IIH Circle: Healthcare app and desktop site
I created IIH Circle, a prototype mobile and desktop companion platform designed to support patients living with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH). The goal was to address the daily challenges of managing this complex condition through research-backed UX design, my solution enables users to track symptoms, see insights, access resources, and connect with a supportive community.
CLIENT
Student project
DELIVERABLES
Mobile app Desktop site
YEAR
2025
SCOPE
Entirety of project
Process
I began with extensive research, including patient interviews, affinity mapping, user personas, and journey mapping, to identify specific issues and pain points. From these insights, I sketched and wireframed potential solutions, progressing to a mid-fidelity prototype for initial user testing.
Feedback from these tests informed iterative refinements before moving into a high-fidelity prototype. I applied further research into UI design tailored to the needs of my user group, ensuring clarity, accessibility, and ease of use. The entire process followed user-centred design principles, testing, and iterative improvement.
Research Impact
My research process had a significant impact on the final outcome of this project. In initial interviews and online reading, I discovered that IIH patients’ symptoms are influenced by a wide range of factors throughout the day – including bright light, stress, high-volume environments, exercise, caffeine, medication, and more. For triggers such as bright light, I implemented a dark mode UI to ensure the app itself would not become a source of discomfort.
With so many potential triggers affecting pain levels, it can be difficult for patients to identify the root causes of their symptoms and understand what to avoid. This insight led to one of the app’s core features: a symptom and cause tracker that builds personalised data over time, providing users with confident, data-driven insights into the factors most responsible for increased pain.
See below for a document of my full process
Outcome
The final prototype delivers a user centred, research-backed product that addresses the core challenges IIH patients face in their daily lives through through the following features:
Symptom Tracking
Many patients need to track symptoms, triggers, and management aids for discussions with healthcare professionals, but doing this manually is time-consuming and tedious. No other apps provide IIH-specific tracking. IIH Circle offers an efficient tracker designed for quick, multiple daily entries with minimal disruption.
Symptom Insights
With so many potential factors affecting symptoms, patients often struggle to work out what’s helping or hindering their condition. Using the data gathered by the tracker, the app provides clear, confident insights into the most likely causes of flare-ups, giving users data-driven clarity.
Accessible Reading
Research on IIH is scarce, and what does exist is often aimed at medical professionals rather than patients. The app centralises information into a dedicated reading hub, including a step-by-step course that breaks down complex details into manageable sections, alongside more advanced research for those who want it.
Community Page
Only 1 in 100,000 people have IIH, leaving most patients without peers who understand their experiences. Existing online communities, such as large Facebook groups, can feel inaccessible and intimidating. IIH Circle replaces these with a blog-style space where users can share posts or simply read others’ experiences, fostering solidarity and reducing isolation.
Friendly UI
Bright light is a common symptom trigger, so the app includes a dark mode to reduce discomfort for light-sensitive users. A soft serif typeface and friendly tone of voice further ensure the interface feels approachable, supportive, and human-centred.
Through its combination of tracking, insights, education, community support, and accessible interface design, IIH Circle achieves its aim of being a comprehensive management tool for IIH patients – informed by real user needs and refined through iterative testing.
