PollenNav

What I did

• Conducted research on pollen exposure, mobility behavior, and urban navigation patterns.
• Designed route guidance and visual cues to help users reduce pollen exposure while traveling.
• Prototyped and tested core navigation flows to ensure clarity, trust, and usability.
• Iterated with a small design team to refine interactions and storytelling for award submission.

Overview

Navigating the city with pollen-aware guidance

PollenNav is a pollen navigation app that provides street-level guidance for safer city travel. Unlike existing apps that only show city-wide averages, PollenNav delivers allergen-specific, location-aware insights so users can plan routes that reduce their pollen exposure in real time.

Impact

Award-winning design recognized globally

Problem

Meet Maya. Spring is stunning, until her immune system sounds the alarm.

Pollen allergies are seasonal reactions to airborne allergens, causing itchy eyes, congestion, sneezing, and coughing that can disrupt sleep, worsen asthma, and hinder daily activities. A billion people fight pollen every year.

Allergy triggers vary by person, region, and time

Different pollens peak in different states, and local climate shifts when allergy seasons begin. Grass, flower, tree, and ragweed pollens each follow distinct seasonal and geographic patterns across the country.

Research

Existing apps miss street-level triggers

Most pollen apps rely on city averages, missing street-level triggers and actionable guidance. I analyzed existing tools to understand where they fall short and why users still feel blindsided by their symptoms.

From 20 global interviews came one clear plea

"Give me allergen-specific guidance for my own street." Users across the US and China shared the same frustration: general warnings don't match their lived experience. They wanted granular, personal data they could actually act on.

Design Goals

How might we equip people like Maya with trustworthy, street-level pollen insights they can act on?

We weren't building another symptom tracker. We designed street-level navigation that helps people plan safer routes and confidently step outside.

Our starting playbook

We combined National Weather Service data for accuracy with Waze-style community reports for freshness, creating a hybrid data model that captures both official forecasts and real-time, on-the-ground conditions.

Constraints

Turns out, it's not that easy

Exploration 1

How can we present pollen data on a map clearly and cohesively?

Visualizing invisible allergens on a map without overwhelming users was the core challenge. I explored multiple approaches to balance information density with visual clarity.

Version 1: Single color with varying transparency

We used a single color with varying transparency for pollen density and sneeze counts for city reports. But differences in density were hard to see.

Version 2: 3D white map with color-coded trees

We used a 3D white map, marked high-pollen areas with color-coded trees, and showed community report counts. But building it required high engineering effort.

Final: 2D white map with colored fog

We used a 2D white map with red, yellow, and green fog for weather data, bubbles for community inputs, and layered roads for clarity at any zoom level.

Exploration 2

How to balance comprehensive pollen information with simplicity?

Users need to stay informed without cognitive overload. I iterated on how to structure and present pollen type, severity, and timing clearly.

Version 1: Informative but hard to scan

We began with a text-heavy card layout showing pollen levels, suggestions, and types. Users liked the detail but wanted a quicker way to assess risks.

Version 2: Structured and color-coded

We added color indicators, a density bar, and grouped pollen types for clarity. But users still compared multiple numbers and missed emotional cues for urgency.

Final: Intuitive and map-aligned

In the final version, we matched the color scheme to the map and added expressive icons, letting users sense pollen risk instantly without reading numbers.

Exploration 3

How to balance consistent branding with emotional expression?

We wanted PollenNav to feel approachable, not clinical. I explored different character styles to ensure users feel supported while maintaining a clear, simple design language.

Version 1: Emojis

We used emoji icons for reactions and report counts, which were quick to read. But they lacked personality and emotional impact.

Version 2: Cloud characters

We transitioned to simple cloud shapes with personified expressions to show moods. But unclear faces reduced emotional impact.

Version 3: Flower characters

We introduced flower characters with richer expressions to match our brand motif. But the colors lacked strong brand recognition, making the design less distinctive.

Final: Refined flower characters

We simplified and made the flowers cuter for better recognition and warmth, ensuring a consistent design language across all touchpoints.

Usability Testing

Validating the experience with real users

After the initial design, we conducted 3 rounds of usability testing and interviewed 12 users, resulting in a 34% increase in the completion rate.

Final Deliverables

Onboarding that builds trust from day one

The onboarding flow introduces users to accurate pollen tracking, community reports, and personalized allergen settings so they feel confident before they even open the map.

She scans the city, then zooms into her block

The map shows pollen density across cities with fog overlays, community report bubbles, and location-specific detail cards. Users can scan broadly or zoom in for street-level data.

She tracks her allergens and schedules outings when levels dip

Users can view pollen forecasts by hour or week, get personalized suggestions, and read community insights to plan their day around low-pollen windows.

A quick glance at the mood meter tells her to head out or stay in

Expressive characters and a color-coded density bar let users sense pollen risk at a glance, with actionable advice tailored to the current level.

She picks a low-pollen route and detours around hotspots

PollenNav suggests low-pollen routes alongside standard shortest routes, showing pollen area counts for each option. During navigation, it alerts users to high-pollen zones ahead.

Her watch shows live counts, reroutes instantly, and logs sneezes with one tap

The Apple Watch companion displays real-time pollen levels, turn-by-turn navigation with pollen alerts, and lets users log symptoms with a single tap.

When she flags a pollen zone, the map gets better and she earns relief points

Users can report pollen conditions with mood reactions and allergen tags. Reports improve the map for everyone and earn points redeemable for allergy relief products.

Now Maya walks freely, guided by verified street-level data

With PollenNav, Maya no longer dreads spring. She checks her block before stepping out, picks low-pollen routes to work, and schedules outdoor time around her allergens. The app turned guesswork into confidence.

Reflection

What I learned

Designing PollenNav taught me how to translate complex environmental data into something people can actually use on a daily basis. Balancing scientific accuracy with visual simplicity pushed me to iterate relentlessly on map visualizations, information hierarchy, and brand identity. Working with a small team on a tight timeline sharpened my ability to make quick design decisions while keeping the user at the center.