Samuel Larsen
All work
Case study · Medical wearable

The calm in the room.

Maiva. A companion set that answers the 2 a.m. question, is my baby okay?

Monitor patch and companion watch.

Monitor patch and companion watch.

Role

Team of 2: research, form, UI, CMF. I drew half of the ideation and did most of the CAD and rendering.

Timeline

4 weeks · Spring 2024

Tools

Sketching · Rhino · KeyShot

Deliverables

Storyboards, renders, UI, exploded views

Problem

Stress during pregnancy can cause issues during childbirth and for the child later in life.

Insight

At-home monitors aren't always recommended. Some people's anxiety increases with use; others get a false sense of security.

Outcome

A patch and watch that summarize vitals in plain language and notify the care provider of critical data.

01 · Research

Where does stress during pregnancy come from?

Stress during pregnancy can affect childbirth and the child later in life. Research and testimonies pointed to four sources of it, and interviews shaped two users: someone expecting, and the provider caring for her.

“If the mom is anxious in pregnancy, the fetus could be exposed to greater levels of cortisol.”— Catherine Monk, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Maternal
  • Worrying
  • Self-doubt
  • Fear of failure
  • Social pressures
Personal
  • Depression
  • Traumatic events
  • Pre-pregnancy diagnoses
Economic
  • Unable to work
  • Expensive
  • Socioeconomic challenges
Medical
  • Fetal health
  • Communication
  • Complications
  • Lab tracking
Women who reported high stress while pregnant were more likely to have children with ADHD symptoms or behavioral difficulties.
Women who reported high stress while pregnant were more likely to have children with ADHD symptoms or behavioral difficulties.
An anxious pregnancy can expose the fetus to more cortisol, the stress hormone.
An anxious pregnancy can expose the fetus to more cortisol, the stress hormone.

Two users, one line of communication

Maiva is designed for both sides of prenatal care. The same data that reassures the expecting parent reaches her provider directly, so neither is left waiting on the other.

Alexis
Alexis32 · Elementary school teacher · 10 weeks pregnant

She feels stress from her job, her own mental health and the anticipation of becoming a new mother.

Frustrations
  • Lack of communication with medical providers
  • Social pressure of becoming a new mother
Short-term goals
  • A healthy pregnancy
  • Strong communication from health providers
  • An uneventful delivery
Long-term goals
  • A physically and mentally healthy baby
  • Managing postpartum depression

What Maiva gives herPlain-language answers at a glance, and test results that come in instantly and clearly.

Rachel
Rachel46 · OB/GYN · Rural clinic

She works in a clinic in a rural town and consistently oversees a number of pregnancy patients in the area.

Frustrations
  • Giving proper treatment
  • An overworked clinic
  • Poor communication of appointments and lab results
Short-term goals
  • A predictable, safe and easy experience for her patients
Long-term goals
  • Streamline the process of support
  • Contribute to a stress-free experience

What Maiva gives herInstant notification of critical data, through a direct line of communication with her patients.

Decision 01

Reassure, don't alarm

Easy to useComplexFew insightsMany insightsABCDEMaiva
  • ABlood pressure monitors. Measure your own heart rate and blood pressure.
  • BKick counters. Manually assist in tracking fetal movement.
  • CFetal dopplers. Use ultrasound to measure fetal heartbeat.
  • DAt-home fetal monitors. Track fetal vitals in detail, but need technical know-how and professional help.
  • EProfessional fetal monitors. Only used in a medical setting by a trained professional.
Each state leads with a plain-language summary, from “everything is looking great” to “please seek medical attention.” Detail such as cortisol levels stays one step away.
Each state leads with a plain-language summary, from “everything is looking great” to “please seek medical attention.” Detail such as cortisol levels stays one step away.
Starting assumption

More data at home would mean less worry.

Evidence

Mapped against ease of use and depth of insight, existing products were either easy with few insights, or insightful but complex. And at-home monitors aren't always recommended: some people's anxiety rises with use, others get a false sense of security.

Decision

Aim for the empty quadrant: easy to use with many insights. Machine learning learns what's normal for each body, and the UI speaks in plain language.

Trade-off

[e.g. less raw data shown to the user, so trust shifts to the system and the provider.]

02 · Exploration

From stand-alone to a companion set

Stand-alone, home-appliance and daily-wearable directions converged on a watch that communicates with a concealed monitor patch.

Ideation: stand-alone, home-appliance and daily-wearable directions.
Ideation: stand-alone, home-appliance and daily-wearable directions.
Patch and watch forms, sketched side by side.
Patch and watch forms, sketched side by side.
Technology integration: illuminating, wrap display, wearable, thin profile.
Technology integration: illuminating, wrap display, wearable, thin profile.
CMF: pastel colorway, chrome detail, soft touchpoints.
CMF: pastel colorway, chrome detail, soft touchpoints.
Decision 02

Soft and approachable, not clinical

Form iterations: patch, watch body and strap.
Form iterations: patch, watch body and strap.
Rapid sketch models in clay, made to test how shape affects physical interaction.
Rapid sketch models in clay, made to test how shape affects physical interaction.
Trying the models on the wrist to feel how each shape sits and grips.
Trying the models on the wrist to feel how each shape sits and grips.
Starting assumption

A minimal chip-and-sticker patch would be least intrusive.

Evidence

Form iterations read as too flat, too sharp or too bulbous. Capped housings with LEDs and softer curves felt natural.

Decision

A soft, rounded patch with a capped housing and disposable adhesive, paired with a rounded watch with an integrated button.

Trade-off

[e.g. a slightly thicker patch profile.]

Decision 03

Prescribed, not purchased

Two patches, each with a 3-day battery, swap through one dock, so monitoring never stops. The set is prescribed by a provider and returned when its job is done.

Press to open the dock.
Press to open the dock.
Swap the worn patch for the fully charged one.
Swap the worn patch for the fully charged one.
Close the lid: the dock charges the spare and protects it from dust and abrasion.
Close the lid: the dock charges the spare and protects it from dust and abrasion.
The watch attaches magnetically and charges in front.
The watch attaches magnetically and charges in front.
The adhesive backing is disposable; the patch is reused.
The adhesive backing is disposable; the patch is reused.
The prescribed kit, returned to the provider when its job is done.
The prescribed kit, returned to the provider when its job is done.
  • Patch ×23-day battery each
  • SwapPeel the disposable backing, trade for the charged patch
  • DockCharges patch and watch together
  • ReturnBack to the provider after delivery
Starting assumption

Expectant parents would buy a monitoring device outright.

Evidence

[What drove this: cost, clinic workflow, e-waste?]

Decision

Prescribe and return. The circularity increases accessibility and cuts down on e-waste.

Trade-off

Depends on providers adopting the program.

03 · In use

A day with Maiva

Before Maiva, worry about the pregnancy followed Alexis through her day. With it, the patch tracks quietly, the watch answers at a glance, and her provider hears about anything critical first.

Before: after finding out she was pregnant, Alexis began to worry about how it was going, and it followed her through her day.
Before: after finding out she was pregnant, Alexis began to worry about how it was going, and it followed her through her day.
The monitor patch learns what is normal for her body.
The monitor patch learns what is normal for her body.
A quick glance puts a worried mind at ease, and test results reach her provider directly.
A quick glance puts a worried mind at ease, and test results reach her provider directly.
After: Alexis carries on with her day, with the answers she needs at her fingertips.
After: Alexis carries on with her day, with the answers she needs at her fingertips.
04 · Final design

Maiva

Monitor patch and companion watch.
Monitor patch and companion watch.
Fetal Doppler and ECG

Keeps tabs on personal and fetal heartbeat.

Kick counting

Learns and tracks fetal movements.

Cortisol tracking

Monitors cortisol levels through sweat receptors.

Provider alerts

The healthcare provider is instantly notified of critical data.

Exploded views of patch and watch.
Exploded views of patch and watch.
  • PatchSilicone re-adhesion tape
  • PatchInterconnect vital monitor
  • PatchLatex cloth strip
  • PatchPlastic housing ×2
  • PatchBattery
  • PatchLEDs
  • PatchWireless charging coil
  • WatchScreen
  • WatchDisplay
  • WatchBattery
  • WatchEngine module / WLAN antenna
  • WatchSensor housing
  • WatchPulse sensor PCB
  • WatchGroup sensor
  • WatchWireless charging cord
  • WatchHousing
  • WatchSilicone strap
  • WatchChrome snap
Four colors of soft, easy-to-clean silicone.
Four colors of soft, easy-to-clean silicone.
The patch in the same four colors.
The patch in the same four colors.
The set: patch, dock and watch.
The set: patch, dock and watch.
05 · Reflection

What I'd do next

  • [A real limitation, e.g. cortisol sensing through sweat is still emerging technology.]
  • [What you'd validate with clinicians next.]
  • [What you'd change about the watch or patch.]