Rachel Chuman Zhang
Design is a creative act of being and an act of care.
Every interaction is an opportunity to show someone their experience matters.
About
Work
1. Aware 2. Olfactory Oasis 3. Koi
4. Ebba: Humanized AI
5. Physical Prototyping
6. Intimate Data
Email
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LinkedIn Koi
Koi
An educative tool empowering children with type 1 diabetes
In remote northern Sweden, children with diabetes struggle to get regular care — and when they do, they're passive patients waiting to be treated. Koi is a system that gives kids more control: a plush companion that reads their glucose sensor through a hug, a board game that turns diabetes education into play, and a nurse platform for remote monitoring
Role: Fuzzy front end, design ethnography, interviews, journey mapping, logo and visual language, workshop facilitation, concept validation
Collaborators: Nordic Welfare Center and Region Västerbotten
Impact:
Exhibited at World Expo Dubai. Core77 Design Awards 2022 Notable
Detailed Case Study
Koi system
Unboxing: plush, device, tokens, manual. A systemic solution combining physical, digital, and emotional support. It is a combination of a physical toy, an application, and a board game.
Front-end and back-end design solution, a systemic point of view.A nurse’s observation from a remote application, and a child’s view on how they manage their diabetes with the help of a toy and a game, to learn how to manage diabetes.
A systemic solution combining physical, digital, and emotional support
Koi system
Unboxing: plush, device, tokens, manual
Physical toy
Physical toy Koi with sensors
Diabetes Nurse Platform UI
Nurses can monitor kids' condition remotely
Koi in use
Koi toyPhysical toy Koi with sensors
A systemic solution combining physical, digital, and emotional support
Process at a glance
Exhibition at Dubai Design Expo