Role:
Product Designer
Team:
Solo project
Platform:
Mobile
Duration:
2 weeks
Tools:
Photoshop, Figma
In emergency situations, people often struggle to recall first aid steps quickly and accurately. Stress, time pressure, and cognitive overload make it difficult to remember even basic procedures.
This project explores a mobile first aid app designed to provide clear, fast, and accessible guidance in critical moments. The goal was not to replace professional training, but to support users with simple, easy-to-navigate instructions when they need help the most.
Reduce cognitive load during high-stress situations
Surface critical information as quickly as possible
Design for accessibility and situational constraints
Create a calm, reassuring interface that prioritizes clarity over density
Rather than formal user testing, this project relied on secondary research and content validation:
Reviewed first aid guidance from the Canadian and American Red Cross to ensure accuracy
Analyzed existing emergency and health apps to identify common usability issues
Considered real-world emergency constraints such as stress, limited dexterity, and poor lighting
These insights informed a design approach focused on recognition over recall, large touch targets, and minimal on-screen decisions.
Content is organized by common emergency scenarios rather than medical terminology. This allows users to quickly identify the situation they’re facing and access step-by-step guidance without navigating deep menus.
The interface prioritizes:
Large, high-contrast buttons
Short, actionable instructions
Clear visual hierarchy
Minimal distractions
Visual design choices were intentionally restrained to keep focus on the task at hand. This mobile concept prioritizes rapid access and clarity on smaller screens, with future work scoped for responsive and web contexts.
Because emergencies can limit a user’s ability to interact with a device normally, accessibility was treated as a core design constraint rather than an afterthought. Based on situational needs and informal usability checks, several refinements were incorporated to improve clarity and reduce friction.
Key considerations included:
Clear contrast and readable typography
Simple, linear navigation paths
Support for screen readers
Optional voice-based interaction
Ability to pin the app for fast access
These decisions were guided by situational needs rather than compliance checklists.
The primary flow is designed to move users from launch → scenario selection → instruction in as few steps as possible. Secondary features are intentionally kept out of the main path to avoid decision fatigue.
The result is a focused UX concept that emphasizes simplicity, accessibility, and trust. Rather than attempting to solve every edge case, the design prioritizes helping users take the next right step when time and attention are limited.
This project reinforced the importance of designing for context, not just screens. In emergency scenarios, even well-designed interfaces can fail if they require too much interpretation or decision-making.
If continued, future iterations would focus on:
Usability testing focused on speed and error rates
Evaluating instruction clarity under simulated stress
Exploring offline access and localization
While this concept did not involve real-world deployment, it served as a valuable exercise in designing for high-pressure environments where clarity and restraint matter more than feature depth.