SIMPLIFYING
GLUTEN FREE
Simplifying Gluten-Free is my senior Design Thesis focused on improving how individuals with Celiac disease manage their daily health routines. Living gluten-free requires constant vigilance—tracking meals, monitoring symptoms, and organizing medical information. While healthcare providers emphasize strict adherence to these practices, the reality is that maintaining this level of tracking can feel overwhelming and difficult to sustain over time.
This project explores how human-centered design can bridge the gap between medical necessity and everyday patient experience. The result is Morsel, a prototype mobile app designed to simplify gluten-free living through intuitive meal and symptom tracking, clear data visualization, and an accessible interface. By transforming tracking into a more manageable—and even enjoyable—daily ritual, Morsel helps users better understand patterns in their data to navigate their health needs with greater confidence and peace of mind.
project journey
As someone living with Celiac disease myself, this project began with personal curiosity about why existing tools often feel difficult to maintain long-term. I conducted survey research with members of the gluten-free community and analyzed academic studies on the role of gamification in habit-tracking systems to understand how design can support sustained engagement with daily health behaviors.
Insights from this research informed the structure of the Morsel app. I developed early wireframes that focused on simplifying symptom and meal logging while surfacing meaningful patterns through clear monthly trend visualizations. From there, I refined the interface through iterative user testing, using feedback to improve usability, clarity, and accessibility.
Morsel introduces a customizable companion character that changes alongside the user as they track meals and symptoms. Users earn coin rewards for consistent tracking, which can be used to unlock new clothing and accessories for their character—adding a playful layer of motivation to the experience.
The character design process began with loose sketches exploring different animal silhouettes that felt friendly and expressive.
