Designing for Diabetes
I focused my Ga. Tech Master’s research on designing for people with diabetes. I conducted lots of field research to design solutions in physical devices and digital apps. I published results to a few design conferences, as well.
Design Research
Many of the 105 survey contributors discussed interruptions in public situations when talking about having difficulty using pumps. “It beeped during a meditation class an I was asked to leave it in the car“ (Contributor #36). Other notable pain points included wearability, and interface usability.
Pictured: Devices interviewees carry around on a daily basis. Having T1D often means embracing your inner cyborg.
Interview Insights
Interviewing people helped to dig deeper on several questionnaire themes. We talked about tending to pump alerts during activities like job interviews, academic tests, and weddings. Wearability was found to be a strong challenge for women. Keeping track of multiple devices was another pain point.
Co-creation Workshops
Participatory design workshops helped further define what people need out of a pancreas system. Mind-map, collage, and concept creation exercises helped prioritize issues like wearability, maintenance tasks like insulin refills, and device connectivity.
Industrial Design
I generated sketches, for the pump/controller system, based on the criteria that it must improve wearability options for women, who often can’t store pumps in pockets. The controller also needed to facilitate discreet interaction. Many sketches referenced objects that we typically carry, like key fobs, pens, and wrist watches.
Benchmarking & Solidworks
The patch-style pump design fulfilled design criteria for optimal wearability. Being able to remove the pump from its base, means people can change pump sites on their own schedules instead of on the pump’s schedule.
Controller Design
One of the more fun design challenges was trying to choose the right form for a controller. I arrived at the wrist-watch as a device that many people carry. “Love the watch concept! My daughter carries a fanny pack with her monitor, extra Omnipod, and supplies; and the Omnipod controller is too big to fit” (P2).
Interface Design & Usability Testing
I worked on the controller interface while designing the CAD models. Everything was incorporated into a digital prototype for remote user testing with 7 people (P1 - P7). I used Adobe XD and Protopie for the digital prototype.
User Flow
The main menu is activated by swiping the grey trackpad. I took care to reduce steps for tasks, support glanceability, and add progress bars so you don’t get lost in the interface.
“I like how easy it is to navigate. Like, there are not a lot of options. It’s pretty straight forward.” (P7).
Continuous Monitor Interface
The arrow acts as a visual indicator of glucose levels. It changes color, location, and orientation based on your current level.
“If you’re just glancing down at your wrist, the color would jump out at you first. Especially once you’re used to wearing it. And that would give you a quick, ‘yeah I’m good’” (P3).
CGM Detail View
Pressing and holding the selection button activates a history graph of your glucose levels over the past hours. The trackpad scrolls back for reviewing your history in detail.
“The graph is something I use frequently. I bolus based on graph trends.” (P2).
