A theory-driven user-centered design framework for wellness applications targeting young adults: The MiCARE
Ayesha Thanthrige1, Nilmini Wickramasinghe1
1School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
Digital Health
|April 3, 2026
Summary
Developing an AI-augmented wellness app for young adults requires user-centered design, focusing on personalization and cultural relevance to improve engagement. This study provides a framework for creating effective digital health solutions.
Area of Science:
- Digital Health
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Lifestyle medicine is crucial for chronic disease management, with digital wellness apps offering scalable solutions.
- Current apps often lack evidence-based design, personalization, and cultural relevance, leading to poor engagement, especially in young adults.
- User and expert input is vital for designing effective and engaging digital health tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically develop a design framework and feature blueprint for an AI-augmented wellness web app.
- To enhance engagement and understanding among young adults using digital wellness applications.
- To document a replicable process for digital health researchers and developers.
Main Methods:
- A three-phase, user-centered design process was employed, including literature reviews, expert consultations, and formative research with young adults.
- Figma prototypes were developed and evaluated with iterative feedback from domain experts.
- The study involved systematic literature review, expert consultations, user research, and iterative prototype development.
Main Results:
- Identified barriers to engagement include high dropout rates, lack of personalization, and cultural insensitivity.
- Key design objectives derived from user and expert feedback: empathy-driven interaction, equity-focused accessibility, culturally responsive personalization, incremental goal setting, and intuitive onboarding.
- User preferences indicated a leaning towards grid layouts, large buttons, and minimalist design aesthetics.
Conclusions:
- Presents a theory-driven, stakeholder-informed methodology for designing AI-augmented wellness app features with inclusive principles.
- Offers a replicable approach for developing engagement-focused digital health solutions tailored for young adults.
- Highlights the need for rigorous usability testing of the functional prototype to validate preliminary design specifications.
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