Wellbeing Service for Long-COVID
service proposal for people to overcome Long-COVID symptoms
- ROLE
UX Researcher - TIMELINE
February 2022 - May 2022 - SKILLS
User Research
Diary Studies
Service Design - TOOLS
Figma
UserZoom
PROJECT OVERVIEW
This project was conducted as a case study in the Information and Service Design program at Goldsmiths, University of London. It resulted from a collaborative effort between the university and a Facebook volunteer community of individuals experiencing long-term post-COVID symptoms. The community's founder, Helen, asked us to develop a service concept that could provide information and create a supportive space for those dealing with post-COVID symptoms.
For a productive collaboration, Helen facilitated interviews with some community members, which allowed us to gather high-quality initial data.
In this project, I collaborated with six colleagues and contributed to each part of the research process. Some workstreams, such as Interviews, Diary Study, Business Canvas Proposition, and Service Blueprint, were completed solely by myself, with subsequent collective approval by the team.
For a productive collaboration, Helen facilitated interviews with some community members, which allowed us to gather high-quality initial data.
In this project, I collaborated with six colleagues and contributed to each part of the research process. Some workstreams, such as Interviews, Diary Study, Business Canvas Proposition, and Service Blueprint, were completed solely by myself, with subsequent collective approval by the team.
01
Define Users & User Needs
Long-COVID, or post-COVID-19 syndrome, refers to symptoms that persist for weeks or months after the acute phase of a COVID-19 infection has been resolved. The term was initially introduced in social media and confirmed in later research.
Long-COVID symptoms are vast and affect many areas of the body, such as mental and/or physical fatigue.
Mental fatigue includes brain fog, which covers symptoms such as poor concentration, confusion, thinking more slowly than usual, forgetfulness, and loss of words.
Source: secondary research of scientific publications
Picture: Long term effects of Covid (López-León et al., 2021)
Long-COVID symptoms are vast and affect many areas of the body, such as mental and/or physical fatigue.
Mental fatigue includes brain fog, which covers symptoms such as poor concentration, confusion, thinking more slowly than usual, forgetfulness, and loss of words.
Source: secondary research of scientific publications
Picture: Long term effects of Covid (López-León et al., 2021)
Mental fatigue and subsequent challenges this symptom faces spread across a range of physical, physiological, behavioural, and mental health pretexts based on the context.
These include the inability to go about day-to-day functions, having anxiety, facing a lack of social experiences, and the inability to work with the same concentration.
These include the inability to go about day-to-day functions, having anxiety, facing a lack of social experiences, and the inability to work with the same concentration.
Our desk research revealed a diverse range of coping mechanisms and identified existing technical solutions.
Expert recommendations include activities that enhance thinking and memory, such as regular sleep, light exercise, avoiding harmful substances, a healthy diet, listening to music, mindfulness, yoga, and social activities.
People with long-COVID often use coping strategies centered on emotions, relying on support networks for mutual understanding and recovery mechanisms.
A standard approach in managing long-COVID includes a team of professionals who validate the patient’s suffering, educate them about the disease, and provide a realistic view to reduce stress.
Your Covid Recovery (NHS): An online portal and app where patients can communicate with healthcare professionals, understand their symptoms, and learn about recovery expectations.
Zoe Health Study: An app that tracks symptoms, provides health insights, and connects users with community support, focusing on immune system improvement and health tracking.
Zoe Health Study: An app that tracks symptoms, provides health insights, and connects users with community support, focusing on immune system improvement and health tracking.
Facebook Group: A key support network for long-COVID patients, providing community support, shared experiences, and coping mechanisms.
The text highlights the lack of a comprehensive platform that integrates health tracking, professional medical support, and community interaction. Existing solutions like Your Covid Recovery, Zoe, and Facebook groups address specific needs but do not offer an all-encompassing support system.
We define our user groups as
busy individuals aged 20 and older who are experiencing mental fatigue due to long-COVID
busy individuals aged 20 and older who are experiencing mental fatigue due to long-COVID
01
UNDERSTANDING
- Comfort and EaseHow might we make long-COVID patients feel at ease and less anxious about their symptoms and daily challenges with mental fatigue by providing comforting solutions to ease their pain?
- Connection and SupportHow might we provide a service that helps patients with long-COVID, particularly symptoms of mental fatigue, where they feel they can connect with others who have suffered too?
- Symptom TrackingHow might we provide a service that helps people track their symptoms to record how they are getting better, allowing them to identify patterns and mechanisms that might help with their symptoms?
As a research method, we chose to conduct Interviews and Diary Studies to gain deeper insights into the daily experiences and challenges faced by our user group.
Study parameters
5 participants, 30 mins online meeting
Priciples: carefully use words as mental fatigue, brain fog etc. If a participant names his own system, then we can use it in our interview. Be aware of participants conditions as they might experience symptoms during the session.
Questions & Session Structure
Introduction & WarmUp:
Questions:
Searching for possible solutions:
Finalising
Priciples: carefully use words as mental fatigue, brain fog etc. If a participant names his own system, then we can use it in our interview. Be aware of participants conditions as they might experience symptoms during the session.
Questions & Session Structure
Introduction & WarmUp:
- How are you feeling today?
- What is your profession?
- Can you describe an average day in your life?
Questions:
- Is it any different from before you were affected by covid?
- How do you think covid has affected your professional/personal activities?
- Have you been experiencing any problems with your energy levels/attention, span/concentration, etc?
- Would you say you experience stress daily?
- How would you define your stress, and has it been any different since COVID-19?
Searching for possible solutions:
- What are your current coping mechanisms for your * mentioned symptoms *?
Finalising
Study parameters
2 participants, 7 days
We asked to outline particpant's activities: how they feel, their level of fatigue, challenges faced and coping mechanisms that were used during the day.
We carefully discussed the format of communication. As I was lead one diary study, I confirmed with the participants to ask them for a audio message with a day reflection. Afterthat, I transcribed the message and visialise on one map. See below.
We asked to outline particpant's activities: how they feel, their level of fatigue, challenges faced and coping mechanisms that were used during the day.
We carefully discussed the format of communication. As I was lead one diary study, I confirmed with the participants to ask them for a audio message with a day reflection. Afterthat, I transcribed the message and visialise on one map. See below.
We indetified 6 user needs & main points
Community Support
Users struggle to connect with others who have similar symptoms, missing out on mutual support and guidance.
Coping Strategies
Users are unaware of effective methods to manage mental fatigue and need guidance from peers and professionals.
Cognitive Challenges
We develop the strategy, conception, and ideology of the project and offer you city planning ideas.
Lack of Validation
Users feel their symptoms are often not believed or understood by peers and professionals.
Missed Experiences
Users miss out on social and professional activities due to illness-related isolation.
Memory Anxiety
Users struggle with memory issues, leading to anxiety and a need for memory-retention techniques.
🤝 connect with others who face similar challenges
🌍 increase society tolerance regarding long-covid
📊 to track their symptoms and progress
NEED a way
WHO experience mental fatigue from long-covid
Busy individuals
Finally, the problem statement framed as
💡 be made aware of the best coping mechanisms
03
EVALUATION & ANALYSIS
From problem statement...
WHO?
Long-COVID patients who are busy working professionals, aged 24 to 54.
Long-COVID patients who are busy working professionals, aged 24 to 54.
WHAT?
An online app that helps users track symptoms, discover coping mechanisms, and connect with others facing similar challenges.
An online app that helps users track symptoms, discover coping mechanisms, and connect with others facing similar challenges.
WHERE?
Accessible from home or on-the-go, whenever users have the time and energy.
Accessible from home or on-the-go, whenever users have the time and energy.
WHY?
To improve quality of life by addressing mental fatigue, offering personalized recovery strategies, and providing community support.
To improve quality of life by addressing mental fatigue, offering personalized recovery strategies, and providing community support.
to tree main features
01/Wellbeing Tracker
A tool for logging daily symptoms like Appetite, Sleep, Mood, Anxiety, and Energy, which then provides personalized coping suggestions based on the recorded data.
02/Tools
A collection of coping mechanisms categorized under Breathing, Meditation, Medical Help, and more, personalized based on the user’s location and symptoms for easy access and search.
03/Community Connect
A platform for connecting with other long-COVID patients through secure one-on-one interactions or group discussions, both online and offline, to share experiences and support each other.
Stakeholder Map & Business Value Preposition
All our insights and examples were ultimately grounded in the Business Canvas Proposition and Stakeholders Map.
Drawing on my previous experience in business, I took the lead in guiding the discussion and structuring the concept from a business perspective, ensuring that our service not only met user needs but also aligned with sustainable business practices and stakeholder expectations.
Drawing on my previous experience in business, I took the lead in guiding the discussion and structuring the concept from a business perspective, ensuring that our service not only met user needs but also aligned with sustainable business practices and stakeholder expectations.
04
CONCEPT VISUALISATION
Service Information Arhictecture
Service User Flow
Service Blueprint
05
EXECUTION
Our initial findings were based on hypotheses that require validation. To achieve this, the concept needs to be tested.
06
Summary & Reflection
I am grateful to Goldsmiths and Helen, the leader of a 50k+ Facebook Community for people experiencing post-COVID symptoms, for the opportunity to work on this concept. This task is socially significant, and I hope a solution will be found shortly.
Reflecting on the UX research study, I found that access to the target cohort was a significant positive aspect. It provided valuable insights into how to communicate effectively with individuals experiencing long-COVID symptoms. I especially appreciated our small group's efforts to establish clear guidelines on what we could and couldn’t discuss, ensuring that we approached sensitive topics with care.
The Diary Study was another method I believe was particularly well-suited for this research. It allowed us to capture the day-to-day fluctuations in how participants experienced post-COVID symptoms. This approach also highlighted the differences in how long-COVID is experienced compared to other conditions, such as depression, where wellness trackers have shown success.
One challenge we faced was the difficulty in maintaining a clear and consistent focus throughout the design process due to the varying needs and experiences of the participants. This sometimes led to a scattered approach that risked diluting the effectiveness of the final solution. To address this in future projects, I propose establishing more structured checkpoints and prioritization frameworks to keep the design process aligned with the core objectives, ensuring a more cohesive and targeted outcome.
Reflecting on the UX research study, I found that access to the target cohort was a significant positive aspect. It provided valuable insights into how to communicate effectively with individuals experiencing long-COVID symptoms. I especially appreciated our small group's efforts to establish clear guidelines on what we could and couldn’t discuss, ensuring that we approached sensitive topics with care.
The Diary Study was another method I believe was particularly well-suited for this research. It allowed us to capture the day-to-day fluctuations in how participants experienced post-COVID symptoms. This approach also highlighted the differences in how long-COVID is experienced compared to other conditions, such as depression, where wellness trackers have shown success.
One challenge we faced was the difficulty in maintaining a clear and consistent focus throughout the design process due to the varying needs and experiences of the participants. This sometimes led to a scattered approach that risked diluting the effectiveness of the final solution. To address this in future projects, I propose establishing more structured checkpoints and prioritization frameworks to keep the design process aligned with the core objectives, ensuring a more cohesive and targeted outcome.
Natalia Mitina
UX Researcher
UX Researcher
