Why Leo is Built This Way
Every pixel, interaction, and feature in Leo is the result of deliberate design decisions. Here's the thinking behind how we built Leo.
Core Design Principles
These six principles guide every design decision we make at Leo.
Empathy First
Every design decision starts with understanding the user's emotional state. Managing health is stressful - Leo should reduce anxiety, not add to it.
Cognitive Simplicity
Health management is complex enough. Leo's interface should feel effortless, hiding complexity without removing capability.
Privacy by Design
Health data is deeply personal. Privacy isn't a feature we add later - it's woven into every architectural decision.
Inclusive Accessibility
Leo should work for everyone - regardless of age, ability, or technical experience. Accessibility is a core feature, not an afterthought.
Motivate, Don't Manipulate
Gamification should encourage healthy behaviors through intrinsic motivation, not exploit psychological vulnerabilities.
Respect Time
Users shouldn't spend time in Leo - they should spend time living their lives. Every interaction should be as quick as possible.
Color & Typography
Our color palette was chosen to feel calming and trustworthy while maintaining excellent accessibility.
Primary Palette
Leo Teal
#66BCB3
Primary actions, success states
Leo Blue
#41719C
Secondary actions, links
Purple Accent
#8B5CF6
Gamification, focus mode
Why teal? It's calming (associated with healing), distinct from medical red/blue, and maintains excellent contrast ratios for accessibility.
Semantic Colors
Q1: Do First
Urgent & important
Q2: Schedule
Important, not urgent
Q3: Delegate
Urgent, not important
Q4: Eliminate
Neither
Success
Completed, positive
Warning
Attention needed
Dark Mode Philosophy
Dark mode isn't just inverted colors - it's a completely rethought experience. We reduce contrast to ease eye strain, adjust color saturation for OLED displays, and ensure all interactive elements remain visible.
Key Design Decisions
Behind every feature is a decision. Here are some of the important ones we made and why.
Design Decision
How should we handle missed medication doses?
We chose:
Notify with care, no guilt. Offer to log late or skip with a reason.
Reasoning:
Research shows guilt-based approaches increase anxiety and decrease long-term adherence. Users who feel supported are more likely to maintain habits.
Alternative considered: Aggressive reminders and streak penalties
Design Decision
Should productivity tasks integrate with health?
We chose:
Yes, through the Eisenhower Matrix with health-aware prioritization.
Reasoning:
Health management tasks compete for attention with life tasks. By integrating them into one system, we reduce the mental overhead of managing multiple apps.
Alternative considered: Keep health and productivity completely separate
Design Decision
How should gamification points be structured?
We chose:
Q2 (important, not urgent) tasks give the most points.
Reasoning:
Most people neglect Q2 tasks despite their long-term importance. By making them more rewarding, we subtly train users to prioritize what truly matters.
Alternative considered: All tasks worth equal points
Design Decision
What data should NFC stickers contain?
We chose:
Only a random 16-character ID, no health information.
Reasoning:
If a sticker is lost or seen by others, it reveals nothing. All health data lives securely in Firestore with the ID as a lookup key.
Alternative considered: Embed medication name and dosage on the sticker
Design Decision
How should family sharing permissions work?
We chose:
Patient controls what caregivers can see, with granular permissions.
Reasoning:
Trust must be built, especially with teens. Giving patients control over their data encourages honest engagement rather than avoidance.
Alternative considered: Parents have full visibility over children's data
Design Decision
Should we use push notifications aggressively?
We chose:
Minimal, respectful notifications with user-controlled timing.
Reasoning:
Notification fatigue leads to users disabling all alerts. Strategic, well-timed notifications preserve their effectiveness.
Alternative considered: Frequent reminders to maximize engagement
Designed for Each Platform
Leo adapts to each platform while maintaining a consistent experience.
iPhone
The full Leo experience with all features, optimized for touch and native iOS patterns.
- Native SwiftUI components
- iOS design guidelines
- Haptic feedback
- Dynamic Type support
Apple Watch
Glanceable information and quick actions optimized for the wrist.
- Complications for watch faces
- Quick dose logging
- Health data sync
- Always-on display support
Widgets
Home screen widgets for at-a-glance health status without opening the app.
- Multiple sizes available
- Today's tasks overview
- Medication reminders
- Streak tracking
Design is Never Done
Leo evolves based on user feedback, new research, and emerging best practices. We're always looking for ways to make health management easier.
User Research
Regular usability testing with real patients
Accessibility Audits
Quarterly reviews with accessibility experts
Design Systems
Evolving component library for consistency
Experience Thoughtful Design
Download Leo and see how intentional design makes health management feel effortless.