My Genes | DOH x M42 Health x TAMM

Translating genomic complexity into human needs. I started by understanding the relationship between the genomic data, business requirements, clinical constraints, and the existing Sahatna wellness ecosystem.

Rather than designing directly from the underlying genomic report structure, I reframed the information around what citizens need to understand and do — establishing five core UX principles.

Designing for different citizen states. One important challenge was that not every citizen arrives at My Genes in the same state.

Instead of treating unavailable genomic data as an empty or error state, each stage became a purposeful experience. For citizens who had not participated, the experience explains the program and how to participate. For citizens awaiting results, it communicates the report status and manages expectations. Once results become available, users transition into a consent-controlled report experience.

This turned what could have been multiple dead ends into a continuous journey from awareness → participation → anticipation → access.

Designing access to sensitive genomic information. Consent was treated as a core part of the experience rather than a compliance screen.

Before accessing their genomic report, citizens review clearly separated required and optional consent items, with the ability to understand each clause individually.

Required and optional consent were visually differentiated, and users could later return to manage or revoke their choices. This was particularly important because revoking required consent affects access to the report, meaning the experience had to communicate consequences clearly without creating unnecessary friction.

Making 200+ genomic results understandable. One of the biggest UX challenges was information density — a conventional list or dashboard couldn't hold it.

Instead of exposing everything at once, we created a layered information architecture.

Making invisible biological information understandable. Unlike steps, heart rate, or sleep, DNA has no naturally understandable interface — so we needed to create a visual language capable of communicating genomic findings consistently.

The experience combines a high-level genomic visualization with reusable result cards and a shared spectrum:

This visual model allows different wellness traits to share the same interaction pattern, reducing the amount of new information users need to learn as they explore their results. At the same time, clinically significant findings are treated differently from lifestyle-oriented traits so that visual hierarchy reflects the seriousness of the information without unnecessarily alarming users.

Designing the individual genomic result experience. Every result needed to move beyond simply presenting a gene or risk status.

Clinical findings could surface an appropriate next step such as consulting a specialist, while wellness traits could provide lifestyle-oriented recommendations — one reusable UX architecture capable of supporting very different types of genomic information while maintaining consistency across the product.

Reducing the health-literacy barrier. Because genomic terminology can be difficult to understand, we introduced Ask Sahatna AI directly within the result experience.

Rather than expecting users to leave the report and independently search for explanations, AI assistance is available at the point where confusion is most likely.

The design specifically places the AI shortcut on individual result cards so users can ask for explanations in context — AI designed as an experience capability, not simply added as a chatbot.

Connecting My Genes with the wider Sahatna wellness ecosystem. This is where I would connect My Genes + Action Plan, rather than presenting Action Plan as an unrelated feature.

The Action Plan requirements identify this exact gap: Sahatna generates insights from wearables, biomarkers, and genomics, but standalone recommendations do not necessarily translate into sustained behavior change.

DNA-based recommendations can become one of the sources for an Action Plan alongside dynamic insights from wearables and biomarkers — a much bigger experience story than simply displaying genomic information.

Users can intentionally select recommendations they want to follow rather than having the system automatically create a health plan.

Selected recommendations can then be transformed into a structured 2–4 week Action Plan, including activity type, frequency, duration, schedule, and focus area.

Users can track actions as completed, skipped, or rescheduled, while supported wearable data can automatically verify certain activities. Over time, adherence becomes another signal that can inform future recommendations — turning Sahatna from an application that shows health information into an experience designed to support healthier behavior.