World's first neurotech PMS-relief wearable
About project
Samphire Neuroscience is a neurotech wearable device that helps alleviate menstrual symptoms. The goal of the project was to create the first app experience to accompany the wearable headband.
Team
Design Lead (me)
COO / Cofounder
Junior Designer
Engineers
Background
A new wearable for menstrual symptoms
Samphire Neuroscience was launching neuroscience-based tools to support symptoms of PMDD, PMS, PME and endometriosis, starting with their headband wearable.
How
1-month design cycle with Samphire team
Over one month, I delivered: a comprehensive blueprint for MVP app launch, 4 core user flows that accommodate multiple segments, and a scalable design system of 177 components aligned with brand identity.
My role
Lead Designer
My role as Lead Designer encompassed the entire design process from definition to final handoff for eventual development.
Who I collaborated with
Cross-functional communication with engineers & cofounders
The project required collaboration with the COO/cofounder, engineers, and one junior designer to complete a series of core user flows in a very short period.
Discovery & definition
How
Crafted user personas
1. Primary Users: predictable cycle + device owner
2. Future-state Users: unpredictable cycle + device owner
3. Potential Customers: predictable cycle + no device
4. Educational Users: unpredictable cycle + no device
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Decided on User 1 as primary
Prioritized the primary user segment for initial development while designing architecture flexible enough to support all segments over time.
Conducted competitive analysis
Analyzed leading period-tracking apps and identified two opportunity areas:
Data Visualization Gap: limited symptom/cycle correlation
Integration Opportunity: no strong wearable + cycle tracking integration
Findings
Cluttered interfaces with poor information hierarchy
Architecture
Designed navigation to prioritize device activation, provide easy access to cycle tracking, and create clear paths for non-device owners to explore benefits.
How
Blocked out key flows
Collaborated with founders to define and block key flows, including First Open, Daily Tracking, Session Setup, and more.
Determined navigation paths
Mapped how users move through the product across onboarding, setup, and everyday use.
Built prototypes in Figma
Translated key flows and base functionality into high-fidelity product prototypes.
First blocking files / ideation in Figma
Final designs
How
Figma file with designs
Figma file containing all user flows, screens, edge cases, prototypes, and copy needed for developer implementation.
177-component library
Built a scalable component system for continued product development.
Final flow for first-time open
Onboarding and setup flow
Final flow for tracking period
Key elements
Dual-layer visualization
Outer ring shows cycle days while inner ring displays device sessions.
Color-coded system
Red (menstruation), blue (ovulation), yellow (device usage).
Interactive timeline
Users can drag indicators to see predictions and historical data.
Continuous biometric correlation
Shows relationships between device usage, symptoms, and cycle phases.
Personalized tracking mode
3 tracking modes
Calendar data view
Multi-dimensional view
Historical editing
Allows users to refine past entries as they recall additional details.
Pattern recognition
Impact
After my work with Samphire, they were able to build out the rest of the user experience and recently launched in the UK market.
MVP
product
4
core flows
177
components
Deliverables
This foundational design work provided Samphire with a comprehensive blueprint for MVP launch, 4 user flows that accommodate multiple segments, and a scalable design system of 177 components aligned with their brand identity.
Because the hardware product has just launched, analytics on long-term design performance are still pending.
My learnings
This project reinforced several critical insights about designing for health technology.
Takeaways
1. Biometric data visualization is a powerful tool for body literacy
When users can visualize physiological patterns, they gain agency over health decisions, a principle transferable across sleep, activity, and stress monitoring.
2. Effective health tracking must consider holistic patterns
Menstrual health experiences must account for all cycle phases and their interconnected impacts on wellbeing.
3. Health tech interfaces must balance scientific accuracy with emotional intelligence
Users need both data-driven insights and contextual understanding to make meaningful changes.
4. Continuous monitoring unlocks pattern recognition
Combining wearable data with user-reported symptoms reveals insights impossible to capture through traditional tracking alone.
Collaborators
Alex Cook, Natalia Buendía, Mehr Singh
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