Health Profile Onboarding
Users enter basic information such as height, weight, allergies, current conditions, and medications.
selfdose
passion project
designed 2026
Context
SelfDose was inspired by problems I noticed working at a pharmacy
Self-medication is one of the most common forms of healthcare. People frequently manage symptoms like fever, headaches, coughs, and stomach pain without consulting a clinician. However, while OTC medications are easily accessible, safe use requires careful understanding of dosing, allergies, drug interactions, and symptom severity.
This is particularly challenging for:
- Parents treating children
- Individuals with chronic conditions
- Users taking multiple medications
Most existing tools provide fragmented or overly technical information, leaving users unsure whether a medication is safe.
Problem
People lack a reliable, easy-to-understand way to determine:
- Which OTC medication is appropriate
- Whether it is safe given their health history
- The correct dose for themselves or their child
- When symptoms require medical care
As a result, users often rely on quick internet searches or guesswork, which can lead to unsafe medication decisions.
Research
To better understand how people approach self-medication, I reviewed health informatics literature and analyzed existing symptom-checker and medication tools.
This research focused on identifying:
- How users interpret symptoms
- How they choose medications
- Where confusion or risk occurs
I also examined common usability challenges in healthcare applications, including medical jargon, complex workflows, and lack of transparency in recommendations.
Oppurtunity
These insights revealed an opportunity to design a tool that supports users through the entire decision process, rather than only providing symptom information or medication lists.
Instead of asking users to interpret medical information themselves, the system could:
- Guide users through symptom understanding
- Automatically check medication safety
- Provide personalized dosing guidance
- Highlight warning signs requiring medical care
This approach shifts the experience from information searching to guided decision making.
Prototype
Using insights from my user research, I created a high-fidelity prototype
Home Page
The Home page serves as the starting point of the app, allowing users to quickly begin symptom assessment. From here, users can access the symptom explorer, view recent symptoms, and navigate to medication guidance, creating a simple and direct entry into the care workflow.
Symptom Exploration
Helps users better understand their symptoms before choosing medication. It provides plain-language explanations, possible causes, home care suggestions, and warning signs that indicate when medical attention may be needed.
Medication Search
Learn about medication symptoms, whether theyre appropriate and if there are any drug-to-drug interactions. View and buy the cheapest option nearby.
Design Principles
The design of SelfDose was guided by several core UX principles to ensure the interface is safe, understandable, and easy to use in moments when users may be stressed or unsure about their health decisions.
Safety First
Every screen was evaluated against one question: could this cause harm if misunderstood? Medication warnings are never hidden in fine print, they interrupt the flow with a dedicated screen. The Symptom Explorer deliberately avoids surfacing diagnoses, instead routing users toward a pharmacist or physician. Safety wasn't a feature added at the end; it shaped the structure of every decision.
Reduce Cognitive Load
Users opening SelfDose are often unwell, stressed, or managing a chronic condition, not the ideal state for processing complex information. Progressive disclosure keeps onboarding simple by collecting only essential health information upfront. The Home Page surfaces the single most urgent action, a medication reminder, rather than presenting everything at once. Less to read, less to decide, fewer mistakes.
Transparency and Trust
Health apps ask users to share deeply personal information. SelfDose earns that trust by being upfront, explaining why each piece of health data is collected, how it's used, and what the app can and cannot do. The Symptom Explorer clearly communicates it is not a diagnostic tool. Medication warnings tell users not just what the conflict is, but why it matters to them specifically. Transparency isn't just ethical here, it's what makes users feel safe enough to rely on the app.
Accessibility
A medication management app is only useful if everyone who needs it can use it, including elderly users, people managing chronic illness, and those with low health literacy. Type sizes, contrast ratios, and tap target sizes were designed to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards. Medical terminology is written in plain language throughout, targeting a reading level that doesn't require a clinical background to understand.
Reflections
This project highlighted how UX design can directly impact healthcare safety.
Designing for medical decision-making requires balancing usability, clarity, and risk reduction. Even small interface decisions can influence how users interpret health information. Through this project, I explored how structured guidance and clear communication can empower users to make safer, more informed healthcare decisions at ho