Silver Digital Product Design · 2025
Coco AI Healthcare Assistive App
- A' Design Award 2025 Silver Winner in Digital Product Design
- Awarded April 15, 2025
- CLIENT: Zhiqi Lin and Hanhui Li
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 36,060
- Verification code 0B419EE535 · Verify this award
About Coco AI Healthcare Assistive App
Coco is a mobile health application designed for adults aged 50 and over. The application combines personal medical data with condition specific guidance and verified health information in one interface. Daily check-ins, medication reminders and vital sign tracking support routine care, while connected wearable devices record readings in real time. Health summaries can be shared with family members and doctors. Simple language and clear navigation aid older users. Coco was created to reduce information overload and to support independent health management.
Zhiqi Lin and Hanhui Li's Coco AI Healthcare Assistive App emerges from the contemporary discourse surrounding digital health interventions and the humanization of medical technology interfaces. This Silver A' Design Award recipient demonstrates sophisticated understanding of how visual design choices directly impact user engagement with health management tools, particularly for audiences who may approach such technology with trepidation or unfamiliarity. The compositional decision to present three device states simultaneously invites viewers to comprehend the application as a complete ecosystem rather than isolated screens, suggesting narrative continuity and reliable companionship throughout the health monitoring journey. The chromatic strategy merits particular attention: the dominant cerulean operates within established conventions associating blue tones with medical professionalism, hygiene, and calm rationality, while the strategic deployment of warmer coral and amber accents at points of user action or attention requirement demonstrates nuanced understanding of color psychology in interaction design. The embracing, curved logomark—evocative perhaps of a protective arm or nurturing gesture—establishes emotional resonance before any functional engagement occurs, positioning the application as supportive companion rather than cold monitoring tool. Typography choices reinforce this approachability through friendly greeting conventions and conversational language, while the underlying grid system and generous spatial relationships ensure cognitive accessibility across diverse user populations. The data visualization approach on the insights screen deserves recognition for translating potentially anxiety-inducing health metrics into gentle, comprehensible visual narratives that encourage rather than alarm. One might consider how this design philosophy extends traditions of empathetic interface design while addressing the specific vulnerabilities of healthcare contexts—what does it mean to feel cared for by a digital artifact, and how do formal design choices construct that sensation of technological compassion?
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Coco is an AI health assistant app for adults aged 50+ to manage their health confidently and independently. Unlike generic conversational AI apps, it integrates personal medical data to deliver condition-specific, verified advice. Unique features include family/doctor sharing, fact-checked insights, and an intuitive design for aging populations. Coco empowers proactive health management, reducing stress and enhancing quality of life.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Coco is a mobile app
- Tags
- AI health assistant, health management, personalized care, senior wellness, medication tracking, vital monitoring, user-friendly app, proactive health, aging population, digital health, App design, UX Design, User Experience Design, User Interface Design, Mobile App Design
- Production Technology
- Coco will leverage advanced AI and machine learning algorithms to deliver personalized health insights. Designed for cross-platform compatibility, it will integrate secure cloud storage and wearable device connectivity for real-time health tracking. User-centered design methodologies ensure an intuitive interface, while planned testing with adults 50+ will refine accessibility and functionality.
- Design Challenge
- The primary challenge was designing an app that balances advanced AI-driven personalization with simplicity and accessibility for older adults. Ensuring easy-to-understand content, intuitive navigation, and compliance with health regulations required extensive user testing and iterative design. Addressing data security and accessibility standards added complexity, but the result is a user-friendly solution tailored to the unique needs of aging populations.
- Project Duration
- The project started in January 2023 in Seattle and was completed in February 2024 as a design concept.
- Operation Flow
- Users interact with Coco through a simple, intuitive interface. The app provides daily health check-ins, medication reminders, and personalized insights based on user data. It integrates with wearable devices to track vitals and offers condition-specific advice. Users can customize their experience, ensuring the app meets their unique health needs.
- Research
- The research aimed to address health management challenges for adults aged 50+. Through surveys, interviews, and usability testing with participants who are 50+, alongside a literature review, key pain points like information overload and chronic condition management were identified. Insights revealed a need for intuitive, personalized tools, shaping Coco’s design to empower users, reduce stress, and improve quality of life.
- Inspiration
- Adults 50+ face confusion and anxiety from conflicting health information, with 74% encountering misinformation and 60% lacking tools to verify accuracy. Managing chronic conditions, medications, and vitals becomes overwhelming, leading to lapses in care. Coco was designed to simplify health management, provide verified insights, and empower users to take control of their well-being, ensuring a healthier, stress-free retirement.
- Image Credits
- PDF Image source
Image #1: Photographer (Photographer) ELEVATE, “Three People Drinking Beer and Having Fun,” 2018.
Video Credit source
Video #1: Videographer (Videographer) Pressmaster, An Elderly Couple Jogging on the Sidewalk, n.d.
Video #2: Videographer (Videographer) Kampus Production, Elderly Couple on a Video Call, n.d. - Patents
- Copyrights belong to Hanhui Li and Zhiqi Lin, 2024.
Colors of Coco AI Healthcare Assistive App
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Healthcare-Focused Digital Product Design
We specialize in designing intuitive digital health solutions that empower users and enhance patient experiences. Our award-winning approach combines deep healthcare expertise with user-centered design principles, creating accessible interfaces for medical apps, patient portals, and health…
G0E3 ShopDesign Interview about Coco AI Healthcare Assistive App
COCO is grounded in the principle of compassionate technology. The idea emerged from observing the anxiety and confusion older adults face when navigating health-related decisions. Inspired by the warmth of pet companionship, COCO blends AI with a comforting presence to support users emotionally and cognitively.
The core focus was to humanize AI interactions for older adults, making health knowledge accessible and emotionally resonant. I aimed to reduce information overwhelm and increase confidence in managing chronic conditions, like diabetes, through gentle guidance and visual empathy.
I plan to continue refining COCO with user testing, particularly within senior communities. The long-term vision includes releasing it as a standalone mobile assistant with expanded features and applying for funding or partnerships for clinical validation.
The initial concept, research, design, branding, and first prototype took approximately 3 months. This included user interviews, accessibility testing, and multiple visual iterations.
This was an independent passion project born from personal inspiration. I witnessed firsthand how older relatives struggled with digital health tools. I pursued COCO to fill that emotional and usability gap.
COCO is not yet developed. While I am open to licensing or partnerships, I intend to maintain creative control to preserve its vision and integrity.
My background in accessible design and interest in elder tech led me to focus on this underserved group. There is a notable lack of emotionally supportive, well-designed health tools for people aged 50 and above.
Yes, the emotional storytelling in apps like Duolingo and the approachable tone of Totoro-like mascots inspired COCO’s friendly interface. I also drew from healthcare UI patterns but softened their tone for emotional approachability.
COCO is designed for newly diagnosed diabetic adults aged 50+, especially those who feel intimidated by traditional medical apps and are seeking emotional reassurance alongside practical guidance.
Most health apps focus on tracking or clinical metrics. COCO focuses on emotional trust, combining AI explanations with visual storytelling and a mascot that feels like a caring companion.
“COCO” is short, soft, and easy to remember—designed for ease of pronunciation among older users. It evokes the warmth of a pet’s name while also being abstract enough to feel brandable and tech-friendly.
I used Figma for UX/UI.
The fusion of AI explanations with emotion support. It’s not just a tool — it becomes a relationship.
This was a solo project, though I consulted informally with a gerontologist and two seniors with diabetes to ensure empathy and clarity in the experience.
Technology powers the AI health assistant that offers real-time food and recipe feedback. But it’s intentionally masked by a friendly interface to make it less intimidating.
Yes, I conducted secondary research on diabetes self-management and health literacy in older populations. I also synthesized insights from interviews and accessibility guidelines for aging users.
The biggest challenge was balancing clarity with emotional tone. Medical information needed to be accurate yet feel caring — finding the right voice took multiple iterations.
I believe COCO’s mission aligns with global design values — inclusive, empowering, and empathetic. Sharing it on an international stage can spark conversations about aging, health, and emotional design.
This project deepened my understanding of inclusive design, not just in physical accessibility but emotional usability. It also sharpened my storytelling skills across branding and interface design.
Only that COCO isn’t just a product — it’s a belief that older adults deserve technology that cares, comforts, and champions them. It’s a gentle rebellion against cold, clinical design.
Grand Interview about Coco AI Healthcare Assistive App
We started with focused interviews with adults over 50, many of whom were managing chronic conditions or caring for aging family members. These conversations revealed a clear pattern: confusion around fragmented health information, low confidence in navigating digital tools, and a desire for warmth and clarity in healthcare experiences. These insights directly informed COCO’s core features—simplified language, voice-first interaction, and a friendly, companion-like design. This human-centered approach led to global recognition, including a Silver A’ Design Award, Gold & Silver Muse Design Awards (USA), and a UX Design Award nomination (Germany). These honors reinforce that accessible, emotionally intelligent design can have meaningful global impact.
One of our biggest challenges was creating a system powerful enough to provide tailored insights, while remaining approachable for users with limited tech literacy. We tackled this through progressive disclosure—showing basic information first and revealing more only if the user asks. We also prioritized clear typography, large touch targets, and voice-based interaction. Balancing AI’s potential with cognitive ease was a constant thread through our design iterations. Accessibility wasn’t just a feature; it was the framing lens for all technological decisions.
COCO addresses health misinformation by guaranteeing that every piece of information it shares is backed by a verifiable and reputable source. All health insights come from trusted medical organizations such as the CDC, NIH, and Mayo Clinic. When users ask a question, COCO not only provides a clear, easy-to-understand answer—it also cites the specific source so users can review the original information if they wish. This approach builds transparency and trust, empowering users to make informed decisions while reducing the risk of falling for misinformation.
Many older adults we interviewed mentioned the burden of constantly updating loved ones or forgetting to relay important details to their doctors. This inspired COCO’s “Shared Circle” feature, allowing users to selectively share insights, reminders, or progress with caregivers and healthcare providers. Importantly, this feature was designed to support independence, not replace it. Users stay in control—deciding what to share, when, and with whom—while receiving an added layer of encouragement and accountability.
We focused on tracking features that directly impacted day-to-day management of common chronic conditions: medication adherence, blood pressure, sleep, and hydration. These were prioritized based on both user interviews and public health data. For visualization, we avoided overwhelming charts in favor of trend-based storytelling—COCO summarizes changes in natural language (“Your average sleep improved this week”) with the option to dive into simple graphs. Winning the Silver A’ Design Award validated our belief that inclusive design and innovation can go hand in hand.
We went through over a dozen iterations, each informed by direct usability testing with users over 50. We conducted think-aloud sessions and eye-tracking studies, where we quickly learned that even slight interface clutter caused confusion. We trimmed excess, prioritized conversational onboarding, and even reduced color contrast in certain states to minimize cognitive strain. Every refinement was rooted in feedback. Our mantra was: “Simple is not less—simple is respectful.” That philosophy guided every design choice.
In the future, we envision COCO evolving into a full-spectrum preventive care companion. We’re exploring deeper integration with wearable data, predictive health modeling, and even emotional well-being monitoring. As loneliness becomes an increasing health risk among older adults, COCO may also adopt emotionally intelligent dialogue to provide not just medical guidance, but comfort. Our goal is to grow with the user—not just react to illness, but proactively support aging with dignity and empowerment.
From tone of voice to visual language, everything about COCO was designed to soothe. The mascot-inspired persona (though not a literal pet) provides emotional continuity. We also focused on giving feedback that was encouraging rather than alarming. For example, instead of alerting a user that a reading is “too high,” COCO says, “Let’s keep an eye on this and consider a few gentle changes.” This subtle shift helps users feel in control rather than defeated.
COCO was built to be a frontline defense against misinformation. In addition to surfacing source citations and trustworthy content, COCO also includes explainers for medical jargon and visual cues indicating trust levels (e.g., green check for verified claims). By blending education with verification, COCO transforms passive consumption into active understanding—an essential shift for older adults managing complex health conditions.
We implemented a dynamic personalization engine that adjusts based on user behavior, language patterns, and engagement history. Users who prefer voice interaction get more spoken responses, while others may prefer concise text summaries. The system also adjusts vocabulary complexity depending on user comprehension levels, learned over time. Personalization isn't just aesthetic—it’s structural, helping each user feel like COCO was made for them. This tailored experience was instrumental in COCO’s recognition on the international design stage.