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MenoBook
An interactive guide to educate women about menopause
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Product Design | Individual Work | Personal Project
Menopause is the time that marks the end of a woman's menstrual cycle. It typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. Estrogen levels decrease significantly during menopause, leading to most of the physical and emotional symptoms of menopause. Around 47% of women are in the menopausal stage worldwide. In the U.S., around 1.3 million women become menopausal each year. More than 90% of postmenopausal women were NEVER taught about menopause at school.
This interactive book provides users with reliable information on menopause, offering proper education and symptom management strategies. It helps them to acknowledge their symptoms, practice self-regulation, and confidently navigate this crucial stage of life.
Problem Statement
When facing menopause, most women are unprepared. They may lack proper education about this important stage of life and miss out on accessible and engaging ways to learn and prepare for it. Supporting them in getting ready, accepting this significant change in their bodies, and reducing their anxiety has become a major challenge.
Primary Research
To reach a broader audience and understand their pain points, I conducted an online survey and shared it widely on popular online forums like Reddit and Facebook. The survey was designed to collect quantitative data on the target audience's understanding of menopause, their experiences, and how they have been supported during this important stage of life.
Among the 60 survey responses I collected online:
Interviews
I conducted several interviews with the target audience to understand their depth of knowledge about menopause and the symptoms they commonly face during this transitional stage of life.
Helena, 52
During menopause, My periods became very irregular, and neither my family doctor nor my gynecologist provided much help—they just told me to watch for more symptoms. I also experienced an acute ovarian cyst rupture and had to undergo major surgery. I wish I could have gotten more help from my family doctor.
Lisa, 56
During menopause, I struggled with emotional instability and poor sleep, which I tried to manage with more exercise, but my doctor couldn't provide effective solutions. People at my age, we tend not to talk about it with others, and I didn’t take the time to learn more.
Insights
What are they feeling?
Uninformed
Uncertain whether the information found is accurate
Unstable
Symptoms and uncertainty increase anxiety
Panic
Fears of life-threatening dangers due to symptoms
Pain Points
Educational Gap
Lack of education causes worries about symptoms
Poor Communication
Discussing of symptoms to healthcare providers irregularly
Health Warning
Insufficient support leads to life-threatening risks
Ideation
Format
Interactive Book
Method
Paper Circuits
All LED lights, buttons, and sound components in the book are connected via paper circuits. Users activate these circuits by sliding a slider, pressing buttons, or turning pages. For example, a slider illustrates the decline of estrogen with age, connecting different LED lights to visually demonstrate its impact on mental health.
This interactive book covers common menopause symptoms, their causes, and management strategies. It aims to deepen understanding of menopause and guide responses to symptoms through engaging sound, light, and electrical interactions that stimulate visual, auditory, and tactile senses.
Place
Clinics
The book is designed for use in family doctors' and gynecological clinics, placed on waiting room shelves for patients to read. Its presence enhances credibility, encouraging trust in the content. Interacting with the book may also help patients recognize symptoms to discuss with their doctors in real time.
Materials
Making Process
1. Use an exacto knife to cut out the spots for the LEDs
2. Color the tracing paper red and paste it behind the page
3. Sketch the circuit based on the LEDs’ positions
4. Place parts like LEDs and batteries on the circuit
5. Cut the conductive fabric tape to create the circuit
6. Connect the parts with tape to complete the circuit
Book Graphic Design
Below are some of the graphic designs I created for the book, made with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and hand-drawn digital illustrations.
Front & Back Cover
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Mock-ups
Iteration
During the creation, I iterated on selecting materials for the paper circuit, experimenting with copper strips, copper tape, and conductive fabric tape. This process provided valuable insights into each material's conductivity, ease of use, and price.
Circuit Design
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Storyboard
The storyboard below illustrates the usage scenario of the interactive book:
1. Wait for an appointment in a gynecology clinic
4. Begin to read the book
2. Annoyed by the long wait
5. Interact with the book to learn about menopause
3. Notice the interactive book on the shelf
6. Called by the assistant and finish reading
Interaction
Traffic Jam — A Simulation of Menopausal Mental Health
Mental health issues during menopause, like mood swings, irritability, anxiety, and depression, are like a traffic jam in the brain, with every route being a red light, leaving you unsure of where to go.
I designed a slider that shows high estrogen at the top and decreased estrogen during menopause below. On the right, multiple LEDs serve as red lights. Sliding down represents a drop in estrogen; the top connects to a green light for stable emotions, while more red lights indicate worsening mental health issues.
ACTION
Slide down: green light turned into more and more red lights
To deal with menopause mental symptoms, breathing meditation can help calm your mind and balance your emotions.
ACTION
Open the page:
The music player module will sense the light and automatically play the sound of sea waves to help regulate breathing rhythm.
Breathing Meditation — A Way to Calm Your Mind
Heat Therapy — Helps Relieve Joint Pain
Joints like the knees, hips, hands, lower back, and shoulders, should be given special attention for potential joint pain during menopause.
I designed a circuit with red LEDs to highlight the joints that need care and alert the users. I also used a PTC heater to simulate heat therapy for the heating pads. Users can take off the heating pads and apply them to painful joints to simulate pain relief.
ACTION 1
Push the button:
to turn on the circuit
ACTION 2
Push the button:
to turn on the heater
ACTION 3
Apply heat:
take off heating pads and apply
Use magnets for retrievals
Future Development
Expanded Content
Expand Menobook’s content to include mental health, lifestyle tips, and related wellness topics for a comprehensive educational experience.
User Testing & Research
Conduct user testing and gather feedback from diverse demographics to ensure Menobook’s effectiveness and improve its design.
Partnerships & Distribution
Collaborate with healthcare providers and wellness brands to place Menobook in clinics, pharmacies, and wellness programs for broader reach.
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