What’s "Ovum"?
This project developed Ovum, a saliva-based ovulation tracking device intended to help couples conceive a child. Self-tracking has become an everyday practice. Responding to this, part of the motivation for this project is to go beyond just worrying about what such technologies track and to better understand how people feel about them too.
The design strategy for Ovum emphasises inclusivity in a domestic setting.
Ovulation tracking has traditionally involved observing the menstrual cycle and related bodily changes. Although contemporary approaches now utilise advanced home-based clinical tools for detecting and monitoring fertility, these methods require substantial knowledge and personalised attention. However, in contrast to these approaches, the project's output is designed to facilitate a simpler, DIY, shared, and domestic experience.
Who's it for?
This device is for couples aiming to conceive in the privacy of their home, shifting away from solely targeting the person who will become pregnant. This product is intended for those actively seeking conception rather than focusing on contraception. Furthermore, this research offers insights to interaction designers and researchers engaged in self-tracking technologies, helping them understand the intricacies of designing for bodily contexts. The study demonstrates how designing for the body unveils challenges and themes that might not be present in other design contexts.
Approach
The project employed Research through Design approach to develop self-tracking and fertility-tracking devices. It underwent a series of iterative design stages in collaboration with a ceramist and an industrial designer. The device is designed to magnify saliva samples and project their silhouette onto a surface. To use it, simply place the sample on a glass plate, let it dry, and turn on the LED. The device was tested over three months with seven couples to understand how its design characteristics would impact users' experiences. Through interviews and analysis, the project uncovered differences between intended and real-world design effects.
Contribution
Ovum demonstrates how redesigning medical self-tracking based on experience of the user can transform intimate health practices. The project shows that fertility tracking, that are traditionally framed as an individual, clinical, and expert-led activity, can be reimagined as a shared, domestic, and do-it-yourself experience. The research also reveals how combining traditional craft materials like ceramics with digital technology can help medical devices feel more at home in domestic spaces, and how research products enable meaningful long-term studies of sensitive health experiences.
Why is it in the Observatory?
This project holds great importance as it empowers users by providing them with the knowledge and tools to track their body data, leading to a shift in their perception of fertility tracking as a shared responsibility rather than an individual endeavour. Moreover, the project achieved recognition by emerging victorious in the Danish Design Award innovative concept sector in 2021. Additionally, Ovum has been registered as a "Utility Model" by the Danish Patent Office.