2024 · Product Designer & Researcher
AIRA
A circadian rhythm app for PCOS management
The Problem
Women with PCOS juggle separate apps for periods, nutrition, sleep, and workouts — none of them talk to each other. The result is tracker fatigue, guilt cycles, and 80% app abandonment within 30 days. AIRA synthesizes five health pillars into a single daily score so users know exactly what their body can handle today.
Role
I led mixed-methods research, synthesized behavioral science frameworks, designed the core algorithm and interface, and defined the full feature specification.
Timeline
12 weeks
Tools & Methods
- Figma
- Behavioral science frameworks (Fogg, Tiny Habits, COM-B)
- Affinity mapping
- Apple Health / Google Fit integration
The Research
I conducted 5 in-depth interviews with diagnosed women ages 22–35, a survey of 20+ respondents, and an expert consultation with an endocrinologist. Three patterns emerged immediately.
Key Findings
The Guilt Cycle — users internalize symptoms as moral failures, not biological realities. “I feel like I’m fighting my own body every single day.”
The Energy Gap — users don't want to track habits; they want to track biological capacity. They need permission to rest, not a reminder that they failed.
Cycle Awareness as Validation — understanding why symptoms happen (e.g., “It’s because I’m ovulating”) is a more powerful motivator than any streak counter.
The Solution
AIRA introduces the Hormonal Readiness Score — a daily 0–100 metric calculated from sleep, insulin load, cortisol, and cycle phase. The morning check-in takes 60 seconds: the app pulls data from Apple Health, asks “Wired or Tired?”, and surfaces the score alongside a 24-hour Energy Wave showing peak windows and cravings danger zones. Every recommendation adapts to the score — yoga on a 40/100 day, HIIT on an 85/100 day.
Core Algorithm
“Hormonal Readiness = (Sleep Capacity) − (Insulin Load) − (Cortisol Load) + (Restorative Bonus). The formula translates complex hormonal data into a single battery-level metaphor users immediately understand.”
Key Features
Hormonal Readiness Gauge — visual daily score with contextual insight
Energy Wave — scrollable 24-hour circadian visualization with drag-to-adjust sleep handles
Correlation Charts — Cortisol Connection scatter plot, Insulin Loop bar chart, Cycle Predictor heatmap
Non-judgmental logging — photo-based meals, no calorie counts, compassionate prompts
Dark mode first — optimized for PCOS users with migraines and photophobia
Outcomes