Empowering women managing PCOS

Overview

Hermony is a digital platform designed to help women manage Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a condition affecting millions worldwide. The project aimed to deliver an intuitive, research-driven experience that empowers users to track their symptoms, access trusted health resources, and connect with specialists for personalized care.

One of the key challenges was designing a culturally relevant and seamless experience tailored to Mexican women aged 15 to 45. The platform needed to accommodate diverse user needs while ensuring engagement, accessibility, and ease of use. Through a user-centered design approach, I conducted research, identified pain points, and designed a streamlined experience that supports long-term health management.

Research and Discovery

Before designing anything, we wanted to listen.

We spoke with 35 women between the ages of 21 and 35, all diagnosed with PCOS. We didn’t just talk about symptoms, we talked about how long it took them to get answers, what it felt like to be dismissed by doctors, and the emotional toll of not knowing what’s happening inside your own body.

Many described years of confusion and self-doubt. A few said they were told it was “just stress” or “normal for your age.” One woman said she only found out after struggling with fertility for years — and by then, it felt too late to take control.

To balance these lived experiences, I also interviewed 5 healthcare professionals, including gynecologists and nutritionists, to understand what’s happening on the provider side. Their insights helped shape a clearer picture of the systemic gaps: limited screening tools, inconsistent patient education, and stigma that still surrounds reproductive health.
(Research responses)

Problem Statement

❝ PCOS management remains fragmented because of limited trustworthy resources, insufficient tracking tools, a lack of male involvement, and cultural differences, especially within the Mexican community.❞‬

After listening to stories from 35 women and learning from healthcare professionals, it became clear that managing PCOS isn’t just hard, it’s fragmented. That one sentence captured what so many of our participants were feeling but couldn’t always put into words.

Their experiences helped us break this broad problem into four key challenges:

Ideation and Design Process

User Personas

After listening to so many honest, vulnerable stories during research, it was important that our design direction stayed rooted in those lived experiences. I created two key personas to guide the design, not just as fictional stand-ins, but as reflections of the real people Hermony was built for.

These two personas reminded us that PCOS doesn’t just impact the individual, it affects relationships, families, and emotional well-being. By designing for both Lily and Samir, we focused on creating a tool that supports connection, care, and understanding at every step.

👩 Lily — Living with PCOS

Lily is 25. She was diagnosed with PCOS six months ago, after missing her period for three months and dealing with symptoms like intense acne and hair loss. She had never heard of PCOS before, and now she’s overwhelmed, not just by her symptoms, but by the endless, often conflicting information online.

👨 Samir — PCOS Ally

Samir is 30, and his wife was recently diagnosed with PCOS. Even before the diagnosis, he could tell something was off — but now he’s faced with a flood of unfamiliar information and a deep desire to be supportive. He doesn’t want to say the wrong thing or make it worse, but he also doesn’t know where to start.

Core Features

From the research and interviews we conducted, we identified key pain points and user needs, which guided the development of the following core features to create a seamless and empowering experience for women managing PCOS. Every feature in Hermony was designed with one goal: to make women feel seen, supported, and in control of their PCOS journey. Through dozens of interviews, we heard stories of misdiagnoses, medical gaslighting, and overwhelming confusion. Hermony is our response, a tool built with empathy and real-life needs in mind.

Visual Design

Usability Testing Insights

Conducted usability testing with 12 participants, including women with PCOS and their male family members, to evaluate navigation, accessibility, and engagement with key features. The feedback gathered informed critical refinements, ensuring the platform effectively met user needs and provided a seamless experience.