AlopeciaHub - Product Design / UX Research
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Product Designer
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3 months
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Figma, Zoom, GoogleForms
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Lee O’Connor
Overview
It is estimated that 80 million Americans are afflicted with Alopecia, which is a term that encompasses many different hair loss conditions: genetic, autoimmune, or loss from other causes, such as medications, hairstyles, hair pulling, etc.
Many people with Alopecia seek out others with the condition on social media (Facebook/Instagram), and less frequently, through in-person meetings (NAAF conferences).
Because of the spontaneous origin of the disease, many have difficulty finding community and resources for dealing with the disease.
I saw a gap in the market for a product that would be a virtual hub for people with Alopecia.
I wanted to create a space for finding community and resources for dealing with this disease.
Initial Research
My initial research was done through a Google Forms survey. I wanted to gauge how interested people would be in an app for Alopecia Areata.
I was able to source 29 people with Alopecia.
Out of all the respondents, 100% expressed interest in an app for AA.
In the survey, I also asked what kind of features people would like to see in the app.
The following features had the most interest amongst the group:
An online community/chat feature (70%)
Ways to find mental health experts/dermatologists that specialize in Alopecia Treatment (60%)
Articles related to Alopecia Areata (65%)
Symptom Tracker (50%)
Target Demographic
After this initial data collection from the survey, I followed up with 2 respondents and conducted user interviews for a more comprehensive understanding of the target user.
I then generated a persona to illustrate a potential user of the app.
User Stories
Using the data from the user interview and surveys, I generated a few user stories to illustrate the typical users’ needs:
“How might we create a central destination for people with Alopecia that offers
connection, resources and support?”
Key Areas of Focus
Based off of my initial interviews and survey responses, I distilled the data to generate 3 key areas to focus when designing the MVP:
Communities to join to start conversations and get support.
A symptom tracker page to track hair loss and other related symptoms to Alopecia
A resource hub with links to retailers (wigs, permanent makeup, headwraps etc.), hair loss + mental health experts, and how-to tutorials
Wireframes
My next step was to start sketching out the user flow with paper + pencil. Below is a wireframe sketch of the onboarding process:
Mid-Fi Wireframes
Hi-Fi Wireframes
Final Prototype
Style Guide
Color Palette
I chose to work with a palette of purple. I felt that the monochromatic palette of purple hues lends a soothing aesthetic to the app, as well as evoking emotionality and imagination.
Typography
I chose the Nunito font for the logo text because I wanted a sans serif font that was legible, and had optimism to it that fit well with the mission of the app.
I chose the Apple font SF Pro Rounded for the rest of the headings and text, as it’s an easily legible sans serif font, and it’s easy to read across all devices.
Icons + Logo
For the logo, I envisioned a circular logo that would evoke the feeling of gathering in a circle of support.
I chose to use SF Symbols for the icons mainly because of the ease of using them across all devices. I also felt like I wanted an app with recognizable iconography that would feel familiar to the user.
Next Steps
The next steps for AlopeciaHub would be to run usability testing to gather the following data:
Feedback on ability to post to a community.
Feedback on ability to input today’s symptoms to symptom tracker.
Feedback on ability to book an appointment with a health professional.
Future Exploration
Based on my research, I found that some people expressed interest in finding people that lived near them for in-person meet-ups.
In the future, I would love to explore options for creating a search feature that allows users to locate people within a close radius to where they live, and be able to send a message to meet up.
Another important exploration is to find a way to monetize the app, either through a small subscription fee for uses after an initial 30 day trial, or ad revenue from linked online stores.