PatchPal Smart Bandage

mobile application design, illustration

Timeline: 8 weeks (Fall 2018) 
Team: Nabila Tasnim, Monique Lopes, Linda Shen
Roles: Research, Project Manager, Illustrator, UX/UI

PatchPal is a smart bandage that, along with its accompanying mobile app, helps those with severe injuries to keep close tabs on their healing process and keep infection at bay.

The Idea

For class, we were tasked with creating a hypothetical smart product within an assigned field, and designing its accompanying app and marketing materials. My team’s sector was healthcare, and our project ended up revolving around the idea of a smart bandage that could sync up with a mobile app to report on how one’s wound is healing, thanks to sensors woven into the fabric of the bandage. The product would be intended for major wounds only. The deliverables for this project included product packaging, a promotional website, an interactive bus shelter ad, and the mobile application. The promotional website and mobile application are where most of my design contributions came into play. As such, the main focus of this case study will be the mobile application.

Research

Both before and after we settled on the idea of a smart bandage, some research was conducted on existing smart health products, health-related apps, non-health smart products, technology that would be required to make a smart bandage, and how people currently deal with recovery from severe wounds. We found shirts and various other wearable items that had sensors woven into the fabric; a technology that could serve our idea well. 

Aesthetic

Recovering from a severe wound can be a bit daunting. The hospital environment is a very sterile one that can sometimes be scary for certain people, and so with this app, we wanted to created a friendly and playful environment to help remove some of the stress. This involved using rounder shapes instead of straight lines, and choosing a colour palette that reflected this goal and could be comforting even to young patients. Soft pinks, purples, and blues are mainly used in order to create an atmosphere that feels very unlike that of a hospital. Patchy, the brand mascot, was created to help humanize the product and make users feel like they have someone caring for them every step of the way; a friend at their fingertips.

Function

The bandage is able to wirelessly connect with the app in order to provide real-time feedback on the state of one’s wound. An onboarding process guides the user through the creation of their account, and from there the user is able to see a variety of graphs and data pertaining to their wound. Should any pus be detected, the app sends a notification to the user’s phone, advising them to see their doctor and get it checked. Trusted contacts can be registered in the app, such as a doctor or a family member, and at the touch of a button, the data collected by the bandage can be shared with them for quick and efficient communication.