Desk Research Summary

Prevalence: Migraines are a common neurological disorder, affecting approximately 1 in 7 adults worldwide. They are more prevalent in women than men, with the peak age of onset typically between 25 and 55 years old.
Symptoms: Migraine symptoms can vary widely but often include throbbing headache pain, sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, and vomiting. Some individuals also experience visual disturbances known as aura before or during a migraine attack.
Triggers: Migraine triggers are diverse and can include stress, hormonal changes, certain foods or drinks (e.g., caffeine, alcohol, aged cheeses), dehydration, lack of sleep, weather changes, and sensory stimuli (e.g., strong smells, bright lights).
Pathophysiology: The exact cause of migraines is not fully understood, but it is believed to involve a combination of genetic, environmental, and neurological factors. Changes in brain chemistry, particularly involving serotonin levels and trigeminal nerve activity, play a key role in migraine pathophysiology.
Treatment: Treatment strategies for migraines aim to relieve symptoms and prevent future attacks. This can include lifestyle modifications (e.g., identifying and avoiding triggers), acute medications for symptom relief (e.g., pain relievers, anti-nausea drugs), preventive medications (e.g., beta-blockers, anticonvulsants), and complementary therapies (e.g., acupuncture, biofeedback).
Impact on Daily Life: Migraines can have a significant impact on daily functioning, including work productivity, social activities, and overall quality of life. Chronic migraines, defined as experiencing migraines on 15 or more days per month, can be particularly debilitating and challenging to manage.
Healthcare Management: Effective management of migraines often requires a multidisciplinary approach involving healthcare providers such as primary care physicians, neurologists, pain specialists, and behavioral health professionals. Patient education, lifestyle modifications, and individualized treatment plans are essential components of migraine management.
Research and Innovation: Ongoing research into the underlying mechanisms of migraines and the development of new treatment modalities, including pharmacological agents and neuromodulation devices, offer hope for improved outcomes and quality of life for migraine sufferers.

Problem

Migraine patients often find it challenging to effectively monitor and comprehend their headache patterns. Traditional methods like journaling prove cumbersome and may not provide healthcare providers with comprehensive insights for treatment planning. Existing migraine apps lack versatility, especially in offering user-friendly interfaces for symptom and trigger documentation without extensive typing. This gap in the market hampers migraine management efforts, potentially leading to suboptimal health outcomes.

Solution

Solace is a comprehensive mobile application designed to revolutionize migraine tracking and management for patients. By offering an intuitive and user-friendly interface, Solace eliminates the need for extensive typing and cumbersome manual entries commonly associated with existing methods. Leveraging visual cues and minimal input, Solace empowers users to effortlessly track their migraine attacks, including triggers, intensity, medication, and after-effects. Through aggregated insights and detailed reports, Solace facilitates deeper understanding and communication between patients and healthcare providers, ultimately leading to more effective migraine management and improved quality of life.

My Role

User Research
User Interview
Personas
User Journey
Information Architecture
User App Flow
Wireframes
User Testing

Tools

Figma
FigJam
Notion
Procreate

Ideation

The brainstorming process threw me into a fit of ideas but nothing that would stick because whatever I came up with was already sitting in the marketplace with a plethora of users. After spending a good amount of time going through self-help and habit-tracking apps, I decided to read their reviews to see what was missing.

During this time of research, I came across a dearth of apps specializing in headaches, more specifically migraines. After researching a handful of available migraine apps, I hypothesized that being able to track their migraine attacks was of utmost importance to the patients, and not a lot of apps provided that service. So, I delved deeper into the issue and gathered a lot more information.