Iris, by Onco Health – Designing a Human-Centered Support App for Cancer Patients & Caregivers
As Director of UX and Product Design, I led the research and design of Iris, a first-of-its-kind oncology support app. Built for OncoHealth, Iris delivers on-demand access to oncology nurses, therapists, and peer mentors, empowering patients with tools and insights beyond clinical care. This work defined the MVP and roadmap for OncoHealth’s consumer-facing platform.
Role
Director of UX & Product Design
Timeline
14 weeks (2022)
Platform
iOS/Android App + Web Platform
Team
OncoHealth Execs, Clinical Experts, Design & Engineering Teams
Before (Challenge) → After (Solution)
OncoHealth wanted to expand beyond chemotherapy approvals to offer holistic oncology support via a mobile app. → Designed Iris, a mobile-first support platform integrating clinical, emotional, and peer resources.
Patients lacked guidance on the human experience of cancer treatments—relying on YouTube or forums. → Introduced Peer Mentor Matching, pairing patients with survivors/caregivers for lived insights.
No blueprint existed for blending clinical and non-clinical oncology support in a single platform. → Created a full-featured MVP app, web portal, and roadmap for future growth.
How We Got There
Led multi-phase research with 20+ cancer patients and caregivers to uncover gaps in oncology support.
Identified a key insight: patients craved lived experience guidance (“What will this treatment feel like? How do I talk to my kids?”).
Designed Iris to integrate:
On-demand oncology nurses and therapists via live chat and video calls.
Peer Mentor Matching enables users to connect with survivors and caregivers for emotional support.
Appointment scheduling, knowledge library, and personalized recommendations.
Delivered high-fidelity prototypes, design system guidelines, and a multi-year product roadmap.
Innovative Deliverables
Peer Mentor Matching UI: Enables patients to connect with mentors based on shared experiences.
Integrated Care Features: Live chat, video calls, and appointment scheduling.
Knowledge Library & Dashboard: Provides curated articles, videos, and treatment insights.
Onboarding Flows: Seamlessly introduce users to Iris’s multi-layered support services.
Impact
Result → Outcome
Defined the UX vision for OncoHealth’s first consumer platform → Created Iris app and web portal to launch in beta.
Introduced new peer-mentor feature to augment clinical care → Persuaded client to staff survivors and caregivers as mentors.
Delivered roadmap for scalable future iterations → Positioned Iris as a leading edge in employer-sponsored oncology support.
Design POV
“Clinical care often misses the deeply human questions patients face during cancer. With Iris, we focused on pairing professional medical support with authentic lived experiences—building empathy and confidence into every touchpoint.”
Key Reflection
“This project reinforced the power of qualitative insights in shaping product vision. Next time, I’d pilot mentor matching earlier to fine-tune pairing algorithms before launch.”