Refuge: User Experience

Cancer effects 8,000,000 people in the US alone. Treatment is extremely stressful on the body and the mind. As a designer I wanted to tackle a project much bigger than myself. It was extremely challenging finding people going through this disease to speak with and the most challenging part was empathizing with someone facing their mortality. Through extensive user research, including interviews with doctors, patients and caregivers, as well as learning about cancer from a biology standpoint, I set out to design a better experience.

Process Part 1: Qualitative Research with Patients and Caregivers

After being connected with patients through a hospital blogger, I was overwhelmed with the response of people who wanted to help me with this project. Key user studies that outlined a patient experience were Deb and her caregiver Dotty and DJ, a caregiver.

Deb & Dotty

          - Deb, Stage IV Pancreatic cancer

          - Dotty is Deb's life partner and cares for Deb as well as                       brings her to all her appointments.       

Deb and Dotty allowed me to join them at chemo appointments, doctor appointments and home visits. It was important during this process to immerse myself the research in order to empathize to the best of my ability. During that time, I was given the opportunity to speak with Deb and Dotty and learn how they cope and challenges they face.   

Understanding Diagnosis

Deb was experiencing an unrelenting cough and unresolvable fatigue when she was typically energetic.

"This isn't good, this isn't good"

Deb's results were not good. And in an instant both her and her partner Dotty knew it was cancer.