Works / Aura
A holistic menstrual and pre-pregnancy health app for Nepali women
Challenge
In Nepal, there is a lack of accessible and accurate information about menstrual and reproductive health. Many women rely on word-of-mouth, scattered online resources, or international apps that often miss the cultural context, local language support, or key phases like postnatal care and menopause.
Our challenge was to design a mobile app that was intuitive and approachable for women from diverse educational and digital backgrounds. Our aim was to respect their privacy, especially around topics considered taboo in many communities.
Client
Aura (Health Startup, Founded in 2019)
Product
Aura
|
Year 2019 |
Duration 6 months |
We started by conducting extensive user research through interviews and surveys with women aged 18–45 across urban and semi-urban Nepal. We also partnered with gynecologists, reproductive health educators, and midwives to validate the app’s medical accuracy and usefulness.
Features and Functionality
The final product was a modular app tailored to the user’s current health stage, allowing seamless transitions across the cycle tracking, pregnancy monitoring and early motherhood.
The app also featured personalized notifications and health journals, making it both a tracking tool and a source of trusted health education.
Medical Accuracy and Collaboration
One of the core pillars of Aura was ensuring the accuracy and credibility of information. We worked in close collaboration with clinicians and community health experts to develop, validate, and review all content.
To ensure that our messaging remained inclusive and respectful, we also consulted gender advocacy groups and cultural researchers, which helped us avoid stigmatizing language and build trust with users.
What I learnt
Leading Aura from concept to launch helped me grow significantly as both a product designer and a founder. I learned to navigate the balance between sensitivity and utility, and how to create trust through thoughtful design in a culturally complex space.
This experience also deepened my appreciation for collaborative design, where working with health experts, educators, and real users was critical to creating a product that was both practical and meaningful.