  UX Design
  Healthcare Innovation
  Mobile App Design

Designing for Health and Empathy

Designing a tool to document and analyze seizure activity through accessible, user-friendly technology.

Role

UX / UI Designer

Graduate School

Harrington College of Design

Timeframe

2014 — 2015

The Challenge

Epilepsy affects millions, yet seizure tracking tools lacked usability and clinical relevance.

Scale of the Problem

Over 3 million Americans live with epilepsy, more than MS, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and Parkinson’s combined.

Fragmented Tools

Apps like Seizure Tracker and Epilepsy Journal lacked intuitive workflows or meaningful doctor-patient communication.

Design Opportunity

Create a platform that simplifies seizure logging while generating insights that can empower patients and inform care.

My Approach

The project began with research, surveys, and competitor analysis to identify pain points and opportunities.

Research & Surveys

Developed and refined surveys to gather data on how patients and families monitor seizures.

Competitor Analysis

Reviewed existing epilepsy apps (Seizure Tracker, Epi & Me, Epilepsy Society, etc.) to evaluate usability gaps.

Design Foundations

Established workflows, wireframes, and infographics to ground the project in data-driven design.

Survey A | I have personally experienced, or have seen someone having an epileptic seizure.

01.

Which of the following definitions refers to epileptic seizures?
A. A disorder of the brain that leads to shaking (tremors) and difficulty with walking, movement, and coordination.
B. An autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).
C. A developmental disorder that appears in the first three years of life, and affects the brain’s normal development of social and communicative skills.
D. The physical findings or changes in behavior that occur after an episode of abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
E. A group of inherited disorders that involve muscle weakness and loss of muscle tissue, which get worse over time.
02.

What is your relationship to the person you have seen experiencing an epileptic seizure? Please select all that apply.
A. Myself
B. Significant other
C. Family Member
D. Friend
E. Colleague
F. Classmate
G. Other
03.

What type of seizure disorder do they (or you) suffer from? Please select all that apply.
A. Grand Mal
B. Absent
C. Myoclonic
D. Tonic
E. Clonic
F. Partial Onset
G. I don’t know
04.

How are their (or your) seizures managed? Please select all that apply.
A. Medication
B. Surgery
C. Vagus Nerve Stimulator
D. Dietary therapy
E. I don’t know
F. Other
05.

How are their (or your) seizures monitored and recorded? Please select all that apply.
A. Pen and paper
B. Hospital visits
C. Memory
D. Digital application
E. They are not recorded
F. I don’t know
G. Other
06

What was the average hospital charge per patient in 2008?
A. $5,628
B. $8,447
C. $18,042
D. $23,909
E. $41.072
07.

What do you do when someone around you has a seizure? What do others do when you have a seizure?
[Freeform answer]
08.

If you had the opportunity to better treat their (or your) seizures by wearing something long-term, would you do it? Use the additional space to explain your answer.
A. Yes
B. No
[Freeform Answer]
09.

Which tests have been performed on them (or you) in order to monitor the seizures? Please select all that apply.
A. Electroencephalogram (EEG)
B. Electrocardiogram (ECG, or EKG)
C. Magnetoencephalogram (MEG)
D. Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI)
E. No Applicable
F. I don’t know
G. Other
10.

Please rank the end of the statement written below as it appears most important to you: In order to treat my seizures…
A. I would wear headgear, of any shape or size, as long as it works.
B. I would be open to wearing a device as long as it reflects my personality.
C. I would wear headgear as long as I can hide it.
D. I would be open to implanting a device in my head, but am against wearing something externally.
E. I would prefer to explore other options.

Survey B | I have never personally experienced, or have seen someone having an epileptic seizure.

01.

Which of the following definitions refers to epileptic seizures?
A. A disorder of the brain that leads to shaking (tremors) and difficulty with walking, movement, and coordination.
B. An autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).
C. A developmental disorder that appears in the first three years of life, and affects the brain’s normal development of social and communicative skills.
D. The physical findings or changes in behavior that occur after an episode of abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
E. A group of inherited disorders that involve muscle weakness and loss of muscle tissue, which get worse over time.
02.

How do you track, monitor and maintain your health?Please select all that apply.
A. Occasional over-the-counter medication
B. Prescription medication
C. Frequent hospital visits
D. Diet
E. Exercise
F. Smartphone app
G. Not applicable
H. Other
03.

What was the average hospital charge per patient in 2008?
A. $5,628
B. $8,447
C. $18,042
D. $23,909
E. $41.072
04.

What do you do when someone around you has a seizure?
[Freeform answer]
05.

If you had the opportunity to better treat a long-term disease or disorder by wearing something, would you do it? Use the additional space to explain your answer.
A. Yes
B. No
[Freeform Answer]
06.

Which tests have been performed on you in order to monitor your health? Please select all that apply.
A. Electroencephalogram (EEG)
B. Electrocardiogram (ECG, or EKG)
C. Magnetoencephalogram (MEG)
D. Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI)
E. No Applicable
F. I don’t know
G. Other
07.

Please rank the end of the statement written below as it appears most important to you: In order to treat my seizures…
A. I would wear headgear, of any shape or size, as long as it works.
B. I would be open to wearing a device as long as it reflects my personality.
C. I would wear headgear as long as I can hide it.
D. I would be open to implanting a device in my head, but am against wearing something externally.
E. I would prefer to explore other options.

Market Analysis

My research included screen-by-screen analysis of several smartphone applications. The apps I studied included: Epi & Me, Epilepsy Society, Seizure Journal, Epilepsy Manager Pro, Seizure Tracker, and The Treatment of Epilepsy. I found that each application did something well, but also did a lot of other UI or UX related things poorly. My mission was to build an application that would have the best parts of each of these live applications in one place.

Click on an image to view it larger.

Epi & Me

Epilepsy Society

Seizure Journal

Epilepsy Manager Pro

The Treatment of Epilepsy

Seizure Tracker

Process

Exploration

The project began with a deep dive into understanding epilepsy and the challenges of seizure tracking. I gathered statistics, reviewed healthcare trends, and explored how design could bring clarity to a complex condition. Early research focused on infographics, competitor analysis, and survey development to ground the project in real-world needs.

This early research grounded the app in real user needs and medical realities.

Wireframes

With foundational insights in place, I moved into early wireframes to define workflows and app structure. These low-fidelity explorations mapped how patients might log seizures, capture video, and manage medication data. The wireframes also helped identify essential navigation elements such as dashboard, camera, and settings.

Wireframes gave shape to how logging and navigation would feel in use.

Visual Design

I then transitioned into establishing the app’s visual identity. This included color palette development, typography exploration, and the creation of app iconography. The goal was to design a system that felt modern yet approachable, with an emphasis on clarity and accessibility.

The identity combined clarity and empathy, ensuring usability in stressful moments.

Iteration

Through feedback cycles and thesis defense preparation, the app was refined into a complete high-fidelity prototype. Adjustments were made to flows, visuals, and usability details to ensure the design was cohesive. By week 12, the app screens and workflows were finalized, and the defense presentation tied the project together as a proof-of-concept for design’s role in healthcare.