Overview

A health & diet app for diabetes and indigestion in India

The Health and Diet industry in India is shaped by the rising prevalence of diabetes and indigestion. This case study follows the UX of an app that answers both.

I told it as a conversation between a UX designer and a stakeholder panel of Dev, Business, Product, Marketing and Sales teams, so every design choice answers a real question.

Why this Industry:

Every family, mine included, has someone battling diabetes or chronic acidity.

The Problem

Poor dietary management is fuelling two widespread conditions

Over 101 million people in India live with diabetes, and 756 million face digestive health issues. Diabetes strains public health and economic stability, made worse by inadequate dietary management. Indigestion and acidity bring out-of-pocket costs driven by stress, emotional eating and costly treatment.

Who I designed for. An urban homemaker, 56–65, married, city-based. Indigestion and acidity disrupt her daily routine. Moving from traditional to urban eating has made them worse. She gets conflicting advice, has no tailored guidance and a limited budget, and juggles household responsibilities.

Core problem. Difficulty adapting her diet to her specific needs, because recommendations don't consider her busy lifestyle.

Design challenge. Personalised, convenient meal planning that fits her dietary needs and supports digestive health.

Insight to Design

Four questions from the panel for the designer POV

Panel:

What's the market opportunity? How does it align with our business goals, and what ROI can we expect?.

UX Designer:

Diabetes costs India ₹2,500 Cr a year in health spend. The app serves an underserved audience through subscriptions, health-provider partnerships and insurer collaborations.

Panel:

What's the growth potential? How do we position the product, which features drive success, and how do we measure impact?

UX Designer:

Diabetes is projected to grow from $98B to $126B by 2026, and digestive health to reach $63B by 2028. Position it on AI-powered personalisation and emotional storytelling. Lead with personalised meal plans and health tracking, measured by adoption, satisfaction and retention.

Panel:

How do the wireframes stay aligned with user needs and business goals, and how will success be measured?

UX Designer:

Intuitive layouts with clear decision paths for the AI meal plans and seamless learning in the Digestive Health Hub. Success is task success rate and user satisfaction.

Panel:

How do we keep designs feasible and consistent with the grid across responsive breakpoints?

UX Designer:

Precise grid specs through Figma (4 columns, 24px gutters) so CSS Grid can be pixel-perfect, and joint testing of breakpoints so key elements stay aligned on every device.

What the persona's needs became

• Meals that fit her day. Recommendations use her preferences, dietary restrictions and health goals. A database of local restaurants lets her order low-sugar, low-refined-carb meals on the go.

• Fewer choices to make. Hick's Law: a limited set of Daily Plans. Fitts's Law: large bottom navigation and Log Meal button. Jakob's Law: a familiar header, sections and bottom nav.

• Light mode. Better readability for text-heavy content, familiarity for older users in India, a professional look that builds trust, and clear hierarchy for nutrition values and ratings.

• One consistent system. A 4-point spacing system on a 4-column grid, mobile-first, with reusable components such as meal cards and buttons.

The Solution

PLAN, LEARN, ASK: IN ONE APP

AI-powered dietary recommendation

Stepped onboarding sets health goals, weight, a fasting blood glucose target etc. Daily plans for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Snacks lead to recommended meals with filters. Each meal shows nutrition (protein, carbs, fats, fibre), ingredients and recipe steps, with Save, View Alternative and Order Meal. An analysis view tracks progress and health metrics with AI-suggested improvements.

Health awareness hub.

Articles, videos, infographics and community discussions on causes, remedies and everyday tips.

Virtual dietitian consultation

Browse dietitians with ratings, reviews and FAQs, choose a date and time slot, then review a summary, before confirming and paying. Cancel and reschedule are on hand.

Metrics defined.

• Business: rising healthcare costs from dietary mismanagement.

• Product: user retention through flexible, personalised recommendations.

• Marketing: conversion through customised solutions for busy lifestyles.