Ovvy: Holistic PCOS Care in One
Unified Experience
How I Replaced multiple Apps with 1 Intelligent Platform. A unified PCOS management app that empowers women through personalized symptom tracking, evidence-based education, and predictive insights.
Project Overview
As Senior UX Designer for Ovvy, I conducted research and designed a mobile app that empowers women with PCOS. Through surveys and interviews, I identified key challenges: fragmented information, poor personalization, and inadequate tracking tools. I designed an intuitive experience integrating symptom monitoring, evidence-based education, and personalized recommendations, creating a solution that helps women confidently manage this complex condition that affects up to 6-13% of reproductive-aged women worldwide.
App Name
Ovvy
My Role
UX Designer
Industry
Healthcare
Platform
iOS Mobile
Every morning, Vani opens four different apps, checks two spreadsheets, and still feels lost managing her PCOS. She's not alone. 76% of women with PCOS feel like they're assembling a puzzle with missing pieces, using fragmented tools that don't speak to each other or to their unique experience.
Vani's story became my north star for Ovvy. Her frustrations, echoed by 76% of my research participants, showed me the critical need for a solution that connects symptoms, lifestyle factors, nutrition and emotional wellbeing in a personalized way.
Prototype Testing Success
As I prepare for launch, I've designed Ovvy to be the trusted companion women like Vani need. In prototype testing, 87% of participants (26 out of 30 women) reported they would “definitely use” Ovvy over their current fragmented approach to PCOS management.
Why this matters: This high adoption rate shows that our design truly addresses the pain points women experience with existing solutions.
Key Impact Metrics
Comprehensive research foundation
Large enough sample size to draw reliable conclusions about PCOS management needs
Feel like assembling puzzle with missing pieces
213 out of 280 women struggle with using multiple disconnected apps
Would definitely use Ovvy
26 out of 30 prototype testers chose Ovvy over their current solutions
Per person for PCOS management
Women juggle multiple apps daily - creating unnecessary complexity
The Problem That Needed Solving
Secondary Research
What is PCOS? Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a hormonal disorder affecting 1 in 10 women of reproductive age. It causes irregular periods, weight gain, acne, and other symptoms that vary greatly from person to person.
Women with PCOS struggle to effectively manage their complex, individualized condition due to fragmented information, lack of personalized guidance, and inadequate tracking tools. My survey of 270 individuals (140 with confirmed PCOS) revealed that 71% of women with PCOS are concerned about long-term health risks, fertility issues, and body image (that's 99 out of 140 women), yet 35% are dissatisfied with their current management methods (49 women) and 43% find it difficult to access reliable information (60 women).
The majority experience symptoms including irregular periods (79%), anxiety (79%), acne (71%), and weight management difficulties (71%), but existing health apps fail to address the unique, multifaceted nature of PCOS. Women attempting to manage PCOS report feeling overwhelmed by contradictory information, isolated in their experience, and frustrated by the lack of holistic support that connects symptoms, lifestyle changes, and emotional wellbeing.
The Quotes That Changed My Direction
The survey's open-ended responses revealed the human stories:
"I'm a data analyst by profession, but I can't make sense of my own health data spread across multiple apps."
"Every morning feels like a part-time job just to track my PCOS."
"I've downloaded every PCOS app on the store. None of them talk to each other."
"I want predictions, not just tracking. Tell me BEFORE I crash, not after."
Key Insight
That last quote stopped me cold. The problem wasn't tracking. It was prediction.
Why this matters: Instead of building another app to record symptoms after they happen, I needed to create one that could help prevent symptom flare-ups before they occur.
The Real Problem Statement
Women with PCOS don't need another tracking app. They need:
Intelligence that learns their patterns
AI that understands individual PCOS presentations and symptoms
Predictions that prevent crashes
Proactive insights to prevent symptoms rather than just record them
Connections with women who truly understand
Community support from others facing similar challenges
Time back in their mornings
Streamlined tracking that doesn't feel like a part-time job
Design Strategy & Process
Strategy Conclusion
Our comprehensive analysis of 280 PCOS survey responses revealed a critical insight: women don't need another health app, they need fewer apps that work together.
With users managing an average of 4.2 different apps daily (up to 9 apps maximum), the fragmentation was creating more stress than relief. This led to our three-pillar strategy: Unification over Addition, Prediction over Reaction, and Connection over Information.
Strategic Impact: This approach guided every design decision, from feature prioritization to information architecture, ensuring Ovvy would solve real problems rather than add to them.
Collaboration and Goal Clarity
What This Collaboration Achieved
By involving 45 women directly in the design process as ongoing advisors, I ensured every feature decision was validated by real users. This collaboration resulted in 89% feature approval rates and zero major design revisions during development.
Why this matters: Having real users as partners in the design process means I build solutions that actually work, not just ones that look good on paper.
Turning Survey Respondents into Advisors
From the 280 survey respondents, I built a robust advisory network to guide every design decision:
Core Advisory Group
12Extended Testing Group
45The Data-Driven Mission
Synthesizing 280 survey responses into word clouds, the most frequent terms shaped our mission:
Top Words from 280 Responses
Mission Statement
“Transform PCOS management from scattered, reactive tracking to unified, predictive intelligence that empowers women to manage symptoms and nutrition”
Born from 280 voices, built for millions
Research Insights: 280 Voices, Countless Revelations
The Bottom Line
Beyond all the charts and percentages, our research revealed one fundamental truth: current PCOS management tools are failing women, creating a massive business opportunity.
With 200M+ women affected globally and spending an average of $180/year on fragmented solutions, the market is primed for disruption. Our research shows 91% are willing to switch platforms for better integration.
The Investment Opportunity: First-mover advantage in a $4.2B market with proven user demand, clear monetization paths, and partnerships ready to scale.
Vani Krishnan: The Complete PCOS Journey
What is a User Profile? A detailed description of my target user based on research with 280 real women. Vani represents common patterns, needs, and challenges I discovered. She's not a real person, but her story is built from real experiences.
Meet Vani at 6:47 AM on a Wednesday. She's standing in her bathroom, phone in one hand, hair strand in the other, wondering if today's the day she'll finally understand what her body is telling her.
A Multi-Dimensional User Profile Representing 270+ Women's Experiences
Demographics
PCOS Profile
Diagnosis
Current Symptoms
Current Management
Pain Points
Information Overload
Overwhelmed by conflicting advice from 8+ sources
Tracking Fatigue
Uses 3 apps but can't see connections
Social Isolation
Feels alone in PCOS journey
Medical Communication
Hard to explain patterns to doctors
Goals & Motivations
Conceive within 6 months
Family planning priority
Reduce PCOS symptoms
Feel in control of health
Understand patterns
Knowledge builds confidence
Find community support
Combat isolation
Better doctor visits
More productive appointments
Current App Usage
Apps currently used to manage PCOS symptoms
Flo
Period TrackingMain Frustration
“No PCOS support”
MyFitnessPal
NutritionMain Frustration
“No symptom connection”
Headspace
WellnessMain Frustration
“Generic content”
Google Keep
NotesMain Frustration
“No insights”
PCOS Reddit
CommunityMain Frustration
“Info overload”
I wish there was one app that could help me understand how everything connects - my food, my mood, my cycle, my symptoms. Right now I feel like I'm collecting puzzle pieces but I can't see the bigger picture.
Information Architecture: Building on 280 Foundations
What is App Structure? This is how I organize all the features and content in the app so users can easily find what they need. Think of it like organizing a house - I put related things together and make sure the most important stuff is easy to reach.
The Feature Priority Matrix
With 280 responses, I could create reliable feature priorities based on what users actually need:
Why this matters: By asking 280 women what they need most, I can focus on building features that will actually be used rather than guessing what might be helpful.
Must-Have (70%+ demand):
Should-Have (50-70% demand):
190 users
179 users
160 users
154 users
Nice-to-Have (30-50% demand):
Low Priority (<30% demand):
The Navigation Insights
When asked how they think about PCOS management, patterns emerged:
Mental Models from User Research
This data validated the 5-tab approach and even suggested the exact naming
User Journey Map
I have built a journey map that will help visualize the user's experience across different stages: emotions, goals, pain points.
It's grounded in user research and focuses on what the user needs and does before, during, and after using the product.
Vani's PCOS Management Journey
From Diagnosis to Daily Struggle - Identifying Opportunities for Ovvy
The Diagnosis
Day 1- •Receives PCOS diagnosis from Dr. Sharma
- •Gets handed a basic pamphlet
- •Starts immediate Google research
- •Calls Raj with the news
Limited time with doctor, overwhelming medical jargon, conflicting online information, feeling unprepared for questions
Shock, confusion, fear about fertility, overwhelmed by information
PCOS? I've never even heard of this. How is she smiling on this pamphlet cover?
Personalized onboarding, digestible education, emotional support, clear next steps
Information Overload
Week 1-4- •Downloads 3 period tracking apps
- •Bookmarks 47 PCOS articles
- •Joins Facebook support groups
- •Researches fertility implications
- •Starts following Instagram accounts
Contradictory advice, information not personalized, overwhelming choices, can't distinguish reliable sources
Frustrated by conflicting info, anxious about fertility, hopeful but confused
One article says cut carbs completely, another says that's dangerous. Who do I believe?
Curated, evidence-based information, personalization based on symptoms, community matching
Juggling Apps
Month 2-4- •Morning: Opens 4 different apps
- •Tracks symptoms in spreadsheet
- •Logs food in MyFitnessPal
- •Takes Metformin (sometimes forgets)
- •Evening: Attempts to correlate data
Data scattered across platforms, no pattern recognition, time-consuming, difficult to share with doctor
Daily frustration, feeling like failing at self-care, exhausted by complexity
I spend 2 hours daily on PCOS stuff and still feel like I'm missing something important.
Unified platform, automated tracking, AI pattern recognition, simplified data entry
Living the Reality
Month 4-6- •6:15 AM: Four-app morning routine
- •2:00 PM: Energy crash management
- •Hair loss damage control
- •Weekly salon visits for hirsutism
- •10:30 PM: Failed dot-connecting
Unpredictable symptoms, social anxiety, work performance concerns, relationship strain, financial burden
Defeated, isolated, anxious about appearance, worried about fertility
I'm drowning in my own data. I can manage million-dollar campaigns but can't predict my own body.
Predictive insights, symptom correlation, energy management, community support, healthcare integration
The Breaking Point
Sunday Evening- •Meal prepping while logging symptoms
- •Switching between 3 apps simultaneously
- •Raj suggests 'that new PCOS app'
- •Downloads Ovvy out of desperation
- •First hesitant interaction
Complete overwhelm, system breakdown, emotional exhaustion, ready to give up on tracking
Desperate, hopeless, skeptical about another app, but willing to try anything
I can't take another app that promises everything and delivers confusion. But maybe...
Seamless onboarding, immediate value demonstration, consolidation promise, empathetic design
Journey Map Legend
Information Architecture
Now, based on the data from research and insights, I try to make architecture flow diagram for my applications. Like how might our users perceive to use the applications based on the mental models.
How do I need to organize the contents of the application.
Proposed 5-Tab Structure Based on Mental Models
Today
“What's happening today?”
Health
“How is my health trending?”
Nutrition
“What should I eat?”
Community
“Who else understands?”
Profile
“My health settings”
Ideation and Wireframes
Lo-fi Wireframes
Based on my research with 280 women, I had a clear understanding of what users needed most. I quickly translated these insights into paper sketches to explore different ways to organize the app's layout and features.
Hi fidelity wireframes
After validating the initial sketches, I created detailed digital wireframes to refine the user interface and establish the visual hierarchy for key features.
Final UI
Through rigorous user testing sessions with my target demographic and multiple design iterations based on usability insights, I refined my hi-fidelity wireframes into these polished final designs. Each interface element was carefully crafted to enhance user engagement while maintaining accessibility standards and ensuring seamless navigation throughout the PCOS management journey.
Learnings & Reflections
What I Learned
1. Emotional Architecture Matters
I initially approached this as a data organization problem. But Vani's journey taught me that information architecture is emotional architecture. By weaving nutrition throughout the app rather than isolating it, I acknowledged that for PCOS warriors, food connects to every symptom and emotion.
Key Insight: Users don't need more features; they need fewer, more meaningful decisions.
2. Predictive Over Reactive
The breakthrough came when I shifted from tracking to predicting. Vani didn't need another app to log her 2 PM crash. She needed one that would warn her at 11 AM and suggest prevention strategies.
3. Community as Medicine
Isolation is a hidden symptom of PCOS. Our “Symptom Twins” feature matched users by symptom patterns rather than demographics, teaching me that authentic community design requires algorithmic empathy.
4. The Simplicity Paradox
The more complex the condition, the simpler the solution must feel. PCOS involves multiple medical disciplines, but users shouldn't need a medical degree to manage it.
What Didn't Work
1. The Everything Dashboard
My first iteration showed all data on the home screen. It created information overload instead of clarity. The fix: Show only what matters now, with deeper insights available on demand.
2. Over-Gamification
Badges and streaks made health feel like a competition. When users broke streaks during difficult weeks, they felt like failures. I learned to celebrate patterns discovered, not days logged.
3. AI Certainty
Presenting predictions as facts eroded trust when they were wrong. The solution: Frame predictions as probabilities with user agency.
4. Nutrition Perfectionism
Rigid diet plans ignored food's cultural and emotional aspects. I evolved from food policing to food empowerment, showing effects without judgment.
The Bigger Picture
This project taught me that:
- Medical conditions are lived experiences, not data points
- Good healthcare UX makes users feel seen, not surveilled
- Predictive design must empower, not predetermine
- Cultural sensitivity in health apps is essential
Final Reflection
This project transformed me from a problem solver to someone who holds space for human complexity. I'm not designing apps. I'm designing dignity.
The metrics that matter aren't completion rates or time on app. They're Sunday mornings where Vani meal preps without anxiety. They're confident restaurant orders because she understands her patterns. They're connections with others who make her feel less alone.
The Ultimate Learning: Every failed iteration was a stepping stone to understanding that healthcare UX is about returning agency to people who feel their bodies have betrayed them.
The best compliment Ovvy could receive? “I forgot I have PCOS today.”
Not because the condition disappeared, but because managing it finally felt natural.