ROLE
Product Designer
TEAM
1 product manager
4 designers
DURATION
15 weeks
(Jan-May 2025)
dot. by aurelia vitals
reimagining cycle tracking apps through seamless integration with wearable health tech
ui/ux design
2025
CONTEXT
Aurelia Vitals’ mission is to create a more accurate, data-driven approach to menstrual and reproductive health
I worked with Aurelia Vitals, a health-tech startup, to help design a mobile app that pairs with their wearable sensor—an earring backing that collects vital signs and is typically worn overnight. The goal is to translate that data into more accurate and personalized insights. While the sensor is still in development, the team hopes the full system (sensor + app) will eventually be FDA-cleared for use as birth control.
PROBLEM
Lack of accurate & adaptive cycle tracking in current tools
Many cycle-tracking apps rely on averages instead of actual health data, making predictions feel off or irrelevant. This can leave users feeling confused, unsupported, or even stressed.
GOAL
Design a cycle tracking experience grounded in real data
The app needed to be integrated with the wearable sensor and turn raw vitals into something users can actually understand and use. This led to our guiding question: How might we design a mobile experience that makes cycle tracking more accurate, personalized, and genuinely supportive using real-time health data?
PROJECTED IMPACT
Health insights that feel clear and actionable
By making real-time data easier to understand, the app aims to help users feel more informed about their personal health and confident in their decisions—whether they’re tracking for general wellness, fertility, or (eventually) birth control.
COMPARATIVE RESEARCH
Many existing cycle-tracking apps rely on self-reported data and offer broad tracking features
After exploring how existing apps approach cycle tracking, I noticed a strong focus on self-reported data and broad symptom tracking. While users appreciate features like mood logs and cycle education, there was a clear opportunity to improve accuracy by integrating real-time vitals from the client’s wearable device, without losing the flexibility users already value.
As such, I also paid attention to how apps display health vitals—since a big part of this project is making that data digestible while still allowing room for manual input.
USER RESEARCH
Talking to real users to understand what’s missing in their current cycle-tracking processes
In interviewing 11 people, I explored how they currently track their cycles (or why they don’t), and found that trust, simplicity, and emotional support really matter. When it comes to utilizing period tracking tools, users also expressed that they wanted a more transparent, personalized, and inclusive experience.
Who is going to use the app?
How are users going to use the app?
What do users value in a cycle tracking app?
Cycle Predictions & Prep:
To avoid surprises or to prep for events/travel
Monitor Sexual Health:
To understand fertility windows and avoid pregnancy
Symptom Tracking:
To identify trends like breakouts, cramping, and fatigue
Most users track flow during their period—short blurts of engagement
Use of wearable tech (e.g. Apple Watch, Oura Ring) was explored by 3 users, but not deemed essential
55%
of users interviewed have irregular periods and want more accurate predictions
Both sexually active and inactive users use cycle apps for health awareness, mood tracking, and pregnancy prevention
Top priorities:
Accuracy, Simplicity, Privacy, and Educative
Top Features:
Adaptive Cycle Predictions
Symptom Logging
Data Privacy Options
Insights into symptoms
Educational Resources
USER RESEARCH
Figuring out who we’re designing for and what they actually need
I mapped user characteristics across sexual activity, pregnancy-related goals, and period patterns to better understand our audience. Since the goal was to eventually tailor the app experience based on these different needs, it was important to first identify the most common use cases through research and interviews. For our MVP, we focused on one key persona with the clearest need—while acknowledging that other user groups are also important and would be considered in future iterations!
Sexual Activity Status
Pregnancy-Related Goals
Period Pattern
Sexually Active
Sexually Inactive
Trying to get pregnant
No pregnancy goals
Actively avoiding pregnancy
Regular
Irregular
Primary MVP User Persona
USER FLOW
How can we simplify the experience and make it feel more personal?
Mapping out this user flow helped me see how users would move through the app—from onboarding to daily use—and spot key moments where things could be simplified, personalized, or made more helpful. It also gave me a clearer picture of where the design could better support different types of users.
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Making sure everything lives where it makes sense
By laying out every screen and feature, I was able to make sure the most important tasks—like logging periods and symptoms—were easy to find right from the Home tab. Organizing things this way not only reduced cognitive load but also create a flexible structure that could grow with future features without messing up the core experience.
IDEATION
Initial Feature Exploration
Sketching out lo-fi screens helped me quickly test ideas, spot confusing flows, and identify missing touchpoints before diving deeper. It also reminded me how helpful lo-fi concepts are for communicating options to the client, validating ideas early, and keeping the design grounded in user research and real needs.
Device Pairing Screen
Home
Device Connecting
Device Metrics
Personal Info
Log Cycle Information
Goals
What vitals data will the device actually be collecting, and how can we visualize it in a way that is easily accessible to the user?
Early iteration of AV’s device
(meant to be worn as an ear backing)
Preview of calendar (will allow user to see at a glance what their cycle looks like
Additional details related to the user’s specific goal with using the app and data obtained from device
Persistent button to access Log (determined to be most important MVP feature through our research)
What specific questions/info do we need from the users that don’t negatively impact their comfort levels and take into account user concerns over privacy?
Clear onboarding with guiding instructions, need to establish trust
the different options will allow users to experience an interface customized to their specific use case (if not for the MVP, it will at least inform us what next steps will need to be taken to add additional customizability)
need to determine what factors users will actually want to track (in addition to vitals automatically tracked by the device)
Where would users actually access their manually inputted data (and how can we differentiate that from the device-tracked data, while giving users a holistic view of their health insights)?
How can we create a seamless experience for the users using the app in conjunction with the device?
What verbiage can we use to be relevant to different users while balancing tone and purpose?
DESIGN ITERATIONS
Refining the design through mid- to hi-fi wireframes
I created mid- and high-fidelity wireframes to add detail to the core screens and see how well the layout, flow, and visuals worked with one another. Each iteration helped me see what felt intuitive, what needed reworking, and where things could be clearer—whether that meant layout adjustments, better visual hierarchy, or adding missing context. Additionally, regular feedback from our PM, client, and users helped shaped each round and brought us closer to a design that felt intentional, polished, and easy to use.
Onboarding — helping users get started quickly while respecting their privacy
Through our research, we learned that many users are hesitant to start using health tracking apps because of long onboarding flows and concern about data privacy. To address this, I streamlined the onboarding experience to feel lightweight and optional, giving users the flexibility to personalize their app setup without needing to provide sensitive data. I also explored ways to make a “skip all” option more visible to clarify that all inputs are skippable.
1. Inclusive Onboarding
Questions help personalize the app experience
Optional inputs to protect user privacy
Lacks a clear “skip all” option
2. Streamlined & Flexible
Progress bar signals quick setup
Option to bypass personal info entirely, accommodates privacy concerns
Low-commitment entry encourages exploration
Home — giving users a clear snapshot of their current cycle
I refined the home layout to highlight AI-generated predictions, daily health insights, and synced vitals data, giving users quick access to the most important features. I iterated heavily on content design to ensure the information felt relevant and digestible, prioritizing summaries that helped users easily understand their current health status without feeling overwhelming.
1. Clarity vs. Connectivity Gaps
Clearly sectioned information
No clear jargon explanation
No option to sync device data
2. AI & Data Integration
AI-based cycle predictions provided
Button to sync device data
Calendar layout feels space-inefficient
3. Clear, Concise Health Insights
Digestible summaries of health info for the day
Avoids confusing chance of pregnancy-related charts
Time toggles with accurate data visualization graphs
Calendar — letting users visually track and understand their cycle patterns
I formatted the calendar view to reduce visual clutter while maintaining familiar color-coding for ease of use. To give users more flexibility, I made the month and year views toggleable, added clear distinctions between cycle phases, and removed redundant headers for a cleaner layout. Additionally, after hearing from users that they occasionally reference past cycle data during medical visits, I also proposed and designed a Cycle History view to help users easily compare cycle lengths, period days, and ovulation windows across time.
1. Visually Cramped
Familiar period app color system
Confusing indicator overlap
Repetitive weekday headers, unclear layout
2. Flexible Monthly Cycle View
Scrollable months with visual indicators
Clear distinction between period and ovulation time periods, and logged symptoms indicators
Month/year toggle supports trend viewing
Track Period / Symptoms — making daily logging fast, flexible, and personalized
I focused on simplifying the logging experience so users could quickly record the information that’s most relevant to them. Working with my teammates who built earlier versions of this screen, I gave feedback based on user interviews conducted, especially around preferences for intuitive and minimal input. We also clarified which inputs directly influence cycle predictions (based on conversations with our client and devs about the AI model) versus those intended for personal tracking—a key distinction we identified through our research.
1. Simple, Limited Customization
Log periods easily
Cluttered by unnecessary icons
Few factor/symptom options available
Predictive Tracking
Track specific inputs used for period predictions
Simplified buttons, minimized scroll
No clear divide between predictive and personal tracking
3. Input Clarity, Visual Consistency
Option to log period independently of flow level
Clearly states which inputs after period predictions
Removed header icons for consistency with overall design
My Data & Trends — helping users visualize trends and build self-awareness
Because the synced device currently only tracks temperature—and future vitals were still undecided—we designed this page to scale with evolving data while still offering value now. I created a layout that could accommodate richer synced inputs later, but for now, focused on displaying meaningful trends and insights based on user-inputted data and temperature data tracked by the device. The goal was to help users understand long-term patterns in a clear, accessible way, and position the app as a reliable reflection of their health over time.
1. Basic Stats with Limited Data
Dedicated page for basic stats with space for future device-synced data
Limited vitals information, device only tracks temperature currently
Temperature chart is hard to read
2. Health Trends Overview
View overall cycle trends at a glance
Page filled with useful trend data while additional data tracked by device is not yet available for syncing
Some displayed info may be redundant
3. Scalable User Data Page
Breakdown of overall relevant health trends
Placeholder page for future data visualization from vitals data that is synced through the device to the app in a way that the users can understand
Removed redundant ‘average fertile window’ column
VISUAL IDENTITY
Design System
DESIGN SOLUTIONS
Prototype
Video coming soon!
KEY TAKEAWAYS
What did I learn from this experience?
→ Iteration is everything!
Each round of feedback—whether from users, our PM, and the client—pushed the design to be more intentional. I learned not to get attached to early ideas and to treat every iteration as a step closer to building something that actually works.
→ Words matter & providing real-time health data does not have to be overwhelming for the user
I learned a lot about what it means to visualize vitals in a way that’s easy to interpret—and also gained a better understanding of how inclusive, thoughtful language can completely shift how supported a user feels. Copy isn’t just way you say, it’s how you say it!
→ Good UX goes beyond just digital screens
I realized that cycle tracking isn't just about the features and the way things are laid out and how they look—it's about creating a whole experience where people feel seen, supported, and confident about managing their own health!
NEXT STEPS
Next up—user testing, expand use cases, collaborate with health educators, and prep for beta launch!
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2025