free, helping them access care without friction.
However, when they choose to book top-tier healthcare professionals such as senior OB-GYNs or specialized consultants, the app requires them to subscribe to a premium plan.
This tiered model ensures accessibility for all while offering exclusive value through premium care, which is where the business generates revenue. It’s a balance between impact and sustainability.
Pregnant women can book appointments with general healthcare professionals (like nurses and midwives) for free, helping them access care without friction.
However, when they choose to book top-tier healthcare professionals such as senior OB-GYNs or specialized consultants, the app requires them to subscribe to a premium plan.
This tiered model ensures accessibility for all while offering exclusive value through premium care, which is where the business generates revenue. It’s a balance between impact and sustainability.
User Impact & Potential
User Impact & Potential
1) Encourages medication consistency with less guilt and more empathy.
1) Encourages medication consistency with less guilt and more empathy.
2) Reduces isolation through social encouragement
2) Reduces isolation through social encouragement
3) Helps drive learning through short, digestible content formats
3) Helps drive learning through short, digestible content formats
4) Provides access to care, especially for those avoiding hospital visits
4) Provides access to care, especially for those avoiding hospital visits
What I Learned
What I Learned
1) Real-world observation is as valuable as user testing
1) Real-world observation is as valuable as user testing
2) Health tech requires sensitivity, especially around emotion, fatigue, and trust
2) Health tech requires sensitivity, especially around emotion, fatigue, and trust
3) Simple motivational nudges can be more effective than rigid reminders
3) Simple motivational nudges can be more effective than rigid reminders
Why This Project Matters to Me
Why This Project Matters to Me
This wasn’t just another design challenge. It was personal. It came from the heart, from watching my sisters go through pregnancy and knowing I could use my skills to make something that helped women like them.
This project showed me that healthcare design isn’t only about information, it’s about motivation, accessibility, and human connection.
This wasn’t just another design challenge. It was personal. It came from the heart, from watching my sisters go through pregnancy and knowing I could use my skills to make something that helped women like them.
This project showed me that healthcare design isn’t only about information, it’s about motivation, accessibility, and human connection.