INDUSTRY
UX/DESIGN
CLIENT:
QUT
2023
AirAlly
What is AirAlly?
AirAlly is a digital health companion designed to support travellers with food allergies by bridging communication gaps across languages and cultures. The app centralizes allergy management, allowing users to store their medical information, generate translated allergy cards, scan menus for allergens, and access emergency support when abroad.
Inspired by my own experiences travelling with multiple allergies, AirAlly was created to turn moments of anxiety into confidence. The interface prioritizes calm, clarity, and reassurance, guiding users through every stage of their journey, from ordering food to handling emergencies. The result is a human-centered health design solution that blends trust, accessibility, and emotional intelligence in one seamless experience.
The Problem
Travelling with allergies is often stressful and unpredictable. Most existing tools, from translation apps to medical bracelets, they provide fragmented, inconsistent support. They don’t adapt to context, language nuance, or offline accessibility.
Through early research and user interviews, I found that:
60% of allergic travellers report anxiety or avoidance when eating abroad (Allergy UK, 2022).
Translation tools often mistranslate allergens, increasing risk and confusion.
Travellers rely on multiple disconnected tools (cards, notes, screenshots), leading to fatigue and uncertainty.
The challenge: to design one cohesive digital solution that simplifies allergy communication, builds cross-cultural trust, and provides peace of mind — even offline.
Process & Challenges
Process
Research & User Mapping
I mapped out the journey of an allergic traveller, from airport to restaurant to emergency care, identifying pain points at each stage. The insights shaped a structure focused on clarity over complexity and prevention over reaction.
Prototyping in Figma
I designed an interface emphasizing visual clarity and minimal cognitive load. Calm colour tones (#9AADFF), clean typography, and rounded layouts reduce stress and make health information approachable. Microcopy throughout the app uses gentle, reassuring language such as:
“You’re safe to order this meal.”
“Double-check ingredients? I’ve got you.”
Designing for Global Use
A major design focus was context-aware translation. Working with verified allergen datasets, I designed smart translation cards that automatically adapt medical phrases to local terms, minimizing mistranslation risks.
Iterative Testing
Through scenario testing and peer walkthroughs, I refined flows to reduce steps, simplify scanning features, and ensure offline availability for travellers without constant connectivity.
Challenges
Travelling with allergies can be stressful and unpredictable. Many existing solutions, such as translation apps or medical ID bracelets, provide fragmented support. They fail to account for context, cultural nuance, or offline accessibility.
Research revealed that:
Over 60% of allergic travellers report anxiety or avoidance behaviour when eating abroad (Allergy UK, 2022).
Existing translation tools often mistranslate allergens, leading to miscommunication and safety risks.
Travellers rely on multiple documents (doctor letters, printed cards, screenshots), creating confusion and emotional fatigue.
The challenge was to design a single digital tool that could simplify allergy communication, instil trust across languages, and provide peace of mind, even offline.
Results
AirAlly reminded me that good design goes beyond usability, it’s about trust and empathy. Designing for vulnerability required balancing precision with warmth, and crafting microcopy that speaks calmly in moments of stress. It reinforced how thoughtful design can make safety feel personal, even thousands of kilometres from home.
AirAlly delivers an intuitive, medically informed interface that makes allergy management feel safe and empowering. Through calm visuals, clear iconography, and verified translations, it turns health communication into a simple, confident experience.
Key outcomes include:
Global Communication: Smart translation cards and QR profiles instantly display verified allergy information in local languages.
Allergen Scanning: Users can scan menus or packaging to identify ingredients that match or conflict with their allergy profile.
Emergency Assistance: SOS mode contacts nearby first responders and notifies emergency contacts with location details.
Reassuring Design: Soft colour palette (#9AADFF), clean typography, and simplified flows reduce user stress and build emotional safety.
By combining functional design with empathy, AirAlly redefines travel safety for allergy-prone users, proving that health design can be both clinically reliable and emotionally supportive.
