Developing a Human-Centered Digital Health Solution for CPPS Care
Industries
Healthcare, Digital Health,
AI-Assisted Care
Tech & TOOLS
UI, Prototypes, Figma
Teams & Services
Product Strategy, UX/UI Design, Healthtech Research
milestones
--Loka + Stanford Biodesign Innovators Award Winner
--Clickable prototype delivered in 4 weeks
Industry
Healthcare
Digital Health
AI-Assisted Care
Tech & TOOLS
UI, Prototypes, Figma
Teams & Services
Product Strategy, UX/UI Design, Healthtech Research
milestones
Loka x Stanford Innovators Award, Clickable Prototype Delivered in 4 weeks
Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) affects up to 1 in 6 men in the U.S. Yet it remains underdiagnosed and misunderstood.
The challenge
Men living with CPPS face fragmented treatment, limited access to specialized care and a lack of digital resources that address both the physical and emotional sides of recovery. Patients can spend months--sometimes years--searching for the right care and the right answers. For many men the impact goes far beyond physical pain, affecting confidence, relationships and daily life. And too often they navigate it in silence.
The goal
Onyx, a team comprising four Stanford Biodesign students, imagined a digital platform that improves care for men living with CPPS by empowering patients and physical therapists with seamless, personalized tools for tracking, treatment and communication.
Building on extensive user research led by the Stanford Biodesign team, including consultation with physical therapists working with men with CPPS, Loka's designers focused on translating clinical insights into a practical, human-centered solution addressing clinical as well as emotional needs. Loka’s Design Sprint process guided every decision within this close collaboration, ensuring the solution effectively supports patients and providers throughout recovery.
The Solution: Empowering Patients to Take Control of Their Recovery
Loka and Onyx developed a mobile app to support men with CPPS by helping them follow a personalized treatment plan, log symptoms and track their progress.
Created through close collaboration with healthcare professionals, Onyx merges clinical research and expertise with real patient insights to ensure every recommendation reflects actionable and efficient steps to recovery.
The Solution:
A Provider Platform for Connected, Continuous Care
The patient portal is paired with a web app that enables physical therapists to manage their patients' needs, assign tailored exercises and monitor progress all in one place.
The Onyx app connects to the patient app with real-time visibility into progress and recovery trends, helping providers adjust plans based on data and engagement, streamline communication, save time and create consistency across every stage of care.
From Award to Actualization
Onyx is the first recipient of the Loka Innovators Award, an initiative between the Stanford Mussallem Center for Biodesign and Loka that accelerates the development of groundbreaking digital health solutions.
Among a wealth of worthy award submissions, Onyx stood out for addressing a pressing unmet need in digital health. To bring their vision to life, Onyx joined forces with Loka’s Design and ML teams for an intensive four-week Design Sprint, transforming their concept into a real, clickable prototype.
"We learned so much from the Loka team and were able to take our idea to a real product. The whole experience was incredible--they walked us through what it means to create a product that's meaningful for patients."
The Results
A functional prototype that empowers physical therapists to deliver more consistent, effective care and helps men with CPPS stay engaged, informed and supported throughout their recovery
Two connected platforms: one for physical therapists, one for patients, providing the foundation for a complete care ecosystem
One week of intensive in-person Design Sprint sessions, part of a four-week collaboration transforming research insights into tangible product design
Evolution from student concept to digital healthcare prototype through the Loka Innovators Award collaboration
Participants reported that in-person collaboration between Loka and the Onyx team was key to the project’s creativity, clarity, and impact.
Timeline to Prototype
Team Onyx wins the 1st Loka Innovators Award.
Project prep and goal alignment
In-person Design Sprint: Understand, Define, Ideate
Insights synthesis and prototype development
Prototype delivery and presentation
