User Interviews

Interviewed seven participants to learn about their experience, goals, and pain points.

We wanted to learn about what people with back pain deal with, such as mobility issues, daily activities, and work limitations.

How do people gather data to deal with back pain? Where do they go, what sources do they use?

We particularly wanted to understand their motivations—whether it was family, fun, or leisure.

Survey and Social media research

Quantitative Survey

Sent out surveys to about 90 Participants to ask about people’s experience with back pain and the level of their pain.

Joined social media groups to learn about users' experiences and recruit participants.

Stakeholder Interviews:

Met with stakeholders from various wellness products to understand their needs and explore how a back-pain-focused platform could align with their business goals. Discussions focused on key product requirements, including essential features such as pain tracking, methods for measuring pain, and educational content (determining reliable sources), along with necessary integrations with existing health tools.

Additionally, we explored user engagement strategies, such as personalized content, gamification, to improve retention. Technical constraints, platform compatibility, and customer support needs were also key considerations. By gathering these insights, I ensured that the design direction balanced business objectives, user expectations, and operational feasibility.

Team Workshops

We conducted team workshops to define the website’s features, including content strategy, key functionalities, and interface interactions. These sessions also helped us clarify project goals, prioritize features, and establish a development timeline.

Key Findings

1. Users struggle to find trustworthy and consolidated information; they use various websites and online sources, but nothing is in one place.
2. Back pain significantly impacts mobility, productivity, and mental well-being.
3. Users are open to using online resources, mobile apps, and wearable tracking tools.
4. Users have previously tried therapy, exercises, and pain medication but lack ongoing guidance.
5. Users are highly willing to follow health coach recommendations.
6. A majority prefer chat-based communication over phone calls for coaching sessions.
7. Some older users felt motivated by having the freedom to play with their grandchildren without back-pain and have the ability to stay active.

Sketch Ideation: Designing a User-Friendly Path to Back Pain Recovery

For each scenario, we held collaborative workshops to generate and refine ideas. A key focus was creating an easy-to-navigate landing page with a personalized action plan. Our main goal was to give users the knowledge they need to manage their back pain and access courses tailored to their specific needs.

To achieve this, we designed the following features:

• Pain Level Assessment – A guided tool to help users determine their back pain level.
• Personalized Courses – Courses dynamically tailored to each user’s pain level and condition.
• Coach-Guided & Automated Course Creation – Coaches initially design courses based on assessments, with future automation for scalability.
• Activity Tracker on Landing Page – A progress tracker outlining tasks and courses to guide users through recovery.

This approach ensures users receive structured, personalized support, empowering them to make informed decisions and potentially avoid surgery.

Designing a Dynamic Pain Assessment for User Progress Tracking

To effectively evaluate and categorize patients based on their back pain levels, we designed an interactive pain assessment using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). This tool measures functional disability through a structured questionnaire, enabling us to track user progress, personalize recommendations, and guide them through their recovery journey. Our focus is not just on assessing pain but on helping users actively improve and advance through their treatment plan.

Step 1: Onboarding & Initial Assessment

• Users complete a baseline survey upon signing up.
• Results provide a personalized starting point in their treatment program.

Step 2: Progress Tracking & Adaptive Feedback

• Users retake the assessment at regular intervals (weekly or after course milestones).
• A progress dashboard visually displays changes in pain levels and mobility.
• If improvement stalls, the system suggests adjustments to their care plan.

Step 3: Personalized Action Plan Based on Score

• Targeted Exercises to improve mobility and reduce pain.
• Educational Content on posture, pain management, and ergonomics.
• Professional Consultation Alerts if scores indicate worsening conditions.

Enhancing the Experience: Key Design Considerations

• Intuitive Visuals – Graphs, progress bars, and interactive reports.
• Conversational & Engaging UI – Step-by-step flow instead of a static form.
• Smart Adaptation – Dynamic questions based on responses.
• Motivational Feedback – Celebratory messages when users show improvement.

Wireframe Process

1. Brainstorm ideas through sketches, either collaboratively in a team brainstorming session or individually. Present wireframes to the team.
2. Gather team feedback and refine wireframes until the concept is solid.
3. Conduct user testing, gather feedback, and implement necessary updates. Re-test, and once we receive positive feedback, proceed to high-fidelity designs.
4. Implement updates based on user feedback.
5. Re-test, and once we receive positive feedback, proceed to high-fidelity designs.

We continuously iterated on wireframes to refine the user experience. For example, I designed the initial wireframes for the dashboard and action plan, which initially included a journal feature. This feature allowed users to record motivational quotes and daily reflections, such as their daily mood. However, usability testing revealed that users found the distinction between the journal and action items unclear and showed little interest in using the journal.

These insights were invaluable, leading us to remove the journal and streamline the dashboard for a clearer, more user-friendly experience.

At every stage, we created wireframes, conducted usability testing, and iterated based on feedback to refine our approach. Initially, the dashboard included a journal feature where users could log motivational quotes and daily reflections. However, as seen in the revised wireframes, usability testing revealed that users found the distinction between journaling and action items unclear, leading to disengagement with the feature. Based on these insights, we streamlined the dashboard to focus on actionable steps and user progress, improving clarity and engagement. This iterative process ensured our design aligned with user needs, ultimately leading to a more intuitive and supportive experience. Once we had a validated vision, we transitioned to high-fidelity mockups, refining the visual design, branding, and details for a polished final product.

Refinement & Finalization

After multiple iterations, presentations to stakeholders, feedback from the development team regarding feasibility, business needs, and user testing, as well as usability tests and prototype evaluations, we arrived at high-fidelity mockups. At this stage, we have finalized the visual style and refined the look and feel of the website, ensuring it aligns with the marketing team's branding.

Development Handoff and Development Phase

After completing the high-fidelity mockups, we moved into the development handoff phase. This process involved close collaboration between designers, front-end developers, and back-end developers to ensure a seamless transition from design to implementation. The design assets, including UI components and specifications, were shared with the development team to ensure accurate execution.

UI Elements and Styleguide

Creating the style guide and defining UI elements was a collaborative effort involving the marketing team, front-end developers, and back-end developers. Working alongside a dedicated team of designers, we ensured that the styleguide was comprehensive and that all new components could easily be integrated into the design system. This collaborative approach allowed us to maintain consistency and flexibility across the website, while ensuring that the design system could evolve with future updates.

Design System & Component Styling

Empowered Decisions was part of a broader ecosystem of wellness sites that shared common UI components while maintaining distinct branding. To achieve this balance, we ensured that all components adhered to a cohesive design system while allowing for site-specific styling to reflect each brand’s unique identity. This required close collaboration between designers, front-end developers, and the marketing team to establish a flexible yet structured approach to component styling.

By defining a comprehensive style guide and UI component library, we created a scalable system that ensured consistency across multiple experiences while accommodating variations in typography, color, and visual aesthetics. Our iterative approach allowed the design system to evolve, integrating new components seamlessly while maintaining usability and accessibility standards. Through this effort, we streamlined development, improved efficiency, and ensured that all wellness sites provided a unified yet brand-specific user experience.

Web Accessibility and W3C Compliance

When designing components, I prioritized web accessibility to ensure our website met inclusivity and compliance standards. I followed WCAG guidelines by ensuring proper color contrast, using semantic HTML, defining appropriate ARIA roles, and implementing responsive design. I also incorporated keyboard navigation support, added alt text for images, and provided captions for multimedia content. These efforts helped create an accessible digital experience for all users, including those with disabilities.

Key Takeaways

The development of the Empowered Decisions platform was not just about creating a digital tool—it was about transforming lives. Throughout this journey, we saw firsthand the struggles individuals face in managing chronic back pain and the immense impact that accessible, non-surgical solutions could have. After the launch, the stories we received from users were profoundly moving: individuals who had long felt powerless over their pain were now regaining control, mobility, and confidence in their daily lives.

The most rewarding aspect of this project was hearing from users who regained the ability to play with their children, return to work without constant discomfort, or simply wake up in the morning without pain dictating their day. Empowered Decisions was more than just a product—it became a bridge to a better quality of life for thousands of people. As we look toward the future, we aim to build on this success by integrating AI-driven personalized coaching and wearable health tracking, ensuring even greater engagement and long-term health outcomes.

This project gave me the opportunity to run an end-to-end design process, including user research, stakeholder workshops, brainstorming, ideation, wireframing, and final visual design. Through this experience, I gained valuable insights into the importance of research and gathering feedback early in the process to create a more user-centered and effective design.

Final Prototype