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Medical device · iOS & Android

Ares

Making professional electrotherapy usable by anyone, regardless of age or technical confidence.

Role
Lead UX/UI Designer
Client
Ares · Wepere
Platform
iOS · Android · Hardware
Team
Engineers, researchers, developers

At a glance

  • −47%setup time, from about 5 minutes
  • 5screens from pairing to an active session

Challenge

Electrostimulation is intimidating: for older, less technical users the interface itself blocks the treatment.

Approach

A guided, step-by-step flow with anatomical visuals instead of a control panel.

Result

Setup about 47% faster, from roughly 5 minutes in usability tests.

01

The problem

Electrostimulation is clinically effective for muscle recovery, but the devices that control it are complex and intimidating. For older adults and less technical users, the interface itself becomes the barrier to treatment, which means the therapy never delivers its benefit.

Who it was for: not tech-savvy early adopters, but people who needed the therapy to work without first learning the tool, in clinical and home settings. The professional uses the device first, in the clinic, then gives it to the patient to continue the therapy at home, alone.

In usability tests on the product before the redesign, setting up a session took about 5 minutes.

Desk research · why guidance matters

36%of adults 65+ live with chronic pain, versus 24.3% of all adultsCDC, NCHS Data Brief 518 (2023)
28%real adherence to a home TENS protocol, when measured by the device itselfChief Scientist Office Scotland, TCS1655
48%of adults 65+ usually need someone to set up or explain a new devicePew Research Center (2017)

Takeaway: the people who need pain relief most are the least supported by today's devices.

Fig. 01Desk research: chronic pain, device confidence and real adherence

Competitive analysis · feature coverage

Hardware remoteGeneric TENS appAres
Visual electrode placement––●
Tap the body to pick an area––●
Pain level drives the program–●●
One decision per screen––●
Large, high-contrast controls●–●
Session timer & history–●●
Fig. 02Feature coverage against hardware remotes and generic TENS apps

User needs · from interviews & observation

PrimaryOlder home users

Know exactly where the pads go, without reading a manual

PrimaryNon-technical users

Start a session in a few taps and never feel stuck

SecondaryClinicians

Trust that protocols at home match what was prescribed

Fig. 03User needs from interviews and observation
02

My role

Role

Lead UX/UI Designer

Lead UX/UI designer, embedded with engineers, researchers and developers from concept to delivery.

Worked with

  • Engineers
  • Researchers
  • Developers

What I owned

  1. 01Journey mapping
  2. 02Interaction model
  3. 03UI for iOS & Android
  4. 04Usability testing
Fig. 04Who shaped the product, and what each group needed
03

How I approached it

The central tension was precision versus simplicity. Professional protocols need precise parameters; non-technical users need to feel they cannot get it wrong. I mapped the user journey across clinical and home contexts, found where complexity could be abstracted away, and replaced a control panel with a guided, step-by-step model.

Designing for safety: in a medical product, a wrong setting is a safety issue, not an annoyance. The guided flow walks the user through each step in order, so there is one clear action at a time. Because Ares is classified as a medical device, colors, shapes, hierarchy and contrast were analysed against IEC 62366, the usability engineering standard for medical devices.

Testing: I validated the design with usability tests on older and non-technical users.

Key decisions

  1. 01Every device control on one screenIntensity, pause, stop and mode always in reach, nothing behind menus.
  2. 02Body zones first, then placement and intensityWhere electrodes go first, then how to place them and set the intensity.
  3. 03Technical detail removed or reducedParameters users don't need were cut, within what regulations require.
  4. 04Colors, shapes, hierarchy and contrast checked against IEC 62366Every visual choice checked for usability and safety.
ARES · WIREFLOW · IPHONE 414 × 896WIREFLOW — From pairing to a running sessionA patient at home, often alone, connects the device, picks a treatment and an area, places the electrodes and runsthe session. One clear action per screen; the key step is placement and pain level.01Connect deviceDEVICEPaired once, then it reconnectsevery time the app opens.02Choose treatmentUSERTENS, EMS or massage,one tap on the body screen.03Pick the areaUSERTap the zone on the body,front or back.04Place & set painUSERElectrode guide on the realanatomy, pain level in one slider.05Run the sessionUSERIntensity, pause, stop andlock on one dial.06Track progressDEVICEEvery session saved toactivity and history.tap zoneElectrodes placedand pain level set?no · the guide stays on screenyes · startendSTATE CHANGETreatment, area and pain levelset the program, no parameters.THE DEVICE IN THE FLOWThe real hardware appears on screen,matching what the user holds.ONE DIAL, EVERY CONTROL1 mAintensity · pause · stop · lockPARALLEL LANEClinician → patientCLINICIANThe professional uses the device first,then hands it over for therapy at home.IN THE CLINICFirst session set and explainedon the patient, with the same app.hand-offAT HOMEThe patient repeats it alone,guided step by step, from 01 to 06.LEGENDUSER — patient's actionDEVICE — automatic stepCLINICIAN — clinic to homeKey stepDecision pointDEVICEiOS & Android app paired with the Ares electrostimulator · TENS, EMS and massage.SYSTEM EVENTSDevice paired → program set from treatment, area and pain → intensity follows the dial → session saved.
Fig. 05Wireflow: from pairing to a running session, with the clinic-to-home hand-off
123
  1. 1Anatomical view shows exactly where each electrode goes
  2. 2Pain level in one slider, no medical jargon
  3. 3A single, large action to start
Fig. 06Electrode placement and pain level
123
  1. 1Intensity in the centre, readable at arm's length
  2. 2Every control on one dial, sized for thumbs
  3. 3Timer always visible, so a session is never left half-done
Fig. 07Session control dial
04

What I built

Anatomical visuals show where to place electrodes, the real hardware appears in the flow, and the app controls sit beside them, so the interface matches what the user holds in their hands. Designed in Figma.

  • Device pairing
  • Anatomical body map, front and back
  • Electrode placement guide
  • Pain-level driven programs
  • Session dial: intensity, pause, stop
  • TENS, EMS and massage modes
Connect the device
01Connect the device
Choose treatment · front
02Choose treatment · front
Choose area · back
03Choose area · back
Placement & pain level
04Placement & pain level
Active EMS session
05Active EMS session
Fig. 08Hi-fi screens, from pairing to an active session

Type · Roboto · sizes in pt on the 414 × 896 screen

TitleLEG-THIGHMedium 500 · 30 pt · caps
Card titleLEG-THIGHMedium 500 · 18 pt · caps
Value7Light 300 · 36 pt
Timer29:30Medium 500 · 44 pt
ButtonSTARTMedium 500 · 20 pt · caps
TabTENS · EMS · MASSMedium 500 · 17 pt · caps
ParagraphSelect pain levelRegular 400 · 14 pt
CaptionActivity · Home · SettingsRegular 400 · 12 pt

Color

Ares yellow#F8CC4DNight#101010Graphite#3A3A3APaper#F4F4F2Connected#2FD25A

Components

TENSEMSMASSSTART
TapKneadRub

Electrode pad

Safety · IEC 62366

StopAlways on the dial, never behind a menu
LockFreezes intensity against accidental taps
ContrastYellow on night 12.4:1, readable at arm's length
Fig. 09Type scale with weights, colour, components and IEC 62366 safety controls
05

The result

  • −47%setup time, from about 5 minutes
  • 5screens from pairing to an active session

Before the redesign, setting up a session took about 5 minutes in usability tests. After the redesign, setup time dropped by about 47% among older and non-technical users, and a working prototype let us test the interaction with real users.

Usability tests · before vs after the redesign

Time to set up a session

Before≈ 5 min
With Ares≈ 2.6 min−47%

Same tasks before and after: pairing, placing electrodes, choosing a program and starting a session.

Fig. 10Setup time, before vs after the redesign

Contact

Let's build something people use and businesses need.

bressanleonardo@hotmail.comGet in touch