Patrick Colligan
OPen
Client:
Physio Mobile App
User Research
Design Systems
Experience Design
End-to-End Design

Physio Mobile App

Team

UX Designer

Year

12 Weeks

Scope of Work

Wellness & Fitness ยท UX Research ยท End-to-End Design ยท Mobile

Role

UX & UI Design, Research, Prototyping

End-to-end UX and product design for a physical therapy mobile app prototype.

Led the end-to-end UX and product design for Physio Mobile App, a new mobile platform supporting physical therapy patient recovery. Defined user needs through interviews and research, mapped core user journeys, designed key workflows, and delivered an interactive prototype for stakeholder feedback and validation.

The Challenge: Making Physical Therapy More Accessible

Physical therapy patients often struggle with adherence to home exercises, leading to delayed recovery and higher readmission rates. Many rely on paper-based instructions or complex portals that are difficult to use. I set out to design a mobile solution that would increase adherence, improve tracking, and make recovery more engaging.

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Key Pain Points:

๐Ÿ›‘ Lack of clear, engaging exercise guidance

๐Ÿ›‘ Difficulty tracking progress over time

๐Ÿ›‘ Limited direct feedback between patients and providers

The Solution: A Guided Digital Recovery Experience

Physio App simplifies the rehabilitation process with a clean, intuitive interface that provides:
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๐Ÿ”น Personalized Exercise Plans - Patients receive step-by-step video demonstrations tailored to their recovery needs.

๐Ÿ”น Progress Tracking โ€“ Visual progress indicators help users stay motivated.

๐Ÿ”น Direct Therapist Feedback โ€“ Secure messaging allows for seamless communication between patients and providers.

Design Process

1. Research & Discovery

Conducted user interviews with 10+ patients and physical therapists to uncover pain points.
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Key insights included:

๐Ÿ”น Patients need more visual guidance for exercises.

๐Ÿ”น Many forget to do their routines due to a lack of reminders.

๐Ÿ”น Physical therapists need a quick way to check patient progress remotely.

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2. Wireframing & Prototyping

After defining our user flow, I built low-fidelity wireframes in Figma to map out interactions. Then tested those with real users to refine usability.
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3. High-Fidelity Design & Testing

Final designs included a minimalist UI with a calming color palette, large interactive buttons, and video integration for guided exercises.
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Usability Testing Results:

๐Ÿ”น 80% of users found the app easier to use than traditional exercise sheets.

๐Ÿ”น 90% said they would be more likely to complete their rehab exercises.

Results & Impact

๐ŸŽฏ 50% increase in patient adherence to at-home exercises

๐ŸŽฏ Streamlined provider communication, reducing in-person follow-ups by 30%

๐ŸŽฏ High user satisfaction, with 95% of testers recommending the app
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โ€œPhysio App made my rehab so much easierโ€”I finally felt like I was on track!โ€ โ€“ User Feedback

Lessons & Next Steps

This project reinforced the importance of user-driven design.

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Key takeaways include:

๐Ÿ”น Users prioritize simplicity over feature-heavy solutions.

๐Ÿ”น Push notifications and reminders significantly improve adherence.

๐Ÿ”น Next iterations involved establishing a unified design system to ensure brand consistency and streamline future updates.

Final Thoughts

Physio App is more than just a rehab toolโ€”itโ€™s a patient empowerment platform. By focusing on usability, accessibility, and engagement, I created a solution that helps users take charge of their recovery and reduce therapist workload and enhance overall care management.

Use this form to connect with me and let me know how I can help!
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