Brace Buddy:
Design for Experience

Team
4 produktdesignere

Rolle
Produktdesigner

Verktøy & metoder
Figma, Photoshop (Illustrasjoner), Design Thinking (Double Diamond), Personas, User Journal Map

Ferdigheter
Brukeropplevelse, Design i helse, Interaksjonsdesign, Brukerintervjuer, Workshop, Prototyping, Wireframing, Brukertesting, Visuell identitet

Mål
How might we design engaging, gamified experiences that combine brace sensors with an app to motivate children with AIS in Norway to follow their brace treatment?

About the Project

This project focuses on experience design and prototyping of a gamified solution to improve brace treatment adherence for adolescents (ages 10–14) with idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) in Norway.

We were given the task of designing a gamified mobile solution to enhance scoliosis brace treatment adherence using sensor data and user-centered design. By combining sensor technology, gamification, and a design thinking methodology, we craft an engaging digital experience that boosts patient motivation and compliance.

The app integrates mental health challenges, sensor-based notification challenges, and emotional peer support to promote well-being and ease the transition to a new lifestyle. With real-time monitoring and feedback, the app aims to improve the understanding of having AIS, reduces emotional stress, and encourages consistent brace wear, ultimately enhancing treatment outcomes and the quality of life for patients throughout their treatment journey.

Brace Buddy

WHO:
A service to help children aged 10–14 diagnosed with AIS (Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis).

WHAT:
The app offers a comprehensive platform to guide children through their brace treatment journey. It includes educational resources, personalized reminders, exercises, and motivational support.

HOW:
By providing interactive tools to track brace usage, tips for pain management, physical therapy guidance, and community engagement to keep children motivated and consistent in their treatment.

WHY:
To help reduce pain, enhance motivation, and encourage children to follow their prescribed treatment plan for better long-term health outcomes.

What is scoliosis?

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a three-dimensional spinal deformity characterized by lateral curvature and vertebral rotation, affecting approximately 1–3% of the at-risk population. It is diagnosed when the Cobb angle, a measure of spinal curvature, exceeds 10 degrees, while the angle greater than 40 degrees denotes severe scoliosis which requires surgery. AIS mostly affects teenagers between 10 and 18 years old, and the curves can worsen as children grow during maturity.

Brainstorming

We followed the Double Diamond framework throughout the project. It began with defining the user group and the problem statement. We worked closely with our supervisor, who was conducting research on this project as part of her PhD. She provided us with valuable insights through previous research papers and interviews, which helped us gain a deeper understanding of the topic and identify the users' pain points and needs.

The goal of the project was to design a service for the target group — children and young people aged 10–14. To better understand the users, we created a journey map, actors map, personas, and an empathy map.

We started with a 10-minute brainstorming session, generating several ideas and voting on them. In the end, we narrowed it down to four different concepts. After receiving feedback that "one idea won’t work on its own," we combined key aspects from the different concepts to develop a stronger solution: an app with daily challenges. To visualize the concept, we mapped out key prototype frames and incorporated inspiration images into the design process. As new ideas and features emerged, we questioned: What should be our primary focus?

The Norwegian Directorate of Health

Feedback revealed that integrating a social aspect would be challenging due to strict regulations from The Norwegian Directorate of Health. We need to be careful to facilitate direct patient-to-patient connections and the formation of digital support communities. Therefore, we decided to remove that aspect. However, one of the most requested features from the earlier workshop was the social aspect — and the ability for users to connect with others going through the same experience. Therefore, we want to create a fictional friend in the app that acts as a former scoliosis patient.

Tracking of Sensors

Tracking and sensor integration in the brace stood out as a crucial component of the app experience. Given that our PhD supervisor has conducted research in this area and s its importance, we explored the key question: How might we motivate patients to track and follow-up their brace treatment?

Workshop with Healthy CHildren

We used workshop as a method and combined qualitative methods, semi-structured interview, using discussion, observation, and role-play to generate data. We aim to gain understanding of children’s motivational factors and user engagement in brace treatment through gamification and sensor technology.

To help the participants to get a better understanding of the physical and emotional challenges of wearing a brace we created low-fidelity cardboard prototypes, inspired by Sophies Minde, to simulate the experience of brace wear. Additionally, we designed cardboard phones for the app to simulate a real phone experience. This allowed us to observe their intuitive reaction, engagement with gamification strategies.

Using Speculative Scenario

Participants were presented with a speculative approach, with a fictional scenario in which they had scoliosis and were required to wear the stiff, high, and uncomfortable brace recommended by their doctor for 18 hours, affecting their daily life. During the workshop, they wore the brace for 20-25 minutes. They were encouraged to reflect on their feelings and discuss potential challenges they might face. Including physical discomfort from the tightness and restricted movement, social concerns due to the brace's visibility and reactions from others, and emotional responses such as embarrassment, frustration, and motivation.

Wireframing

After the workshop, we created a lo-fi paper-prototype by sketching wireframes of the app’s phone screens.

Based on feedback, we were encouraged to consider the “tone of voice” in the onboarding process — focusing on an informative yet friendly approach rather than a directive one. To achieve this, we shifted from presenting facts to engaging users with questions instead.

Additionally, the feedback session led us to incorporate a badge-reward system. For example, after collecting five badges, users can unlock new accessories for their avatar, adding an element of motivation and engagement. With these adjustments in mind, we proceeded to develop digital wireframes in Figma.

User Testing with Former Patient

We started the digital interview with written questions to gain insights into the former scoliosis patient's experience. She discovered she had scoliosis at the age of 13 and experienced a two-year waiting period before starting treatment. During this time, her Cobb angle increased from 20° to 33°. She had to wear a brace for 23 hours a day, but was allowed to take it off during her dance sessions. If she wasn’t dancing, she only removed it for showering. "As long as I wasn't dancing or showering, it stayed on."

The user test with a former scoliosis patient provided valuable insights for improving the app design.

Key takeaways included the importance of tracking total days worn instead of hours, incorporating patients on the waiting list, and emphasizing physical activity as a motivator, as it allowed the patient to remove the brace during movement. The patient highlighted the need for mental health support, a feature to add personal physiotherapy exercises, and emotional tracking to assist healthcare providers.

Additionally, feedback from our supervisor led to refining sensor notifications and introducing a "Why is your brace off?" feature to track activities.

“If I move, I can take it off.”

— Former AIS Patient

Homepage – Tracking – Rewards – Profile – Avatar

Key Features

Enhancing Well-Being and Engagement
Our design intervention is an app created to improve the physical and mental well-being of AIS patients, while increasing their engagement in the treatment process. The app's primary goal is to boost motivation and reduce anxiety, particularly during the discovery phase when children are first diagnosed with scoliosis. This phase is often overwhelming, especially for patients aged 10-14.
Support for Adjusting to a New Lifestyle
Brace treatment requires patients to adjust to a completely new lifestyle. This can be difficult, especially for young patients dealing with the fear of standing out and uncertainty about how to manage these changes. The app helps ease this transition by promoting new habits and routines, including exercises, pain management techniques, and mental health support. It acts as a personal support system throughout the treatment process, providing guidance from a mentor or friend who has gone through the same experience.
Tracking Treatment Progress & Emotional AI Support
In addition to physical progress, the app tracks emotional and psychological states, which are crucial during treatment check-ups. It enables users to bring their emotional and physical experiences to healthcare providers for better insights, ensuring a more comprehensive approach to their care. The app also features an AI-powered chatbot that personalizes interactions, adjusting language, exercises, and challenges based on individual needs.
Engaging Brace-Wearing Experience with Challenges
To make brace-wearing more engaging, the app turns it into an interactive feature. It motivates patients to wear their braces consistently by rewarding them for meeting treatment goals. This includes daily challenges and sensor-based notifications that encourage action when specific events are detected.
In our prototype, we focused on two primary types of challenges:
1. Sensor-Based Notification Challenges
  This challenge encourages users to take breaks from the brace in a controlled manner or to associate physical activity with brace removal. The aim is to create a positive habit: “If I move, I can take it off”—rather than waiting until later. This approach helps build a healthy routine while addressing both physical and emotional needs.
2. Mental Health Challenges
  This challenge offers coping strategies for managing stress and anxiety. Tasks include talking to someone about their brace, showing the brace to others, or participating in balance and strength exercises. The app personalizes mental health strategies according to the user’s age group, ensuring the challenges are age-appropriate and effective.

Feedback-Loop of Final Concept

The app integrates a continuous feedback loop to enhance engagement, motivation, and adherence to brace treatment. Sensors collect real-time data on usage and activity, enabling personalized challenges, emotional check-ins, and AI-driven peer support. Users receive rewards and motivational nudges, while caregivers and specialists gain insights for tailored guidance. This system prioritizes motivation and habit formation, ensuring sustained engagement throughout the treatment journey.