ScolioWings
year
2024
duration
3 months
role
Research
Prototype
UIUX
TEAM
Pan Chen
Scoliosis /ˌskɒlɪˈəʊsɪs/
noun
A sideways curvature of the spine.
This project began with my personal experience as a scoliosis patient and a ballet hobbyist. Seeing my tilted body in the mirror was frustrating as it constantly reminded me of how scoliosis had restricted my potential. Knowing that I'm not alone in this battle, I invented ScolioWings, a wearable system designed to support long-term scoliosis care through continuous posture monitoring and personalized feedback. I hope with this project, scoliosis patients have a viable option for maintaining spinal health and become more confident with their body.
PROTOTYPE
As the UX Researcher and Designer, I designed the interface system, data
visualization, and user flow while collaborating closely with my teammate on sensor integration and hardware testing.
ScolioWings is a set of electrode pads placed on the scapulas, lower back, and soles of the feet to monitor the user’s body status.
It is designed to resemble the shape and contours of the scapulas (also known as 'wing bones') for precise applications and comfortable wear, hence named 'ScolioWings'.
Real-Time Posture Tracking
Provides continuous posture monitoring and sends Instant Alerts when poor posture is detected.
Personalized Health Suggestions
Generates tailored guidance and corrective recommendations based on recent posture data
Long-Term Data Collection
Captures posture and body metrics over time to produce trend visualizations and progress reports
Wearable Integration
Maintains a seamless connection with the ScolioWings electrode pads for synchronized monitoring and feedback
Design Process
RESEARCH
Assessment & Treatment
Smartphone Technology
Key Insights
Limitation on Assessment
Traditional assessment methods provide only instant snapshot and offer little insight into patients' daily posture or body balance.
Limitation on Treatment
Traditional treatments' long-term success depends on consistent monitoring, which most patients lack after leaving the clinic.
Limitation on Existing Tech
Existing Smartphone tools offer partial tracking but are limited in accuracy and fail to capture full-body alignment over time.
PROBLEM
HMW support scoliosis patients in maintaining long-term posture health and treatment consistency beyond clinical visits?
PERSONAS
To better understand the unique needs of scoliosis patients over time, we created three personas representing different stages of their condition.
IDEATION
Based on the key insights and user needs, we used Affinity Mapping to clarify what features need to be included to achieve the purposes and how the system should function end-to-end.
STORYBOARDS
We used storyboarding to visualize our target users' current pain points and how ScolioWings can help them achieve various goals.
Instant Alert
Personal Suggestion
Data Collection
APP FLOW
