MyBubbl™ — Encouraging Safe Distancing Through Subtle Design

Overview

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when social distancing became a global necessity, a team of doctors and developers asked an important question:
How can we use technology to help people stay safe and active—without adding friction to daily life?

The answer was MyBubbl™, a simple, hands-free mobile app that discreetly reminds users to maintain a safe distance from others. Using Bluetooth technology, MyBubbl detects nearby devices and sends a soft notification when someone comes too close. Users can customize their “bubble” size—close, near, or far—to suit their comfort level and environment. They can also add trusted friends and family to a MyBubbl Buddies list to avoid unnecessary alerts.

With MyBubbl™, users could go about their day—at work, in public spaces, or running errands—while supporting public health in an unobtrusive way.

My Role

I was brought on as the UX Designer to define the app’s user stories and design the user interface.
My responsibilities included:

• Translating the client’s vision into clear, actionable user stories for the design and development teams

• Designing a simple, reassuring UI that made safety feel accessible rather than restrictive

• Creating an experience that communicated awareness without anxiety

While I was not directly involved in the development or marketing efforts, my focus was to ensure the user flow, interaction design, and visual tone aligned with the app’s mission: effortless safety through thoughtful design.

Design Goals

1. Frictionless Awareness
   The app needed to function quietly in the background, providing users with safety information without interrupting their day.

2. Privacy by Design
   Both the healthcare professionals and the Gravity Jack development team emphasized anonymity. The app could only use Bluetooth signals—no GPS, tracking, or data collection.

3. Custom Comfort Zones
   Recognizing that comfort levels varied, users could set their bubble distance—near, medium, or far—based on context (e.g., grocery shopping vs. outdoor exercise).

4. Positive Reinforcement
   The inclusion of daily reports helped users visualize how often their bubble had been “burst,” encouraging awareness and positive habit-building rather than fear.

Key Features

• Discreet Notifications: Gentle alerts when another device enters a user’s bubble

• Bluetooth-Only Detection: Ensuring anonymity and data privacy

• Background Operation: Full functionality even when the phone is in a pocket or another app is open

• MyBubbl Buddies: Avoids false alerts from family or close contacts

• Daily Report: A summary of social distancing interactions

• Adjustable Bubble Size: Near, medium, and far range options

Impact

MyBubbl™ provided an elegant solution to an unprecedented social challenge. It merged public health awareness with calm, intuitive design, allowing users to protect themselves and others without constant vigilance or stress.

For me, this project represented the essence of empathetic design under constraint—balancing technological feasibility, privacy ethics, and emotional reassurance during a moment when connection and caution had to coexist.