Diabetes is a major epidemic facing the US with figures in 2007 costing the country 174 billion dollars according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). But behind the numbers are people who are afraid, shameful and lacking a support system leading to a major testing non-adherence problem and people who are twice as likely to have depression. Through interviews and personal experience with my grandmother, women face an especially enormous emotional burden with female diabetic twice as likely as men to be depressed (a study by the ADA). From there it was simple: to make a testing kit that empowered female diabetics emotionally. For this reason it was an important part of design process to involve the interviewees throughout for feedback to ensure the solution remain relevant. 

Inspired by the function and beauty of makeup, Avita is the first integrated and personalized hard case kit. Unlike current nylon bag kits, it is durable, waterproof, easy to clean, and compact (smaller than the industry standard, the One Touch Ultra Mini) and to address the user concern of discretion, the kit is disguised as makeup in public. The compact case includes storage space for alcohol wipes, syringe and an insulin vial, a test strip container/dispenser which simplifies the current difficulties of picking out one tiny test strip, a lancet device (the device with needle to draw blood) and digital blood glucose monitoring unit. And unlike the current products, none of the components have to be removed from the case when testing shortening the time needed. Most importantly in terms of the user experience, Avita provides a diabetes treatment that no longer reinforces the feeling of having a negative condition: as one of my interviewees says, “it doesn’t remind me that I’m sick.” In addition, Avita is personalized with interchangeable lid trim colors and lancet devices to help build a personal connection to a device they not only have to but want to use everyday.