2025.08-2026.08 | 1 Year
Rootin: Research Collaboration with the UConn School of Nursing
UConn Independent Study: Emotional M-Health Application Prototype
Project Overview
Project Summary
My Role
Responsibilities
Tools
Keywords
Rootin is a mobile symptom tracking and self-care application designed for women with breast cancer undergoing Aromatase Inhibitor (AI) therapy. While symptom management applications often focus on clinical monitoring, Rootin integrates emotional support through a plant-based growth metaphor that encourages daily engagement and self-reflection. By combining symptom tracking, health visualization, and nurturing interactions, the app aims to transform routine self-care into a more meaningful and supportive experience.
UX Researcher, UX/UI Designer, and Front-End Developer
This project was developed as an interdisciplinary collaboration with the UConn School of Nursing. I led the UX research, interaction design, visual design, branding, prototyping, and front-end development of the application while working closely with healthcare researchers to align the design with patient needs and symptom management goals.
UX Research, Literature Review, User Flow Design, Information Architecture, Branding & Visual Identity, UX/UI Design, Interactive Prototype Development, Front-End Development, Usability Testing Design, Research Documentation
Mobile Health (mHealth), Breast Cancer, Symptom Tracking, Self-Care, Emotional Design, Patient Experience, Health Visualization, Gamification, Plant Metaphor, User-Centered Design, UX Research, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
Problem Statement
Problem Definition
Goal of this project
More than 70% of breast cancer survivors receive Aromatase Inhibitor (AI) therapy to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. However, AI treatment is often associated with persistent side effects such as musculoskeletal pain, hot flashes, and insomnia, which can negatively impact quality of life and daily functioning. Despite the growing availability of mobile health applications, many existing symptom management tools primarily focus on clinical monitoring and provide limited emotional support or patient-centered engagement. As a result, long-term adherence and meaningful self-management remain ongoing challenges for breast cancer survivors.
Rootin was designed to support breast cancer survivors receiving AI therapy through a more engaging and emotionally supportive symptom management experience. By combining symptom tracking, health visualization, educational resources, and a plant-based growth metaphor, the project aims to encourage daily self-care, increase health awareness, and promote long-term engagement. The project also explores how emotionally supportive design strategies can enhance the usability and overall user experience of mobile health applications.
Branding & Design Concept
Root + Routine
Rootin is a mobile symptom tracking and self-care application designed for women undergoing Aromatase Inhibitor (AI) therapy for breast cancer. The name combines Root and Routine, reflecting the idea that recovery is cultivated through small, consistent daily actions.
The app encourages users to develop self-care habits by tracking symptoms, reflecting on their well-being, and nurturing a virtual plant that grows alongside their recovery journey. Rootin's identity is centered on growth, restoration, and balance, creating a warm and supportive environment that promotes both physical and emotional well-being.
"Roots from your daily life, Balance your value."
By transforming symptom tracking into a meaningful daily routine, Rootin helps users build awareness of their health while visualizing progress through plant growth and personalized feedback.
Research
Literature Review
Literature Review for Contents
Literature Review for Usability Testing
Literature Review for HCI Research
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Giaquinto AN, Sung H, Newman LA, Freedman RA, Smith RA, Star J, Jemal A, Siegel RL. Breast cancer statistics 2024. CA Cancer J Clin. 2024;74(6):477–95. doi: 10.3322/caac.21863.
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Nardin S, Ruffilli B, Landolfo TL, Isingrini G, Taglialatela I, Delbarba A, D'Avanzo F, Rossi V, Celentano E, Conte B, Nardin M, Gennari A. Aromatase Inhibitors as Adjuvant Therapy in Early Breast Cancer: Insights into Toxicities and Their Management. Cancers (Basel). 2025;17(17). doi: 10.3390/cancers17172726.
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Faulkner, L. (2003). Beyond the five-user assumption: Benefits of increased sample sizes in usability testing. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 35(3), 379-383.
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Zhou L, Bao J, Setiawan A, Saptono A, Parmanto B. The mHealth App Usability Questionnaire (MAUQ): development and validation study. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2019;7(4):e11500. doi:10.2196/11500
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Brooke J. SUS: A quick and dirty usability scale. In: Jordan PW, Thomas B, Weerdmeester BA, McClelland AL, editors. Usability Evaluation in Industry. London: Taylor and Francis; 1996:189–194.
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O'Brien HL, Cairns P, Hall M. A practical approach to measuring user engagement with the refined User Engagement Scale (UES) and new UES short form. Int J Hum Comput Stud. 2018;112:28–39. doi:10.1016/j.ijhcs.2018.01.004.
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Lally P, May C, Mitchell E, McCallum M, Michaelides A, Fisher A. Prototype of an app designed to support self-management for health behaviors and weight in women living with breast cancer: qualitative user experience study. JMIR Cancer. 2024;10:e48170. doi:10.2196/48170.
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Anders C, Moorthy P, Svensson L, Müller J, Heinze O, Knaup P, et al. Usability and user experience of an mHealth app for therapy support of patients with breast cancer: mixed methods study using eye tracking. JMIR Hum Factors. 2024;11:e50926. doi:10.2196/50926.
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Dirin A, Nieminen M, Laine TH. Feelings of being for mobile user experience design. Int J Hum Comput Interact. 2023;39(20):4059–4079. doi:10.1080/10447318.2022.2108964.
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Norman DA. Emotional Design. New York: Basic Books; 2005.
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Kaveladze BT, Wasil AR, Bunyi J, Ramirez V, Schueller SM. User experience, engagement, and popularity in mental health apps: secondary analysis of app analytics and expert app reviews. JMIR Hum Factors. 2022;9(1):e30766. doi:10.2196/30766.
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Lemon C, Huckvale K, Carswell K, Torous J. A narrative review of methods for applying user experience in the design and assessment of mental health smartphone interventions. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2020;36(1):64–70. doi:10.1017/S0266462319003507.
Research
Competitive App Study
Bearable
OWise
OWise
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Giaquinto AN, Sung H, Newman LA, Freedman RA, Smith RA, Star J, Jemal A, Siegel RL. Breast cancer statistics 2024. CA Cancer J Clin. 2024;74(6):477–95. doi: 10.3322/caac.21863.
-
Nardin S, Ruffilli B, Landolfo TL, Isingrini G, Taglialatela I, Delbarba A, D'Avanzo F, Rossi V, Celentano E, Conte B, Nardin M, Gennari A. Aromatase Inhibitors as Adjuvant Therapy in Early Breast Cancer: Insights into Toxicities and Their Management. Cancers (Basel). 2025;17(17). doi: 10.3390/cancers17172726.
-
Giaquinto AN, Sung H, Newman LA, Freedman RA, Smith RA, Star J, Jemal A, Siegel RL. Breast cancer statistics 2024. CA Cancer J Clin. 2024;74(6):477–95. doi: 10.3322/caac.21863.
-
Nardin S, Ruffilli B, Landolfo TL, Isingrini G, Taglialatela I, Delbarba A, D'Avanzo F, Rossi V, Celentano E, Conte B, Nardin M, Gennari A. Aromatase Inhibitors as Adjuvant Therapy in Early Breast Cancer: Insights into Toxicities and Their Management. Cancers (Basel). 2025;17(17). doi: 10.3390/cancers17172726.
-
Giaquinto AN, Sung H, Newman LA, Freedman RA, Smith RA, Star J, Jemal A, Siegel RL. Breast cancer statistics 2024. CA Cancer J Clin. 2024;74(6):477–95. doi: 10.3322/caac.21863.
-
Nardin S, Ruffilli B, Landolfo TL, Isingrini G, Taglialatela I, Delbarba A, D'Avanzo F, Rossi V, Celentano E, Conte B, Nardin M, Gennari A. Aromatase Inhibitors as Adjuvant Therapy in Early Breast Cancer: Insights into Toxicities and Their Management. Cancers (Basel). 2025;17(17). doi: 10.3390/cancers17172726.
Design Process
User Flow
Design Components
L: Initial Usage / R: After initial Usage
Design Process
Wireframe
Hi-fi
Final Design
Prototype
Promotion Website
A web-based interactive educational experience that combines 3D environments, storytelling, and user-driven exploration to uncover colonial histories embedded within Korean plant names.
Website Link (In-Progress)
A web-based interactive educational experience that combines 3D environments, storytelling, and user-driven exploration to uncover colonial histories embedded within Korean plant names.
Website Link
Usability Study Design Plan
1. Brief App Introduction
2. WalkThrough
(20-30 min)
3. Questionnaire
4. Semi-Structured Interview
Briefly introduce about the application, the features, and how to access by survivors' devices.
Introduce how to start and navigate the flow the application, after the initial usage, survivors will be given more time to walk through the app by themselves.
After a brief app prototype usability testing, survivors will be asked about general usability questionnaire through virtual form.
Also, survivors will be asked to answer specific and detailed response to interview questions.
Questionnaire Design
Research Questions
Usability Questionnaire
HCI Questionnaire
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Interview Questions (Overall Experience, Usability / Navigation, Helpful Features, Missing / Improvement, Recommendation / Future Use)
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Free-Text Questions (Semi-Structured Interview Questions)
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The Health App Usability Questionnaire (MAUQ)
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The System Usability Scale (SUS)
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The User Engagement Scale (UES)
Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Questionnaire
(Participatns' perceptions of the emotional, reflective, and symbolic aspects of the Rootin prototype)
Future Work
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Data Collection
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HCI Publication