UVindeks
Overview
Project set to launch spring 2025.
Tackling an Unhealthy Trend
While the UV index is meant to help people protect themselves from harmful sun exposure, an alarming trend has emerged among young people: they are using the UV index to find the best times to tan, putting themselves at increased risk of skin damage and cancer. Recognizing this, we saw an opportunity to change how UV information is accessed and used.
Challenge: Low awareness of UV exposure's link to cancer
While most people are aware of the UV index, there is a widespread lack of understanding about its direct link to skin cancer. Many do not fully know the dangers of long sun exposure, even at moderate UV levels. This gap in awareness makes it difficult to encourage consistent sun protection behaviors, such as limiting time in the sun, using sunscreen effectively, and wearing protective clothing. Additionally, finding UV index information can be tricky on existing platforms, which often hide it behind other weather data.
My contribution
Designer Co-creator
The team
Three friends from UiO Informatics Two from Programming MA Myself from Design MA
Year
2024
Process
Research:
After having a dialogue with Kreftforeningen, they mentioned that they had considered creating something to raise awareness about UV exposure and sun safety multiple times, but resource limitations made it difficult for them to follow through. With that in mind, we thought the best approach was to maintain an open dialogue with them about our project. Instead of involving them from start to finish, which would likely be too time consuming, we decided to develop the product independently and then come back to them with a more polished version. This way, they could provide feedback without needing to invest too much time upfront. With this in mind we thought a UCD process where we would make our first iteration, and then follow up with them to gain feedback.
Our first iteration:
We wanted to make the application modern, keeping the aesthetic-usability effect in mind, especially when compared to other weather sites. A clean design not only makes the app more visually appealing but also enhances usability by reducing cognitive load. Our goal was to create a platform that feels intuitive and easy to navigate while offering an informative experience.
We also focused on hierarchy, knowing that using these "bento" grid layouts would introduce a lot of information at once. To prevent overwhelming the user, we prioritized the most important data—the UV index. The UV index is displayed prominently in a large font with more contrast colors and placed at the top left of the screen, aligning with the natural flow of reading left to right, top to bottom. This ensures that users’ attention is immediately drawn to the most critical piece of information.
Next, we gave equal prominence to the sun protection tips, positioning them in a large box to the right of the UV index. By framing the tips in this way, we emphasize that they are second in the hierarchy, guiding users on how to act on the information they see. This layout also helps create a balanced design, ensuring the interface remains functional without overwhelming the user with too much at once. On smaller breakpoints like mobile, the UV and the tips will both fit on the main page so the users always sees the tips.
Our next iteration:
This is where we currently are. We've basically developed the first iteration and our next step is to continue our dialogue with Kreftforeningen, and firstly iterate with them and then with real users.