Tubo

Empathetic Wellness.

Company

GT BSID

My Role

Designer w/ Cynthia Li

Tools

Figma · Solidworks · Keyshot

Timeline

Aug 2024 - Dec 2024

Description

A wellness companion integrating into key moments and offering personalized, actionable insights.

Context

Managing chronic cardiovascular conditions requires constant monitoring and lifestyle changes, yet current tools remain fragmented and depersonalized, leading to low adherence. Tubo empowers individuals to manage their health through a ritualistic routine and foster long-term engagement.

Render of Tubo on a wooden table: two overlapping white discs, the upper one a shallow bowl, with warm light glowing between them

A Daily Struggle

A Market Analysis matrix plotting home health devices on two axes, cumbersome to friendly and simple to multifunctional: home cholesterol tests, glucose meters, blood-pressure cuffs, thermometers and pill dispensers. In the lower-right quadrant the framing question reads, How might we integrate scattered activities of tracking vitals, taking medication, and more into one cohesive and relatable journey for chronic condition management?

After conducting 18 interviews across a wide range of users and SMEs such as healthcare designers, hospice nurses, medical professors, and EMTs, we affinitized the findings and the complex landscape of chronic condition management at home was unveiled.

Nine interview themes in a three-by-three grid, with five guiding insights listed on a peach panel at right

Four Target Features

A journey map with an ASPIRATION band above and a PRESENT band below, each listing activities, pain points and emotions. Between them, two emotional-experience curves run across nine activities — Measuring Vitals, Interpreting Data, Goal Setting, Taking Pills, Transporting Pills, Tracking Diet, Lifestyle Goals, Consultation and Review Goals — grouped under four labeled features: Vital Tracking, Pill Management, Companion App and Smart Consultancy.

Vital Tracking, Pill Management, Companion App, and Smart Consultancy

Tubo | Development

Four labeled features across the top — Pill Management, Vital Tracking, Smart Consultancy and Health App — each with a short description and a small line drawing of the interaction. Below sits a large render of the two-disc Tubo with a lit indicator band glowing between the discs; at right, a grid of about 25 form-exploration sketches.

The form development process focuses on breaking away from traditional medical products to decrease the stigma and creating a sense of home while affording intuitive interaction for key features we defined.

Two photographs of hands sketching on paper beside white foam discs, and a third panel of overlaid pencil profile lines on a peach ground. Below, 12 gray side-profile studies of the two-disc form in two rows of six; the fifth in the top row is marked with an asterisk.

Several rounds of prototyping and testing were conducted with participants to gather their preferences regarding visual appeal and observe their natural interaction with the models. The goal was to create a form that would feel familiar and comforting in everyday use rather than clinical or intimidating.

Tubo | Outcome

Render of Tubo on a wooden table: two overlapping white discs, the upper one a shallow bowl, with warm light glowing between them

Vital Tracking


Vital tracking is Tubo’s core feature, offering a seamless daily health check during morning and evening routines. With one touch, it noninvasively measures key vitals using photoplethysmography (PPG). A simple “good” or “at risk” colored indicator provides clear feedback, encouraging regular monitoring without added stress.

Render of Tubo on a wooden table with a flat gray silhouette of a hand and forearm laid over the upper disc, and green light glowing from the gap beneath it.

Smart Consultancy


Smart consultancy acts as a personalized health assistant, using AI to analyze data and provide tailored recommendations aligned with each user’s health goals. Drawing from vitals, lifestyle patterns, and medication adherence, it delivers actionable advice. By monitoring health trends, it proactively suggests preventive measures to foster long-term well-being.

Illustrated scene of a person seated at a dining table with one hand placed on the lit Tubo device

Pill Management


The pill management system simplifies routines by storing a week’s medication and elegantly dispensing the right dose at the right time. Working with the Health App, Tubo provides timely reminders and missed-dose alerts, ensuring consistent adherence. With smart tracking integrated into user data, it offers personalized insights, making medication management seamless and stress-free.

Three renders of Tubo. At left, a side view with the upper bowl tilted open to reveal yellow and blue pills held inside; at right, two three-quarter views on a wooden table, one with the bowl closed and a pill resting on its rim.

Companion App


The companion app brings Tubo’s power to users’ fingertips, offering a platform for detailed data visualization, medication reminders, and actionable goals. The app fosters a holistic approach by integrating lifestyle tracking for diet, exercise, and stress management, connecting users with healthcare professionals, and providing strategies to stay motivated.

Three phone screens from the Tubo app, showing a health score of 74, a medication schedule and a vitals view, beside an enlarged Key Vitals panel

Credit


Team Member

Cynthia Li


Special Thanks

Lisa Marks