1 apple a day
When I started 1 apple a day, I wanted to explore how design could encourage people to care for their health before illness begins. The idea grew from my interest in preventive health and data tracking, and from noticing how most healthcare systems still focus on curing rather than preventing diseases. The concept was a preventive health management app that continuously analyzes users’ data and suggests proactive, personalized measures. For me, this was not just a design challenge but a way to learn UX principles through a topic I truly care about.
Researching the Problem
Before jumping into design, I wanted to understand how people actually experience health in their daily lives and what prevention means to them. To balance professional insight and everyday perspective, I combined an expert interview with a healthcare professional and a user survey of 15 participants.
Research Insights: Expert Interview and User Survey
Talking to the expert helped me understand systemic gaps in our healthcare system and why education plays a crucial role, while the survey revealed how personal habits and motivation influence real behavior. Many participants valued health but admitted struggling to stay consistent. That gap between awareness and action became my design opportunity. Conducting both studies helped me bridge two perspectives, medical expertise and real-world user needs.
Mapping the Problem
To make the insights more tangible, I created a persona named Max Williams – a health-conscious professional trying to balance wellbeing with a demanding job. He became my anchor throughout the whole design process, helping me empathize with the research insights and keep every decision grounded in real user needs.
User Persona and Core Flows
Through methods like empathy maps and user stories, I visualized Max’s motivations and frustrations, which made the data actionable. This helped me define where an application could bring real value like offering personalized guidance and simplifying scattered data. Based on that I built task flows to visualize the app’s core experiences.
Structuring the Experience
After understanding the problem, I began structuring the app experience. My goal was to make 1 apple a day feel simple and intuitive. First, I visualized how users would move through the app while performing tasks. I created user flows covering key interactions.
User Flows
To make sure the app’s navigation matched how people naturally think, I ran an open card sorting test with five participants using Useberry. I wanted to understand how users intuitively group and label the different app features.
Information Architecture: Card Sorting and Sitemap
The test revealed clear patterns: users consistently grouped items like reminders and appointments together, and clustered health data separately from wellness activities. The similarity matrix helped me interpret these relationships more precisely, highlighting which features users most often connected. Based on those insights, I structured the sitemap to reflect users’ mental models.
Designing the Experience
Once the structure felt right, I started bringing the concept to life visually. I began with breadboarding, sketches and wireframes to outline the core logic and refined them through multiple fidelity levels.
Breadboarding to Low- and Mid-Fidelity Wireframes
I mapped out the different flows to clarify what users would see and do at each step. Translating those ideas into low- and mid-fidelity wireframes helped me focus on usability and interaction rather than aesthetics.
Testing Early Concepts
To make sure the experience worked for real users, I created a low-fidelity prototype and conducted remote usability tests with three participants. I wanted to see whether users could sign up, set goals, and explore content without prior explanation.
Usability Test Plan
Between sessions, I took notes on how participants navigated the prototype and where they hesitated. Observing their screens and listening to their thoughts gave me a deeper understanding of their expectations. I realized how small interaction details can shift a user’s sense of control and trust.
Usability Test Findings
The usability test confirmed that users found the onboarding flow clear and easy to follow. They especially appreciated the goal setting options and overall navigation during account setup. However, there was some uncertainty around connecting devices, as participants weren’t sure why data sharing was needed so early and a few needed extra time to locate profile and settings. I used these insights to refine the timing of connection prompts and make adjustments to the navigation flow for better alignment with user expectations.
Iterating Toward High Fidelity
Guided by the feedback, I moved on to high-fidelity design. I developed a style guide to ensure visual consistency and accessibility across all screens. Each iteration integrated UX principles like heuristic evaluations, accessibility guidelines, and Gestalt principles. Transitioning from the low- to high-fidelity prototype allowed me to refine not just how the app looked, but also how it felt.
Low vs. High Fidelity Prototype Videos
What If?
Between iterations, I also focused on designing for the “what ifs”. What if a user entered the wrong password? What if a field stayed empty? These edge cases became an essential part of my process, teaching me how small moments of friction can either confuse or reassure users. I treated these details as opportunities to practice writing supportive microcopy and ensuring feedback felt helpful.
Validation and Error States in the UI
Reflection
Through this process, I saw how thoughtful structure, testing, and iteration can turn a complex health topic into something approachable.1 apple a day was my first deep dive into health tech and one of the projects that truly shaped how I think as a designer. I learned how to translate research into structure, but also realized how easily a project can become too ambitious. If I did it again, I’d focus earlier on defining a sharper scope and validating key assumptions faster. That awareness has made me a more focused and strategic UX designer today.
