AeroGuide
Revolutionizing Asthma Education with a Multimodal Approach
The challenge
Nearly a million patients are admitted to the ER due to incorrect inhaler use. With AeroGuide, we’re changing that—using augmented reality right from your smartphone.
The solution
AeroGuide is a prototype that uses augmented reality and video instructions to teach proper inhaler technique in a clear, engaging, and user-friendly way. Through usability testing n = 24, formats combining audio and visual support were shown to improve comprehension and emotional connection significantly.
Timeline
January 2025 - May 2025
Role
UX Designer and UX Researcher
Research Question
“Does the type of content delivery and the type of feature complexity (AR vs Video) impact the app’s effectiveness?”
Hypothesis
The type of content delivery, level of user engagement, and the type of feature complexity do not significantly impact the app's effectiveness. This includes the user's comprehension, engagement, preference and emotional response.
Wireframe
Recruitment
This IRB-approved study tested how different formats—AR and video, each with audio or text—influenced user understanding and experience in asthma education. Usability testing showed that video with audio was the most effective for comprehension and engagement. AR with text proved less accessible, pointing to usability challenges. The findings highlight how thoughtful content delivery can improve digital health tools.
Tasks
Augmented reality with text
Participants who consume the content will be able to see themselves using the inhaler. The written instructions on using a metered dose inhaler will appear as participants complete each action guided by the prototype.
Augmented reality with audio
Participants consuming the content were able to see themselves using the inhaler. The instructions will be audio on using a metered dose inhaler and be narrated as participants completed each action guided by the prototype.
Video with audio
Participants saw a “How to use metered dose inhaler” YouTube video without any caption. The instructions were narrated as participants completed each action, guided by the video.
Video with Text
Participants saw a “how to use metered dose inhaler” YouTube video with a caption and no audio. The instructions were written as participants complete each action guided by the video.
Results
Descriptive Statistics
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77.2% selected easy-to neutral toward AR with audio, video with audio, and video with text.
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22.7% selected dissatisfied, the five people who have augmented reality with text
According to descriptive and inferential statistics, audio-enhanced content is more effective for learning, while text-based instructions in AR environments may require design improvements to reduce cognitive strain. The study contributes to the growing field of digital health education by providing empirical evidence on the effectiveness of various content delivery methods.
Reflection
Combining my interest in healthcare with my passion for technology and design, provided an exciting opportunity to merge my interests. However, like any other project, it was not without its constraints
Constraints #1: Participant demographic
The usability testing participants consisted solely of similar age groups and educational backgrounds. This skewed the gathered data, as participants tend to be more comfortable with mobile applications and more receptive to adopting new technology. A diverse range of participants would have been ideal to ensure a more representative user base and provide more accurate insights.
Constraints #2: Engineering feasibility
During this capstone project, the design possibilities were limitless within the confines of BlipAR. However, in a real-world application development scenario, engineering feasibility would play a significant role in both the overall application design and the implementation of the augmented reality.
Constraints #3: Regulatory Validation
While the study demonstrated promising results in identifying effective content formats for asthma education, any real-world implementation of these tools—particularly in patient-facing healthcare settings—would require regulatory validation. Educational content delivered through emerging technologies like AR may need to meet standards set by agencies such as the FDA to ensure accuracy, safety, and effectiveness. These considerations are essential for translating research into compliant, clinically reliable digital health solutions.
Constraints #4: Time
If I were to continue working on this project, I would conduct a second phase of usability testing to validate the updates made to the original design. As a result, it is uncertain whether or not the changes truly have a positive impact on the user experience of the application. If time permitted, a second round of usability testing would have been done to validate the changes, and determine the additional areas that could be targeted for improvement.
if you want to read my full report, you can access it here. Send me an email or a message on LinkedIn if you would like to discuss my work in more details :)
Other Projects
Microsoft Team - Usability Study
Haptive - UI Design
