BD Diabetes Care app: a content design case study

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In 2019 I joined BD as the first full-time content lead for the BD Diabetes Care app, a free app that helps people living with diabetes track their numbers and build healthy habits. I set the content strategy and wrote the experience inside the app, from goal-setting to push alerts.

Role: Digital engagement and content manager, digital health
When: 2019 to 2021
Partners: medical affairs, regulatory, legal, global marketing and a certified diabetes care and education specialist
Reach: launched in five countries outside the U.S.

The challenge

The app had strong tools for logging blood sugar and activity. People needed more than a log, though. They needed to understand what their numbers meant, know what to do next and have a reason to come back tomorrow. And every word had to clear medical, regulatory and legal review.

What I led

Built the content strategy, editorial calendar and style guidelines
Wrote UX copy, conversation trees, assessments, push alerts, how-to guides and instructions for use
Launched seasonal campaigns, a COVID-19 resource center and member newsletters
Worked with the globalization team to launch the app in five countries

A quick tour of the app.

Behavioral goals

This feature helps people pick small, doable goals and stick with them. It starts with a short article and a check-in that asks how people are doing, both physically and emotionally, in five areas of daily life. From there, people choose from 25 goals of different difficulty levels, with conversation trees that offer support along the way.

I wrote the whole experience with input from our certified diabetes care and education specialist and our health economics and outcomes research team.

Tap any screen to see it full size.

Data-driven insights

When people log blood sugar and activity, by hand or with a paired device, the app spots patterns and serves an insight. Each insight opens a short conversation that leads to helpful articles in the app. I wrote every insight and conversation tree.

Seasonal campaigns and COVID-19 resources

I launched the app’s first seasonal content campaigns in December 2019, across the app, email and social. They grew into a weekly rhythm of timely content, plus a summer living guide and an exercise guide. I wrote the home screen promos, headlines and newsletters that brought people to each one.

COVID-19 resource center, launched May 2020