How can technology support young people with diabetes? Nine students from the Diabetes Design Initiative tackled this question this winter quarter. On Wednesday, the two teams presented their final designs to over 30 stakeholders ranging from medical device manufacturers to designers and people with diabetes. The students presented Glu-close buddies: a platform to connect young people with diabetes and Learn Diabetes: an interactive platform to explain diabetes concepts visually.
The Glu-Close buddy team worked with the College Diabetes Network (CDN) to reimagine engagement with young students with diabetes when they are transitioning from home to college. CDN is already providing a wide range of informational material and is organizing several events to help young people with diabetes. The team conducted interviews with CDN members as well as current and prospective students. Their research pointed to the need to go beyond guides and information brochures and support real human connections between students who are about to transition and students who are already at college. They designed a new mentoring platform to allow students to share their experience with incoming students in the form of short questions or as a mentor for a defined time.
The Learn Diabetes Team designed and developed a new website that leverages interactive data visualizations to explain the mechanics behind glucose management. Their interviews with diabetes educators, newly diagnosed and experienced people with diabetes helped them to understand the complex interconnected web of factors that influence blood glucose. Their solution breaks this complexity down into a hierarchy of minimal learning concepts. Each concept is explained with a single visualization and serves as a building block for more complex concepts. In their work, they wee Learn Diabetes Team designed and developed a new website that leverages interactive data visualizations to explain the mechanics behind glucose management. Their interviews with diabetes educators, newly diagnosed and experienced people with diabetes helped them to understand the complex interconnected web of factors that influence blood glucose. Their solution breaks this complexity down into a hierarchy of minimal learning concepts. Each concept is explained with a single visualization and serves as a building block for more complex concepts. In their work, they were supported by Gayle Lorenz and mentors from healthmade design.
After the presentation, all participants engaged in a conversation about the next steps to move the topic forward. There was broad agreement on the value of the developed designs and a call for more projects like these.
