Apt was created for the MIT Spring IDM project. It is in active development. Learn how you can support the project here.
Apt is the first pregnancy test that can be used without sighted assistance. Apt is used like an existing pregnancy test. After a short wait, an innovative mechanism translates the result into vibrations, which can be felt when pressing a button on the device.
Our team used human-centered design methodologies to discover the problem of a lack of privacy for people with vision impairments. We conducted interviews with members of the visually impaired community and accessibility experts. The lack of accessible at-home medical tests, especially pregnancy tests, was brought up again and again as a problem that has been ignored for decades. As a team of four women, we empathize with this problem. We wanted the whole testing process from purchasing to using pregnancy tests to be user-centered. The iterative research, exploration, and continuous user feedback helped us arrive at the final design.
Our process began with user interviews, field visits, and building an empathy map to uncover pain points throughout taking a pregnancy test, from purchase to disposal.
With this data we brainstormed hundreds of ideas, from ballooning material to paper that folds in response to chemicals.
We organized co-design sessions to help shape the form and output of the test.
We’re now actively working to bring Apt to the market and make at-home pregnancy tests accessible and private for everyone.
