Mindful
Migraine Management Ring
Overview
Tasked with creating an AI wearable, I set out to make a device that could track and prevent migraine symptoms by allowing people to understand their bodies. Through secondary research on the current migraine management space, I created a product that focuses on accessible daily lifestyle changes.
My Role
UX Researcher, UX Designer, UI Designer
Results
Created a rough physical prototype for a symptom tracking ring and a digital interface that presents physiological data and actionable lifestyle recommendations.
People need to understand their migraines better
How might we help adults diagnosed with migraines understand their triggers and prevent the frequency of attacks through lifestyle changes by monitoring their vitals and environment with an AI wearable?
Migraine management can be diverse and complicated
Existing technology
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Nerivio: Remote electrical neuromodulation armband that relieves migraines by activating natural pain pathways [8]
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Cefaly: Targets the trigeminal nerve to treat acute migraine attacks quickly and prevent future episodes [7]
What is a migraine?
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Episodic headache disorder
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Affects 1 in 6 people in the U.S. [3]
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Causes severe disturbances such as vomiting, blurry vision, and high sensitivity to light and sound [6]
Migraine causes
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Each person has a unique combinations of triggers
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Common triggers: Stress, Sleep, Fasting, and Auditory [4]
Migraine management
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Early therapeutic interventions has been shown to significantly decrease the magnitude and frequency of symptoms [4]
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Migraineurs may be vaguely aware of the factors associated with their attacks, but few have analyzed their potential triggers in detail and systematically [4]
A ring allows optimal functionality
I explored a variety of wearables through rough sketches. This included body patches, wristbands, and ear pieces.
Ultimately, I decided on a ring due to:
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Comfortable all-day wear
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Optimal vital tracking location
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Discreet look
Migraines can drastically impact a person's day
To explore the user's thoughts, feelings, and experiences, an empathy map rooted in the secondary research was created.
Scenario: Nicole has just woken up on a Monday with a horrible migraine. She wishes there was a way to understand her body better and eliminate her symptoms.
This product manages migraine pain through informed lifestyle changes
Before diving into creating the physical and digital prototypes, I created a jobs-to-be-done framework that explored the roles this device would play when it came to emotional and functional aspects.
A comfortable ring to understand your body and your surroundings
Next, I made a physical prototype out of tinfoil to envision the size, shape, and placement of sensors. This gave me a good idea of how users would physically interact and feel with the ring on.
Style Guide
For the digital prototype, I wanted to choose a colors and text styles that created allowed a calm but informative environment. Considering users might be experiencing a migraine while using the app, I wanted to ensure titles and body text were easily distinguishable without being hard on the eyes.
A typical day using Mindful
To demonstrate how this product integrates into peoples' lives, I made a "Wizard of Oz" video showcasing a day from start to finish.
Sources
[1] Buse, D. C., Rupnow, M. F., & Lipton, R. B. (2009, May). Assessing and managing all aspects of migraine: migraine attacks, migraine-related functional impairment, common comorbidities, and quality of life. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 84, No. 5, pp. 422-435). Elsevier
[2] Cerda, I. H., Zhang, E., Dominguez, M., Ahmed, M., Lang, M., Ashina, S., ... & Fonseca, A. C. (2024). Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality in Headache Disorder Diagnosis, Classification, and Management. Current Pain and Headache Reports, 1-12.
[3] Peters, G. L. (2019). Migraine overview and summary of current and emerging treatment options. Am J Manag Care, 25(2 Suppl), S23-S34.
[4] Peroutka, S. J. (2014). What turns on a migraine? A systematic review of migraine precipitating factors. Current pain and headache reports, 18(10), 454.
[5] Ruiz de Velasco, I., Gonzalez, N., Etxeberria, Y., & Garcia-Monco, J. C. (2003). Quality of life in migraine patients: a qualitative study. Cephalalgia, 23(9), 892-900.
[6] Silberstein, S. D. (1995). Migraine symptoms: Results of a survey of self‐reported migraineurs. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 35(7), 387-396.
[7] Why try cefaly?. Non-Prescription FDA Cleared Drug Free Migraine Treatment. (n.d.). https://www.cefaly.com/?sscid=a1k8_1hd0la&utm_source=shareasale&gad_source=1
[8] Your complete migraine care - treat & prevent Migraine - Nerivio®. Nerivio. (2024, June 20). https://nerivio.com/