Stress Tracking & Management System

Conceptual multi-modal wearable system that explores how integrated devices and health tracking can power stress relief.

Objective:

Design an Apple Watch and mobile app experience for stress management that balances real-time data, usability, and the emotional weight of stress itself.

Context and Challenge:

This project was inspired by my work on CGM integration with Eli Lilly. I wanted to explore what a consumer-facing stress tracking experience might look like, going beyond the purely clinical to something that feels personal and supportive. My focus was on integrating multiple data sources to help people recognize and manage stress in their daily lives.

My Role:

As a hypothetical project, I independently did the following steps:

  • Conducted a literature review to understand the connection between cortisol and stress

  • Interviewed working professionals to learn about their experiences with stress management

  • Created an information architecture, wireframes, and a style guide to define the features and interaction structure

  • Designed high-fidelity mockups to bring the project to life

Literature Review & Low Fidelity Designs

Focused on researching the physiological and behavioral impacts of stress, including how cortisol and heart rate can reveal hidden stress patterns
Created rough and ready prototypes and low-fidelity sketches and mockups to understand form-factor and integration experience

Rough and Ready prototype of stress tracker and initial concept for Apple Watch alert.

Interviews

Interviews with working professionals identified key pain points, stress triggers and validated findings in literature review

User interview notes organized into cards and sorted into themes then used to create personas

Design Process:

Style Guide

Developed a visual system grounded in soothing colors and intuitive interactions. My goal was to create an experience that feels supportive, not overwhelming.

High-Fidelity Design:

Designed an Apple Watch companion app and a mobile app experience that work together to deliver real-time stress insights in a way that respects both the data and the user’s well-being.

Outcome & Impact

This app became a learning tool for me to test ideas and practice integrating wearable data into everyday routines. It also showed me how to design around a sensitive topic like stress, where the smallest interaction matters.

Reflections and Learnings

My experience with CGM-integrated clinical trials drove me to use the Apple Watch for more real-time data capture. However, through testing and feedback, I learned that my alerting approach might actually increase stress. If I were to iterate again, I would focus more on encouragement and carefully consider alert timing to avoid compounding stress.

Conclusion

With the boom in health tracking applications, this project highlighted key challenges in self-monitoring, especially for stress tracking. My experience integrating health wearables in clinical trials gave me insight into how adherence and user experience shape real-world outcomes. This app explored how the way stress information is displayed can either support or hinder users, revealing that the smallest interactions have a significant impact on usability and results.

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