Sprout Care
Summary
Growing up in Taiwan, I remember the day our school's sexual education class was canceled. The teachers were too shy to talk about periods—what we called "red aunty." Left without guidance, many of us girls felt confused and ashamed about this natural part of growing up. We didn't have the education we needed to handle our first menstrual cycles, and we wondered why something so normal was treated like a secret.
This isn't just a personal story; it's a widespread issue. There are nearly 4 billion women in the world, and about 2.4 billion experience menstruation. Many live in conservative cultures where talking about periods is nearly impossible because of traditions and religious beliefs. Even in more open societies, the topic can make people uncomfortable. This silence leads to misinformation and shame, affecting girls' relationships with their bodies and families.
The challenge
I wanted to change this. With my thesis project, Sprout Care, I asked myself:
How can we help young girls navigate their first menstruation?
How can we fight the misinformation and shame surrounding it?
If we could create something that addresses these issues, the impact would be huge. It would help girls build better relationships with their families and their own bodies. It would dramatically improve their overall well-being.
Solution
Sprout Care is more than just a product; it's a tool for change. It's designed to educate girls about menstruation in a way that's respectful of cultural sensitivities but also open and honest. It offers:
An educational kit: Presented as a gift, it turns a sensitive topic into a positive experience.
User-Friendly Design: Created with careful attention to both UX and UI to make it approachable for young girls.
Support for parents: Helps families start conversations that might otherwise be difficult.
My role
As part of a team of two designers (my friend and myself), I focused on several key responsibilities:
Ideation: Sketched out initial ideas and concepts.
UX Research: I was responsible for the UXR of the project.
UX and UI development: Worked on making the product intuitive and engaging.
Graphic Design: Created visuals that are both appealing and informative.
Assisted in 3D Design: Contributed to the physical aspects of the product.
App prototype creation: Designed and built the app prototype.
Toolstack
Here is an overview of the tools I used:
Sketch
Google Forms
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Marvel App
Framer
Impact and Reflection
The final product is a model of what Sprout Care can be—a combination of thoughtful design and practical education. During testing, our prototype was very well received by our peers and professors. It was commended for its innovative approach and was one of the best-graded projects of that year.
This project was deeply personal for me. I saw firsthand how the lack of education about menstruation affects girls. By creating Sprout Care, we're offering a solution that could have a positive impact on society. It can:
Eradicate Fear: Providing accurate information reduces anxiety.
Reduce Health Risks: Educated girls are better prepared to take care of themselves.
Promote Happiness: Understanding their bodies leads to increased confidence.
From a design perspective, working on Sprout Care taught me a lot about user-centered design and the importance of empathy in creating products that truly help people. The positive reception of our project has encouraged us to believe that our research and prototype could inspire healthcare providers to adopt or develop similar tools in the future.
Maybe one day, we can eradicate the stigma and misinformation entirely.
Design Process
Every meaningful project begins by identifying the problems it aims to solve. My teammate and I sat down and listed the issues we had experienced personally and observed in others—social hurdles, physical challenges, and widespread misinformation.
We pinpointed three main pain points:
Pain Point I: Social stigma in Asia
Menstruation is stigmatized worldwide, but in conservative Asian societies like Taiwan, the issue is even more intense. I vividly remember the whispers and secrecy surrounding "red aunty." Talking about periods was taboo, making a natural process feel shameful and embarrassing. This cultural silence deepened feelings of isolation among young girls.
Pain Point II: The feeling of Helplessness
Because menstruation was such a forbidden topic, finding accurate information or support was nearly impossible. Friends avoided discussing it, often out of fear or discomfort. Schools weren't much help either; they skipped sexual education classes in favor of subjects like geography. This lack of guidance left many of us feeling alone and unprepared to handle our first periods.
Pain Point III: Our body
Older generation females know how to read their body messages better. This is not the case today, many are surprised when the aunty visits.
Moving from hypotheses to facts
Taking the lead in validating our initial hypotheses, I focused on gathering real-world insights. I conducted interviews with women across different age groups to understand their experiences with menstruation more deeply.
I arranged these conversations in informal and private settings—cafes, small university classes, and quiet office spaces—to make our interviewees feel comfortable sharing personal stories. While the atmosphere was relaxed, I followed a structured set of guidelines to ensure I collected meaningful and consistent data.
Having dealt with these issues myself provided a solid foundation, but the interviews opened my eyes to a broader range of problems. I heard stories and challenges I hadn't even considered. Some women shared feelings of isolation; others spoke about misconceptions that affected their health. Many highlighted the lack of open dialogue within their families.
After the interviews, I carefully analyzed all the information I had gathered. I categorized the problems and ranked them from "minor" to "acute/pressing." This process helped identify the most critical issues that needed to be addressed and guided the development of our solution.
From hypotheses to data: Unveiling the core issue
To further validate my hypotheses, I expanded my research with a larger-scale anonymous questionnaire using Google Forms. Crafting the questions was a delicate process—I needed to ask direct questions to uncover meaningful insights while remaining sensitive to a topic that many people find uncomfortable.
The effort was worth it. I received approximately 300 responses, which provided enough data to confidently call it a proper quantitative study. The results confirmed what I had suspected: my hypotheses were correct.
One insight stood out above all the rest: misinformation was the root cause of every issue. Whether it was the stigma, feelings of helplessness, or a disconnection with one’s body, all these challenges traced back to a lack of accurate knowledge and open conversations.
With this clarity, I had my case. It was time to take the next step and design a solution. Sprout Care was about to take shape.
Design Sprint
One of my favorite design methods for turning ideas into reality is the Design Sprint. Created by Jake Knapp at Google Ventures, this process is a powerful way to tackle big challenges, prototype solutions, and gather feedback—all in just five days. It’s more than a tool; it’s a comprehensive framework that combines design thinking, rapid experimentation, and collaboration. For me, it encapsulates everything I value in design: speed, agility, teamwork, and (of course) plenty of healthy snacks to keep the energy flowing.
Why the Design Sprint?
Choosing the Design Sprint for this project was not just a practical decision—it was the most logical and strategic approach to solving a problem as complex and personal as this one.
The challenges we faced were multifaceted, involving cultural stigma, misinformation, and emotional sensitivities surrounding menstruation. We weren’t just designing a product; we were addressing deeply ingrained societal norms and personal experiences. To create a meaningful solution, we needed a process that allowed us to:
Move quickly: Time was limited, but the stakes were high. The five-day Sprint provided a structured yet efficient way to explore, refine, and test ideas without losing momentum.
Involve empathy: The problem demanded a user-centered approach to ensure our solution resonated with girls and families. The Sprint’s emphasis on understanding and testing with real users aligned perfectly with this need.
Mitigate risk: Building a full product without validating its effectiveness would have been risky and potentially wasteful. The Sprint gave us a shortcut to learning, enabling us to test our ideas without committing to full-scale development.
Foster creativity: Tackling stigma and misinformation required creative, out-of-the-box thinking. The Sprint’s structured yet open approach encouraged us to explore a wide range of ideas before narrowing down to the most promising ones.
Setting the Stage
With our hypotheses validated and backed by data, we had a strong starting point. The Design Sprint offered a clear structure to channel our insights into tangible outcomes. It provided the balance we needed: the freedom to experiment and the discipline to focus on creating a solution that was both functional and emotionally resonant.
Defining the Long-Term Goal
The first step of any Design Sprint is to define a clear, actionable goal that keeps the team focused. For our project, the guiding question was:
"How can we help and educate girls on their first menstruation?"
This long-term goal served as our compass throughout the Sprint. It ensured that every decision we made aligned with our mission to combat stigma, misinformation, and the feelings of helplessness that many girls experience.
By choosing the Design Sprint, we not only gained a method to rapidly develop and test our ideas, but we also ensured that our solution was firmly grounded in empathy, user insights, and a clear sense of purpose. It was the perfect fit for tackling a challenge as significant as this one.
Monday
The first day of the Sprint focused on building a solid foundation for the week. We needed a clear plan to guide us toward our long-term goal:
"How can we help and educate girls on their first menstruation?"
At this stage, we kept our options open. The final solution could take any form—a service, tool, hardware product, or even a series of educational visuals. We didn’t constrain ourselves to a specific outcome because we wanted our research and insights to shape the design.
Mapping the Challenges
We began by mapping out the key challenges we had identified during our research:
Stigma: How do we normalize conversations about menstruation, especially in conservative cultures?
Misinformation: How can we deliver accurate, relatable, and age-appropriate information?
Accessibility: What kind of solution would feel approachable and practical for young girls and their families?
These challenges helped us focus our energy on designing a solution that would tackle the root causes of the problem.
Learning from Experts
Next, I reached out to professors and gynecologists for feedback. These conversations were critical in validating our understanding of the problem and refining our approach. I asked:
"Did we miss any important aspects in our analysis?"
"What user experience considerations should we prioritize?"
The insights we received were invaluable. They confirmed much of our initial research while pointing out practical considerations, like cultural sensitivities, the importance of empathy in communication, and ensuring the design is engaging for younger audiences.
Defining the Target
By the end of the day, we had a clear target to guide us:
"Design a solution that is meaningful, practical, and engaging—one that empowers young girls to understand and embrace their first menstruation."
With our target and battle plan in place, we were ready to dive into the creative process, confident that our work was grounded in strong research, expert insights, and a clear vision. Monday set the stage for impactful design.
Tuesday: Idea time
Tuesday marked one of the most exciting days of the Sprint: a day dedicated to exploring solutions. It’s the moment when creativity takes center stage, and ideas begin to take shape.
We started by diving into inspiration. Instead of limiting ourselves to similar products or existing menstrual education tools, we broadened our scope. We looked at solutions across industries, products, and use cases—anything that approached complex problems with clarity, elegance, and empathy. The best ideas often came from the most unexpected places.
Sketchbooks in hand, we began documenting and visualizing our thoughts. Each sketch was a distillation of inspiration and insight, blending practicality with a touch of creativity. No idea was too big or too small at this stage—what mattered was capturing potential paths forward.
By the afternoon, we narrowed down our sketches to a handful of promising concepts. Each was refined, balancing feasibility with the impact we hoped to achieve for young girls navigating their first period.
Before wrapping up, we took an important step for the days ahead: finding interviewees for our Friday user testing session. We reached out to ensure we had a diverse group of participants to provide honest, actionable feedback on the prototypes we’d soon create.
Tuesday reminded us of the joy in problem-solving—bringing together inspiration, creativity, and a clear focus on making something meaningful. By the end of the day, we weren’t just sketching ideas; we were sketching possibilities.
Wednesday: Hard choices made simple
Wednesdays in a Design Sprint are often the toughest. It’s the day when big decisions need to be made, and not every idea can move forward. Yet, in our case, clarity emerged surprisingly quickly. After a round of speed critique, where we evaluated and refined the ideas from Tuesday, one concept stood out above the rest.
We weren’t just looking for a solution—we were looking for a symbol, something small yet deeply meaningful, representing both the strength and simplicity of nature. After all, menstruation is one of the most natural processes on earth, even if it’s often misunderstood or stigmatized.
The idea of a seed resonated deeply. A seed is small, but within it lies immense potential—growth, renewal, and the promise of something bigger. It felt fitting as a metaphor for the journey we wanted to support: helping young girls understand and embrace the natural changes in their bodies.
By the end of the day, the decision was clear. I committed to moving forward with the seed-inspired concept, confident that it captured the essence of our mission.
Wednesday wasn’t just about making hard choices—it was about finding the core of what our project stood for, a guiding principle that would shape everything we created moving forward.
Thursday: Prototyping under pressure
Thursday brought the most daunting challenge of the Sprint: prototyping. The task wasn’t just to create a polished product—it was to build something that could evoke honest, meaningful reactions from our testers in just one day. It wasn’t about perfection; it was about capturing the essence of our concept and making it tangible enough to test.
We started the day with questions buzzing in our minds:
How do we bring our idea to life with the resources we have?
How do we create something convincing enough to generate real feedback?
Our solution was resourceful and scrappy, leaning into creativity over polish:
A cheap thermal camera to mimic temperature changes in materials.
A cotton cloth bag to test portability and aesthetics.
Off-the-shelf pads with red ink to simulate real-world use.
A laser-cut 3D object covered in silicone dough for texture exploration.
Ultra-light clay for lightweight structural elements.
A touch of good acting and a carefully crafted app prototype to simulate the digital interaction.
By the end of the day, we had not one but four prototypes—each representing different aspects of our idea. It was a scrappy, fast-paced process, but it worked.
The Lesson
This day taught me something invaluable: you can prototype anything, and you can do it fast. The key isn’t having every tool or perfect materials; it’s about clarity of purpose and the willingness to embrace constraints.
Here are the results of our efforts:
Friday: The big day – Testing the idea
Friday marked the culmination of our Sprint, the day we put our solution to the test. While the solution itself was a collaborative effort, the responsibility for conducting the interviews and gathering insights fell entirely on me. It was my chance to see how our idea resonated with real users and how it might shape their understanding of menstruation.
The Interviews
I conducted one-on-one interviews with five participants, selected to represent our target audience. Creating a safe, open space for these conversations was critical, especially given the sensitive nature of the topic.
Step 1: Building Comfort and Connection
Each session began with a warm welcome and light small talk. I asked participants about their personal experiences and knowledge of menstruation, gently easing them into the conversation. The goal was to create a relaxed environment where they could openly share their thoughts without fear of judgment.
Step 2: Introducing the Prototypes
When introducing the prototypes, I emphasized that this was not a test: "There are no right or wrong answers. Please think aloud as you explore and share whatever comes to mind." This approach helped participants feel at ease and encouraged them to provide honest feedback.
Step 3: Testing Tasks
Participants were asked to complete specific tasks designed to test the functionality and emotional impact of the prototypes:
Match the Color: Associate specific colors with different phases of the menstrual cycle.
Temperature Sensor: Use the thermal sensor prototype to measure body temperature.
App Exploration: Record a simulated "blood" color in the app and explore in-app advice.
Cramps Simulation: Pretend to have cramps and use the "pot pack" (heat pack) prototype for relief.
These tasks were carefully crafted to cover key aspects of the user experience while also probing emotional reactions to the prototypes.
Step 4: Observation and Documentation
As participants interacted with the prototypes, I observed and documented their every reaction—facial expressions, body language, and verbal feedback. This wasn’t just about usability; it was about understanding how the product made them feel and whether it met their needs and expectations.
Insights and Outcomes
By the end of the day, I had a wealth of insights. Some parts of the design worked seamlessly, validating our ideas, while others revealed areas for improvement. The feedback illuminated not just the strengths of our solution but also the opportunities to make it even more effective and meaningful.
Moving Forward
Friday wasn’t just the conclusion of the Sprint—it was the starting point for the next phase of development. The insights I gathered provided a clear path forward, showing us how to refine and enhance our solution.
The day underscored the value of listening to users, of seeing the product through their eyes. It reminded me that testing is not just about evaluation—it’s about learning, growing, and ultimately creating something that truly matters.
Hardware prototyping
How we built sprout care:
Final result
The Ritual
Throughout history, cultures have marked the transition to adulthood with rituals—moments of celebration that honor growth and maturity. Inspired by these traditions, I wanted Sprout Care to represent more than just a product. It needed to symbolize support, understanding, and empowerment.
In Japan, a girl’s first period is celebrated with a simple family ritual: a meal of rice and red beans. This gesture, small yet profound, acknowledges her transition into womanhood and frames it as something to be proud of—a celebration rather than a secret.
With Sprout Care, I set out to create a modern ritual for this pivotal moment. The concept was clear: a coming-of-age gift from family members to girls. This gift would be a discreet tool designed to educate and support, while also breaking the cycle of misinformation and stigma.
It’s not just about providing practical help; it’s about creating a bridge between generations, turning what is often a moment of confusion into one of connection. Sprout Care reframes menstruation as a natural and even celebratory step, empowering girls while allowing their families to show care and understanding in a meaningful way.
By designing this ritual, I hoped to transform a traditionally awkward milestone into a moment of pride—a gesture that celebrates both education and the bond between family members.
Features and functions overview
Sprout Care System = Mobile App + Hardware:
Feature I: Basal Body Temperature
Understanding one’s body is the foundation of self-care, and Basal Body Temperature (BBT) plays a significant role in tracking menstrual cycles. BBT is the lowest body temperature achieved during sleep and is a reliable method for predicting periods and ovulation. For some, it’s essential for planning or avoiding pregnancy, while for others, it provides a deeper understanding of their cycle.
The challenge, however, lies in measuring BBT accurately. The most precise readings come from tracking temperatures throughout an entire sleep cycle—something that can feel invasive or uncomfortable with traditional methods.
We approached this problem with the user’s comfort as our top priority. The result was a sensor small enough to be unobtrusive, wrapped in a soft, sticky silicone rubber casing. This design made it easy to wear or adhere to the body while maintaining a sense of comfort and security. It wasn’t just about functionality—it was about creating a tool that felt intuitive and gentle, respecting the user’s experience at every step.
This feature became more than just a way to track temperature; it was a small but meaningful step in helping girls connect with their bodies, fostering awareness and confidence through thoughtful design.
Feature II: Color analyser
Blood color can reveal subtle but important insights about health. From hydration levels to potential nutrient deficiencies, it’s a natural indicator of one’s overall condition—a silent messenger often overlooked in daily life.
We wanted to create a simple, intuitive way for users to recognize and track these health signals. The solution was as thoughtful as it was practical: a small camera embedded within the portable bag for pads. This unobtrusive placement ensured the tool was always nearby, gently prompting users to scan their blood color as part of their routine.
For added flexibility, we integrated the feature into the Sprout Care app, allowing users to use their phone’s camera instead. Once captured, the data is sent to the app, where it’s stored securely. From there, the app analyzes the information and provides tailored health advice—whether it’s reassurance or a gentle nudge to seek further guidance.
The aim wasn’t just to build a functional feature but to create a seamless experience that empowers users to understand their bodies better. By weaving this feature into everyday tools, we turned what could have been an overlooked detail into an opportunity for greater self-awareness and care.
Feature III: Portable Hot Pack
Pain is a deeply personal experience, yet few things are as universally soothing as warmth. Period cramps, caused by the contracting muscles of the uterus, are often an unwelcome companion for many. Heat, as simple as it is, can provide profound relief—relaxing muscles and offering comfort in moments of discomfort.
Our challenge was to make this age-old remedy not just effective but also modern and thoughtful. The result was a rechargeable portable hot pack, designed with care for both the user and the environment.
Traditional methods—hot water bottles, disposable heat pads—carry their own inconveniences and environmental costs. A rechargeable design eliminates the need for constant replacements, reducing waste while ensuring the hot pack is always ready when needed.
The pack itself was designed to fit seamlessly into daily life. Its compact form made it easy to carry, and its soft, durable exterior provided comfort against the skin. It wasn’t just a tool—it was an object designed to be trusted and appreciated.
At its core, the portable hot pack was about more than relief. It was about recognizing the needs of the body, responding with empathy, and delivering a solution that felt as natural as the warmth it provided.
Feature IV: Light Guidance
Information becomes empowering when it is clear and immediate. For young girls navigating their first menstruation, simplicity is essential. We wanted to provide an intuitive way for users to understand their body’s signals at a glance, without overwhelming them with data.
The solution was light as a guide—a simple, elegant system of three colored lights that corresponded to the body’s basal body temperature (BBT), indicating different phases of the menstrual cycle:
Yellow Light: Represents the high-temperature phase, signaling the luteal phase after ovulation.
Blue Light: Indicates the low-temperature phase, corresponding to the follicular phase before ovulation.
Pink Light: Marks the period phase, triggered by a steep drop in BBT, signaling that menstruation is imminent.
The magic lies in its immediacy. Imagine waking up in the morning, noticing the soft glow of a pink light. With no effort at all, the user knows that her period is approaching, giving her the chance to prepare for the day ahead.
This design choice wasn’t just about function; it was about creating trust between the user and the product. The lights offer a quiet reassurance, turning complex biological signals into an easy, actionable insight. It’s a subtle yet powerful reminder of how thoughtful design can translate science into everyday understanding.
The Sprout Care App
The app onboarding experience
Branding
Sprout Care logo is a combination of blood drop and sprouting seed.
Conclusion and learnings
This project was deeply personal to me. Growing up in Taiwan, I experienced firsthand how our schooling—and often our families—left girls unprepared for the realities of menstruation. Sexual education was insufficient, and discussions about periods were cloaked in silence. That silence bred confusion, fear, and misinformation, turning what should be a natural process into a source of shame.
Educating girls on menstruation is not just important—it’s critical. Addressing this gap can have profound effects: reducing fear, improving health outcomes, and empowering young girls to embrace a confident, informed relationship with their own bodies. This belief shaped every aspect of my UX strategy and fueled my personal motivation throughout the project.
The question I set out to answer was simple yet far-reaching:
"How can we help and educate girls on their first menstruation?"
With Sprout Care, I believe we’ve taken a meaningful step toward answering that question. Sprout Care isn’t just a product—it’s a bridge. It provides families with a thoughtful, approachable tool that helps girls navigate their first period. By framing this support as a gift, we turned a sensitive topic into an opportunity for connection and learning, making menstruation feel as natural as it truly is.
From a design perspective, this project taught me a great deal. Using Design Sprints and a user-centered approach, I learned how to balance empathy with practicality, creating a solution that is both functional and emotionally resonant. The journey was both challenging and deeply rewarding, giving me invaluable experience in crafting a product from concept to prototype.
Looking ahead, we anticipate that our research and prototype will inspire healthcare providers or organizations to adopt or license this concept, reaching even more families and young girls.
Perhaps one day, with continued effort, we can eradicate the stigma and misinformation surrounding menstruation entirely. Until then, I am proud to have contributed to a project that holds the potential to make such a meaningful difference.