ROLE

Sole Product Designer

TIMELINE

Phase 1 (6 Weeks) · Ongoing

TEAM

Product Manager 1, Engineer 1

RESPONSIBILITY

Co-founder / Product & UX Lead / Phase 1 deliverables

ROLE

Sole Product Designer

TEAM

Product Manager 1, Engineer 1

TIMELINE

Phase 1 (6 Weeks) · Ongoing

RESPONSIBILITY

Co-founder / Product & UX Lead / Phase 1 deliverables

Research, problem framing, and product strategy were co-developed with the team

✶ OVERVIEW

Pre-diabetes affects millions, yet many don't take action until it's too late. Glucoach is a prevention-focused system that combines behavior tracking with gamification to help at-risk patients adopt healthier habits before developing Type 2 diabetes.

✶ CHALLENGE

How might we motivate pre-diabetic patients to make sustained lifestyle changes when the disease feels distant and abstract?

✶ PHASE 1 GOAL

Validate the concept through early user research, create initial prototypes (app + physical product), and test with 5 pre-diabetic patients to gather feedback for Phase 2 improvements.

✶ CONTEXT

Why Prevention Matters

Source: Inoue et al., “Prevalence and Control of Diabetes Among US Adults, 2013–2023.” JAMA, 2025.

Diabetes rates continue to rise in the U.S., affecting over 38 million adults.

Yet many people are diagnosed only after long-term lifestyle patterns are already set. Prevention is most effective before diabetes develops, when small daily changes can still make a meaningful difference.

✶ SECONDARY RESEARCH

Younger adults show weaker glucose control over time

Source: Inoue et al., “Prevalence and Control of Diabetes Among US Adults, 2013–2023.” JAMA, 2025.

Population-level data shows that younger adults often struggle with consistent glucose control over time, despite early diagnosis.

This reinforced our focus on prevention before long-term habits are fully formed.

Population-level data shows that younger adults often struggle with consistent glucose control over time, despite early diagnosis.

This reinforced our focus on prevention before long-term habits are fully formed.

✶ MARKET CONTEXT

Competitive Landscape

CGM apps provide accurate health data, but lack motivation, Behavioral apps encourage habits, but don’t show real health impact. None connect daily action with measurable outcomes.

CGM Companion Apps

Data-heavy tools for glucose monitoring

• Accurate physiological data

• Detailed tracking and trends

• Accurate physiological data

• Detailed tracking and trends

But: data is complex and rarely leads to clear action.

Generalized Behavioral Apps

Motivational tools for habit formation

• Engaging, user-friendly experiences

• Effective for building habits

• Engaging, user-friendly experiences

• Effective for building habits

But: no physiological feedback to validate progress.

Where GluCoach Fits

GluCoach sits between health data and behavior change. It turns physiological signals into clear, timely actions users can take.

CGM apps show what’s happening.
Behavioral apps shape habits.
GluCoach connects the two.

CGM apps show what’s happening.
Behavioral apps shape habits.
GluCoach connects the two.

GluCoach's Unique Position

GluCoach combines personalized health data with psychological nudging, supported by a physical device.
Users are guided to act in the moment and see real cause and effect over time.

GluCoach combines personalized health data with psychological nudging, supported by a physical device.
Users are guided to act in the moment and see real cause and effect over time.

What this enables

Clear feedback instead of complex charts
Low-friction action through a physical interface
Real-time connection between choices and health outcomes

Clear feedback instead of complex charts
Low-friction action through a physical interface
Real-time connection between choices and health outcomes

✶ UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM

Prevention vs. Management

Delayed Action

Pre-diabetic patients often delay action because they don’t feel sick yet.

Abstract Metrics

Glucose trends feel abstract, making it hard to connect daily choices to health outcomes.

Habit Formation

Lifestyle changes are hard to sustain without immediate feedback or motivation.

“My doctor says I'm pre-diabetic, but I feel fine. It's hard to change my whole life for something that might happen.”

The Real Problem: Not Data, But Guidance

Health tools already track data. What’s missing is clear, ongoing guidance that helps people know what to do next, not just what already happened.

The gap isn’t information, it’s support that turns abstract metrics into daily decisions.

✶ PRIMARY RESEARCH

Understanding Pre-Diabetic Patients

Early exploratory research to validate the problem space

5 in-depth interviews with pre-diabetic patients

Key Insights from 5 Interviews

Abstract threat with no immediate feedback

Abstract threat with no immediate feedback

Participants struggled to take pre-diabetes seriously because they felt fine and saw no immediate results. Daily choices felt disconnected from long-term impact.

Tangible engagement over digital-only

Tangible engagement over digital-only

Participants found physical cues more motivating than apps alone. Purely digital solutions were easy to ignore, while tangible reminders felt harder to forget.

Research → Decision

Interviews revealed a consistent pattern: pre-diabetic patients feel emotionally distant from their condition and often forget prevention goals in daily life.

This led to the decision to design a physical companion—a persistent, tangible presence that makes prevention feel immediate and supports habit formation through emotional connection, not willpower alone.

Interviews revealed a consistent pattern: pre-diabetic patients feel emotionally distant from their condition and often forget prevention goals in daily life.

This led to the decision to design a physical companion—a persistent, tangible presence that makes prevention feel immediate and supports habit formation through emotional connection, not willpower alone.

✶ IDEATION

Exploring Solutions

Based on research insights, I explored ways to combine digital tracking with tangible interaction to support immediate behavior change.

Design Principles

Two principles guided the design, prioritizing behavior change over feature depth and data density.

Create Immediate Presence

Physical presence that makes prevention feel real, not abstract.

Sustain Through Relationship

Maintain motivation through emotional bonding over time.

Early Sketches & Initial Wireframes

✶ CONCEPT DIRECTION

✶ IDEATION

Physical Companion

A desk companion that reacts to your choices and creates emotional presence

Connected Mobile App

Support layer for logging behaviors and translating data to the companion

Relationship-Based Engagement

Long-term bonding through caring for the companion's wellbeing

Phase 1 Validation Strategy

Tested whether a physical companion could increase engagement and support sustainable habit formation.

Result: Engagement mechanics worked. Phase 2 layers in coaching.

✶ COMPANION

The Glucoach Companion

A key ring–sized companion that reacts to daily behaviors, creating presence, response, and emotional accountability.

A small companion that lives on your pocekt and reacts to how you treat your body, a living presence that senses, responds, and creates emotional accountability.

Sustaining Engagement via Relationship

The companion introduces emotional accountability through presence, not points or streaks. Neglect feels like letting something down, supporting long-term habit formation beyond short-term goals.

Breaking Trust, Not Missing Goals

Neglecting it feels like letting down a living thing, which sustains habit formation far longer than arbitrary targets or point systems.

Cumulative State Matters

Your companion evolves based on weeks of behavior, not yesterday's choices. Consistent care changes its baseline personality, making long-term progress visible.

✶ PROTOTYPE

Mobile App Prototype

Created a functional prototype of the mobile app to test alongside the physical product. The focus was on core flows: onboarding, behavior logging, and progress visualization.

Onboarding

Home Dashboard

Personal Insight

Physical product rendering

Designed initial companion character & variations

✶ MOVING FORWARD

MOVING FORWARD

Phase 2 Development

Based on Phase 1 testing, we’re shifting from tracking to coaching, strengthening guidance, interpretation, and long-term engagement.

Guide Decision-Making

Provide timely, actionable suggestions before behaviors—based on patterns and glucose risk.

Interpret Health Impact

Make cause and effect visible by connecting daily choices to glucose trends and long-term risk. Build Long-Term Relationship

Build Long-Term Relationship

Evolve the companion through milestones and personality changes, supporting consistency over time.

Next Iteration Priorities

Focused on realistic improvements within real-world constraints.

Expand Testing Cohort

Test with 15–20 pre-diabetic users over 4 weeks to validate engagement and retention.

Iterate with Data

Refine timing, personalization, and relationship mechanics using behavioral data.

Phase 1 Learnings Summary

Validated

Physical + digital systems increased engagement, Simple, fast logging supported daily use, Immediate visual feedback was motivating

Needs Work

Clearer connection to diabetes prevention, Proactive guidance, not just tracking, Deeper motivation beyond surface gamification

Research, problem framing, and product strategy were co-developed with the team

Research, problem framing, and product strategy were co-developed with the team

✶ OVERVIEW

✶ OVERVIEW

Pre-diabetes affects millions, yet many don't take action until it's too late. Glucoach is a prevention-focused system that combines behavior tracking with gamification to help at-risk patients adopt healthier habits before developing Type 2 diabetes.

Pre-diabetes affects millions, yet many don't take action until it's too late. Glucoach is a prevention-focused system that combines behavior tracking with gamification to help at-risk patients adopt healthier habits before developing Type 2 diabetes.

✶ CHALLENGE

✶ CHALLENGE

How might we motivate pre-diabetic patients to make sustained lifestyle changes when the disease feels distant and abstract?

How might we motivate pre-diabetic patients to make sustained lifestyle changes when the disease feels distant and abstract?

✶ PHASE 1 GOAL

✶ PHASE 1 GOAL

Validate the concept through early user research, create initial prototypes (app + physical product), and test with 5 pre-diabetic patients to gather feedback for Phase 2 improvements.

Validate the concept through early user research, create initial prototypes (app + physical product), and test with 5 pre-diabetic patients to gather feedback for Phase 2 improvements.

✶ CONTEXT

✶ CONTEXT

Why Prevention Matters

Why Prevention Matters

Source: Inoue et al., “Prevalence and Control of Diabetes Among US Adults, 2013–2023.” JAMA, 2025.

Source: Inoue et al., “Prevalence and Control of Diabetes Among US Adults, 2013–2023.” JAMA, 2025.

Diabetes rates continue to rise in the U.S., affecting over 38 million adults.

Diabetes rates continue to rise in the U.S., affecting over 38 million adults.

Yet many people are diagnosed only after long-term lifestyle patterns are already set. Prevention is most effective before diabetes develops, when small daily changes can still make a meaningful difference.

Yet many people are diagnosed only after long-term lifestyle patterns are already set. Prevention is most effective before diabetes develops, when small daily changes can still make a meaningful difference.

✶ SECONDARY RESEARCH

✶ SECONDARY RESEARCH

Younger adults show weaker glucose control over time

Younger adults show weaker glucose control over time

Source: Inoue et al., “Prevalence and Control of Diabetes Among US Adults, 2013–2023.” JAMA, 2025.

Source: Inoue et al., “Prevalence and Control of Diabetes Among US Adults, 2013–2023.” JAMA, 2025.

Population-level data shows that younger adults often struggle with consistent glucose control over time, despite early diagnosis.

This reinforced our focus on prevention before long-term habits are fully formed.

Population-level data shows that younger adults often struggle with consistent glucose control over time, despite early diagnosis.

This reinforced our focus on prevention before long-term habits are fully formed.

✶ MARKET CONTEXT

✶ MARKET CONTEXT

Competitive Landscape

Competitive Landscape

CGM apps provide accurate health data, but lack motivation, Behavioral apps encourage habits, but don’t show real health impact. None connect daily action with measurable outcomes.

CGM apps provide accurate health data, but lack motivation, Behavioral apps encourage habits, but don’t show real health impact. None connect daily action with measurable outcomes.

CGM Companion Apps

CGM Companion Apps

Data-heavy tools for glucose monitoring

• Accurate physiological data

• Detailed tracking and trends

• Accurate physiological data

• Detailed tracking and trends

But: data is complex and rarely leads to clear action.

But: data is complex and rarely leads to clear action.

Generalized Behavioral Apps

Generalized Behavioral Apps

Motivational tools for habit formation

• Engaging, user-friendly experiences

• Effective for building habits

• Engaging, user-friendly experiences

• Effective for building habits

But: no physiological feedback to validate progress.

But: no physiological feedback to validate progress.

Where GluCoach Fits

Where GluCoach Fits

GluCoach sits between health data and behavior change. It turns physiological signals into clear, timely actions users can take.

GluCoach sits between health data and behavior change. It turns physiological signals into clear, timely actions users can take.

CGM apps show what’s happening.

Behavioral apps shape habits.

GluCoach connects the two.

CGM apps show what’s happening.

Behavioral apps shape habits.

GluCoach connects the two.

GluCoach's Unique Position

GluCoach's Unique Position

GluCoach combines personalized health data with psychological nudging, supported by a physical device.

Users are guided to act in the moment and see real cause and effect over time.

GluCoach combines personalized health data with psychological nudging, supported by a physical device.

Users are guided to act in the moment and see real cause and effect over time.

What this enables

What this enables

Clear feedback instead of complex charts

Low-friction action through a physical interface

Real-time connection between choices and health outcomes

Clear feedback instead of complex charts