Health · Mobile concept
GlucoBuddy
A mobile companion that helps people with Type 1 diabetes understand their data, not just record it.
- UX/UI case study
- Diploma project
- 2026
- Mobile app concept
The challenge
Managing Type 1 diabetes often means switching between separate devices, apps and calculators while continuously interpreting glucose, insulin, food and lifestyle data. Existing tools are good at recording numbers, but the interpretation — what is happening, why, and what to do next — is still left entirely to the user.
How might we reduce this mental burden without taking control away from the user?
What research revealed
- survey responses
- 62survey responses
- interviews
- 5interviews
- competitors analyzed
- 7competitors analyzed
- expert interview
- 1expert interview
- 01
Data was fragmented
Users managed related information across different apps, devices and mental calculations.
- 02
Interpretation was the real burden
Recording values was manageable. Understanding why something happened, and what to do next, was not.
- 03
Support, not automation
Contextual suggestions were welcome, but the reasoning had to be visible and the final decision had to stay with the user.
“It could give suggestions based on events and values, but it shouldn’t act without me.”
From research to product structure
Before designing the interface, I studied Type 1 diabetes management, insulin therapy, diabetes technologies and the safety boundaries of digital decision support.
I synthesized the findings into two behavior-based personas: an experienced pump user who optimizes and questions the data, and a newer pen user who mostly needs reassurance. Their differences shaped how much explanation each screen offers. I then mapped two situations where uncertainty and cognitive load were highest.
Scenario 1
Nighttime correction
Deciding whether to correct, wait, eat or investigate a potential device issue while tired and under pressure.
Scenario 2
Unexpected food situation
Estimating carbohydrates and insulin without reliable nutrition information.
These scenarios helped define the product priorities and the five-part structure of the application: Home, Diary, Add, Recipes and Profile.
two people, two very different days- Domain research
- Interviews & survey
- Personas
- Journey mapping
- Information architecture
- Wireframes
- Prototype testing
- Iteration
From insight to design
Numbers arrived without context
A dashboard that pairs current values and trends with a plain-language explanation of what may be behind them.
Related information lived in separate apps and devices
Unite related health and lifestyle data in one chronological view, making patterns and connections easier to understand.
Support was welcome, control was non-negotiable
Recommendations that always show their reasoning and can be manually adjusted before anything is accepted.
Testing & iteration
I created more than 40 wireframe screens to explore the product structure, key flows and information hierarchy before moving into final UI.
I then tested the interactive prototype across the dashboard, logging, statistics and recipe-management flows. The overall structure worked well, while feedback revealed opportunities to improve explanation, control and readability.
- Insights explained too littlea dedicated details view for every insight
- Suggestions felt too fixedmanual bolus adjustment before confirming
- Ingredient data was too vagueglycemic index and brand-level information
- Small text slowed readingstronger hierarchy and larger mobile type
Final concept
The final concept was organized around five core areas covering users’ most frequent diabetes-management tasks.
Understand the current situation
The dashboard combines current values, trends and contextual insights so users can better understand what may be happening—not just see another graph.
Log everyday events in one place
Meals, activity, sleep, medication and diabetes events connect in one timeline, reducing fragmentation and supporting later pattern recognition.
one timeline, not five appsManage food and devices with less effort
Recipes connect directly to meal logging, while device status and replacement reminders reduce the mental load of tracking recurring sensor, infusion-set and supply changes.
Outcome
GlucoBuddy became a validated mobile concept that brings glucose data, insulin information, meals, lifestyle events and device management into one connected experience.
Users did not need more data. They needed help understanding what the data meant.
Conceptual diploma project · Not a launched or medically approved product