— Problem Statement

According to the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Disease Patients Association, By 2025, the number of people with asthma could reach 400-450 million.

Currently, almost 1,500 mobile apps are targeting asthma patients using both Apple App Store and the Google store. However, less than 1% of the addressable target group is currently using asthma apps.
~ Research 2 Guidance 2018

When I personally looked into asthma apps, the majority of them made claims about how they would promote improved management by:

• Sharing progress with the doctor and recommendation of steps to commence treatment
• Education and communities for support
• Smart sensors that are attached to inhalers and asthma devices to track inhaler usage and anticipate or avoid unplanned episodes.
• Tracking asthma symptoms and medication intake
• Recording asthma triggers
• Drug and medication reminders

The majority of these apps I downloaded lacked reviews and actual downloads, which I noted down as I browsed through them. Additionally, I saw that some of these apps did not live up to their claims, turning them more into just tracking, journaling, and reminder apps than the essential added features they claimed to provide.
Even while some of these apps are doing the fundamentals well, the asthma industry still has a lot to learn from other health industries like the female health or nutrition apps.

— About Astma Aid

Asthma Aid is a management and monitoring app specifically designed for children living with asthma to help manage their health, which will be monitored by their parents / guardian.
This product addresses the biggest fear of parents whose children suffer from asthma attacks, which is being able to offer them an immediate solution when they get their attacks.

— Competitive Analysis

Before and after my interviews with intended users, I carried out a competitive analysis to see what was already in the market, what they were offering, and identify and uncover undeserved opportunities in the market that aren’t fully served by them.

I looked at direct and indirect competitors before identifying their strengths and weaknesses. Direct competitors have the same business model as Asthma Aid, focusing only on children. The most popular asthma apps for all ages are being led by indirect competitors.

I narrowed it down to two main competitors who were very similar to Asthma Aid. These two companies offer the benefit of self and better management for children with asthma.

In order to find the gap in the market, I conducted a feature comparison analysis:
While these competitors offered valuable features, I noticed some gaps I could aim to fill. From the user interviews, I learned that the children want to understand/master their triggers while their parents want to be able to monitor their kids even when they are not close to them.

— Design Process

This project placed the user at the center of the design and development process. This was achieved by carrying out user interviews via google meet with 3 categories of people

• A doctor
• Three young children living with asthma
• Three parents whose children live with asthma

From the conversation I had with the young children and the parents, I was able to draw out an empathy map, which helped to give me a deep understanding of their needs, which I broke down into possible solutions to the problem they defined.

My target users are children from the age of 6 to 18 who suffer from asthma attacks and have not mastered or controlled their triggers.