Thrive Education — Gamifying diabetes education
ROLE
Product Designer
TIMELINE
Jan 2025 - May 2025
TEAM
1 Designer (Me!)
1 Product Manager
3 Engineers
SKILLS
Product Design
Interaction &
Visual Design
OVERVIEW
As the sole product designer on the team, I…
Redesigned core lesson, home, and quiz screens to reduce cognitive load and improve content comprehension for diabetes patients
Implemented a design system with improved branding and gamified UI
Partnered closely with product and engineer members to translate user insights and technical constraints into feasible, patient-centered design solutions
THE PROBLEM
Lack of engagement for long-term diabetes management and education
Traditional diabetes resources are often text-heavy and hard to retain, causing patients to struggle to stay informed and involved in their care. Although Thrive Education aimed to address these gaps, the existing app design fell short in keeping users engaged.
of users dropped off after the first two lessons, indicating low early engagement.
RESEARCH
Understanding barriers to engagement
I conducted 5 interviews with users to uncover the causes of low engagement. After synthesizing the user insights, I identified the key pain points that were hindering motivation and app usage.
Low progress visibility
"I forget where I left off so it's hard to get back into my lesson."
Lack of motivation
"It doesn't feel challenging or rewarding enough to make me come back."
Poor design impacts trust
"The way the app looks feels so outdated I'm not sure I trust using it."
To improve user engagement within the app, I redesigned the app based on these goals:
Implement gamification with streaks and rewards to encourage learning.
Encourage long-term app retention with visible progress tracking.
Enhance the visual and brand UI to create a more engaging, approachable experience.
DESIGN PROCESS
Iteration and Ideation
Low-fi paper sketches
Starting with low-fi sketches to get the ideas flowing for new home, lesson, & marketplace layouts
Reimagining the brand
I rebuilt the brand to balance trust and approachability, selecting Poppins and Rubik for their rounded and modern tone. While I chose a friendly visual direction, I still maintained a clean, professional look to reflect the seriousness of diabetes. I simplified the color system and incorporated thoughtful gamified UI elements to create a more engaging experience.
REDESIGN
Redesigning for long-term diabetes learning
Home Screen
Gamifies the experience through medal histories, streaks, and coin-based rewards
Care plans created by diabetes providers are displayed on the homepage to keep their patients on track with their education
Before
After
Lessons Page
Provides clearer context about the unit to reduce friction and increase approachability
Supports user motivation and retention through clear, visual progress indicators
Before
After
Lesson Quiz
Updated UI to improve visual clarity and to create a more engaging experience
Before
After
Marketplace
Redesigned the layout to showcase multiple gift card options at a glance to improve discoverability of rewards
Enhanced brand recognition with updated thumbnails and visuals create a more interactive and usable experience
Before
After
CONCLUSION
Key Takeaways and Impact
After the redesign, 85% of users were able to complete lessons consistently, compared to 30% before, showing improved engagement and retention
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Iteration upon iteration
I continued to iterate on my designs multiple times because I recognized opportunities for improvement. Each iteration allowed me to refine the design and create a more fluid and visually consistent experience.
User research leads the vision
User research informed every decision, ensuring the product met real needs rather than assumptions. By centering insights from users, we shaped a vision that was both purposeful and grounded in their experiences.
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