UX4SCI: User-Centered App Design
How can targeted interface design improve the use and acceptance of an mHealth app by people with spinal cord injury?
Factsheet
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Schools involved
School of Health Professions
Bern Academy of the Arts - Institute(s) Academic-Practice-Partnership Insel Gruppe/ BFH
- Strategic thematic field Thematic field "Humane Digital Transformation"
- Funding organisation BFH
- Duration (planned) 01.12.2025 - 31.12.2026
- Head of project Prof. Dr. Anja Raab
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Project staff
Nicolo Bernasconi
Ramona Larissa Tschuppert
Dr. Renato Mattli - Keywords UX Design, Spinal Cord Injury, Human Digital Transformation, Lifestyle Interventions
Situation
The project builds on an ongoing pilot study at the School of Health-Professions at BFH in collaboration with a clinical partner in Norway. This pilot addresses all six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine within a single app: physical activity, nutrition, stress management, sleep, social relationships, and substance use. The goal is to create an evidence-based, everyday-integrated mHealth solution to promote health-related quality of life. One crucial element is still missing: interface design. Hand function after spinal cord injury varies depending on the level of lesion, which creates different requirements for operating digital devices. Inclusive interface design is essential to reduce barriers and enable digital participation.
Course of action
The project follows a human-centered design approach for digital health interventions (DHIs) and relies on co-design involving healthcare professionals, designers, and individuals with spinal cord injury. Across nine work packages, qualitative methods such as focus group interviews and usability testing are applied. The iterative development process includes analyzing existing apps, identifying user needs, defining UX profiles, and creating a clickable prototype. This prototype will be tested and refined through multiple cycles. Insights gained will inform the final interface design.
Result
The project aims to develop a user-centered and inclusive mHealth intervention for people with spinal cord injury. By integrating UX design, it enhances usability, acceptance, and participation. Considering functional limitations promotes accessibility and strengthens user autonomy. The project bridges research, design, and clinical practice, creating an evidence-based foundation for advancing digital health solutions.
