UX Case Study — Clarus

2025 / Biosensing Travel Health

Red Dot award winner

Red Dot award winner

Clarus turns early infection signals into calmer travel decisions.

Clarus turns early infection signals into calmer travel decisions.

Clarus turns early infection signals into calmer travel decisions.

Clarus is a wearable microneedle biosensing system that detects early infection biomarkers and feeds anonymized data into a public health dashboard, helping travelers catch illness sooner and supporting faster outbreak detection worldwide.

Clarus is a wearable microneedle biosensing system that detects early infection biomarkers and feeds anonymized data into a public health dashboard, helping travelers catch illness sooner and supporting faster outbreak detection worldwide.

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Project Snapshot

Role / Project Lead, Research, UI Design

Timeline / 6 months

Team / Capstone

Focus / Accessibility, trust, health, travel, clarity

91%

91%

overall task completion rate averaged

S01 — Challenge

Travel health decisions were happening with too little context and too much anxiety.

Travel health decisions were happening with too little context and too much anxiety.

Travel health decisions were happening with too little context and too much anxiety.

Global travel moves fast, but disease detection is still slow and reactive. Most people don’t know they’re getting sick until symptoms hit, and by then exposure may have already happened.

Global travel moves fast, but disease detection is still slow and reactive. Most people don’t know they’re getting sick until symptoms hit, and by then exposure may have already happened.

91%

overall task completion rate averaged

+2000 pts

Research Data

6 SMEs

50 users

Research participants

The problem

Current wearables track fitness, not infection risk. Public health systems also rely on delayed reports, creating a gap between personal health data and real time outbreak awareness.

The response

Clarus is a microneedle biosensing patch paired with an app. It tracks early infection biomarkers, alerts travelers sooner, and securely feeds anonymized data into a public health dashboard to support faster outbreak detection.

S02 — Process

From vague health anxiety to a clear product model.

From vague health anxiety to a clear product model.

From vague health anxiety to a clear product model.

The work started with traveler decision-making: what people needed to know, when confidence dropped, and how biosensing language could support action without sounding like a diagnosis.

The work started with traveler decision-making: what people needed to know, when confidence dropped, and how biosensing language could support action without sounding like a diagnosis.

01

Research the decision moment

Mapped where travelers check status, interpret uncertainty, and need reassurance before taking action.

02

Clear Health Status Indicators

Translated complex biomarker data into simple, easy to understand status signals with recommended actions.

03

Prototype for trust and speed

Clearly explained how anonymized data contributes to the public health dashboard to increase trust and participation.

USER PERSONA

USER PERSONA

Two core audiences

Two core audiences

Two core audiences

Clarus served both travelers making personal decisions and public-health teams watching population risk.

Clarus served both travelers making personal decisions and public-health teams watching population risk.

Clarus served both travelers making personal decisions and public-health teams watching population risk.

Maya Chen, 31

Maya Chen, 31

Traveler making safer choices away from home

I need clear guidance, not a medical dashboard.

Goals

Travel safely and understand personal risk.

Needs

Simple alerts, reassurance, and next steps.

Frictions

Unclear symptoms and fear of acting too late.

Priority

Make guidance calm and actionable.

Dr. Amy Reyes, 42

Dr. Amy Reyes, 42

Epidemiologist tracking population-level risk

I need enough signal to act early without causing alarm.

Goals

Spot clusters and coordinate response.

Needs

Trends, confidence, location, and thresholds.

Frictions

Noisy data, delays, and limited resources.

Priority

Turn signals into trusted action.

Design response

A dashboard that separates status, meaning, and next action.

A dashboard that separates status, meaning, and next action.

The dashboard was designed to surface what matters most at a glance, combining a clear health status, recent biomarker changes, and easy-to-understand insights into a simple, actionable experience.

Design response

A Wearable Designed for Continuous Health Monitoring Without Interrupting the Journey

A Wearable Designed for Continuous Health Monitoring Without Interrupting the Journey

The wearable microneedle patch was designed to seamlessly fit into everyday travel. Lightweight, discreet, and minimally invasive, it continuously monitors early infection biomarkers in the background, allowing users to stay informed without disrupting their journey.

The wearable microneedle patch was designed to seamlessly fit into everyday travel. Lightweight, discreet, and minimally invasive, it continuously monitors early infection biomarkers in the background, allowing users to stay informed without disrupting their journey.

Design response

Turning Anonymous Health Data into Actionable Public Health Insights

The public health dashboard transforms anonymized biosensor data into clear, real-time insights for epidemiologists and healthcare professionals. By visualizing regional trends and emerging outbreaks, it supports faster, data-driven decision-making while protecting individual privacy through fully anonymized data.

The public health dashboard transforms anonymized biosensor data into clear, real-time insights for epidemiologists and healthcare professionals. By visualizing regional trends and emerging outbreaks, it supports faster, data-driven decision-making while protecting individual privacy through fully anonymized data.

VISION VIDEO

Vision video

Vision video

Vision video

A short narrative prototype clarified the future-state experience: how Clarus would show early health risk, reduce uncertainty, and help travelers make confident next-step decisions.

A short narrative prototype clarified the future-state experience: how Clarus would show early health risk, reduce uncertainty, and help travelers make confident next-step decisions.

Showing the future state before the interface details

Showing the future state before the interface details

The video frames Clarus as a calm, proactive travel companion: detecting risk early, translating biosignal changes into understandable guidance, and helping users decide what to do next without panic.

Narrative

User-first story

Concept

Early detection

Alignment

Shared vision

S03 — Impact

The final strategy made a high-stakes flow feel understandable and usable.

The final strategy made a high-stakes flow feel understandable and usable.

The final strategy made a high-stakes flow feel understandable and usable.

What changed

Testing showed that users moved faster when the interface separated the signal, the meaning, and the next action. The strongest improvement came from simplifying health language and making recommendations feel trip-aware instead of generic.

Final outcomes

Selected as a Red Dot winner

Task completion increased from 62% to 85%.

Prototype clarified accessibility and trust requirements for future product direction.

Our Final Concept

Clarus is a wearable microneedle biosensing system paired with an AI-powered app that detects early infection biomarkers, narrows potential illnesses in real time, and provides clear, actionable guidance while securely contributing anonymized data to a public health dashboard.

Clarus is a wearable microneedle biosensing system paired with an AI-powered app that detects early infection biomarkers, narrows potential illnesses in real time, and provides clear, actionable guidance while securely contributing anonymized data to a public health dashboard.

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