Miles Watch: Navigating FND Stress
Designing an intuitive interface for individuals with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) to regain agency and recognize stress triggers before dissociation occurs.
*Note: Participant names have been changed to Amy to protect privacy.Recognizing the threshold before the "Bucket Overflows."
For users like Amy, stress is an invisible threshold. Amy suffers from Functional Neurological Disorder, where excessive stress causes her brain to dissociate, leading to physical paralysis. The goal was to build a tool that monitors biological markers, alerting her to rising stress levels before an episode begins.
Early Detection
Amy's episodes are often triggered by a "delayed reaction." Providing a visual stress-level gauge allows for intervention before physical symptoms manifest.
Safety Communication
During dissociation, Amy cannot speak. The interface must communicate her needs—specifically the directive: "Do not touch me"—to bystanders.
Positive Grounding
Amy utilizes a physical "jar of notes" for emotional support. Translating this into a digital affirmation system provides essential continuity for her care.
- How might we grant the user a sense of control during physical shutdown?
- How might we replace clinical anxiety with positive reinforcement?
The Digital Jar
A mindfulness feature mirroring Amy's real-world support systems, using AI-generated art to visualize progress and positive feedback.
SOS Protocol
Voice-activated assistance and emergency contacts designed for high-stress scenarios where manual navigation is impossible.
Body Check-ins
Grounding exercises focusing on breathing patterns and jaw tension to anchor the user in their body during stressful events.
Translating Research to Interface
A simple swipe provides a 2-hour stress history, moving the "invisible" bucket into a clear, manageable visual format.
A prominent display for bystanders that lists emergency contacts and provides vital instructions to not touch or yell during an episode.
Monthly overviews that empower the user to see patterns and identify specific triggers over time, fostering a sense of long-term control.
Feedback from user testing led to the adoption of a calming green palette and artistic line art, moving the watch away from a clinical medical look and toward a personal companion device.
Future Work:
Future research should focus on developing a mobile application capable of tracking monthly progress, providing comprehensive data overviews for both patients and their medical providers.
Karīna Skarbinika contributed to the Miles smartwatch concept for people with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) with a well-structured and user-centered design process. She translated complex stress-related challenges into a clear, intuitive interface that combines early stress detection, self-awareness, and accessible emergency support. Her work demonstrates strong analytical thinking, iterative testing, and the ability to design for vulnerable users with focus and precision.