Google Pal

  
    Google Pal
  
   Google Pal is a conceptual mobile and VR experience designed to bring comfort and connection to pediatric cancer patients.

THE PROBLEM

Each year, over 300,000 children worldwide are diagnosed with cancer—facing not only the physical toll of treatment but also profound emotional challenges. Feelings of anxiety, isolation, and trauma often shape their hospital experience, with lasting effects on mental well-being.

THE SOLUTION

Google Pal reimagines how immersive technology can support young patients during treatment. From their hospital bed, children can embark on virtual adventures—exploring magical destinations and reclaiming moments of joy. By offering playful escapism, the experience aims to ease emotional distress and foster connection.

  
MY ROLE 

UX/Product Designer, VR (Virtual Reality) Design, Research, Brand Identity
  
NOTE

This project is a conceptual UX exploration based on public information and independent research. It is not affiliated with or representative of Google’s official products, partnerships, or design decisions.

  
Patient realities
  
I researched and organized data on childhood cancer to better understand the daily challenges pediatric patients face. Below are four key insights that shaped this project.

Cancer affects children differently than adults —

Cancer is commonly associated with aging, yet thousands of children face its physical and emotional toll—often overlooked in public perception.

Loneliness and isolation —

For young patients, loneliness can lead to serious outcomes: depression, social anxiety, suicidal thoughts, low self-esteem, disrupted sleep, and academic withdrawal.

Precious time lost —

Each year, 300,000 children are diagnosed with cancer. Treatment can last from 3 months to 5 years, resulting in over 1,200 missed days of learning, play, and exploration.

An undesirable experience —

Imaging tests can be overwhelming for young cancer patients. Stark rooms, intimidating machines, loud noises, and tight enclosures often cause fear so intense that sedation is required to complete the exam safely.

User stories that informed design

To guide meaningful design decisions, I created two personas based on early research:

Ben, a five-year-old with leukemia
Ben’s mother, who helps him navigate the app

  
From personas to perspective 

  Using insights from Ben and Kim’s personas, I created empathy maps to visualize their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This deepened my understanding of their emotional and functional needs, helping me design with clarity and purpose.

  
Discovering opportunities 

 Building on empathy insights, I identified four key opportunity areas to support hospitalized children through VR:

Reducing anxiety through immersive calm —

Hospital stays often trigger fear, especially before treatment. VR environments like tropical coastlines can offer calming distraction and emotional relief.

Encouraging play through interactive games —

Simple, engaging games help children feel more in control. Inspired by familiar settings like arcades and carousels, these playful moments support emotional resilience and age-appropriate fun.

Minimizing isolation through connection —

Children with chronic conditions often feel lonely. VR can foster connection by enabling shared experiences with other pediatric patients around the world.

Sharing experiences with loved ones —

The best memories are shared. Parents can view their child’s VR journey through a monitor, creating moments of connection even within the hospital setting.

  
Crafting the visual identity
  
 I designed a visual identity that balances emotional warmth with clarity, including logo design, color palette, typography, and character styling. Each element reinforces the app’s personality and builds trust with young users and their caregivers.

  
Storyboarding
  
  With the visual identity in place, I began storyboarding key interactions across the mobile interface and VR space. This helped translate brand principles into real-world moments, shaping how users would navigate, engage, and emotionally connect with the experience.

  
Early wireframes 
  
 After generating ideas through storyboarding, I began crafting early wireframes for the app. Below is a progression of key screens, followed by iteration adjustments based on user testing feedback.

User testing

With defined high fidelity wireframes created based on feedback though the testing of lower fidelity wireframes, a clickable prototype was then created to further test and gain more accurate feedback.

GOAL + METHODOLOGY

Goal 1: To successfully have the parent create a new account, and to register their child in the system.

Goal 2: To successfully have the child browse through the discover page and select a destination of their choosing and to begin a VR journey.

Goal 3: To successfully have the parent create a new account, and to register their child in the system.

Methodology: The usability test consisted of two users and a set of tasks written out to be followed by each user.

USER TESTING TASKS

Task 1, for the parent: Create an account and register child in the system.

Task 2, for the child: Browse through the discover list and favorite three destinations. Then locate the page with the favorites list of destinations. Pick one of the destinations and begin your adventure in virtual reality

Task 3, for the child: Exit the VR adventure and begin a chat with a child from the region of the world that you just traveled to. **Note: to begin a new chat, all you have to do is tap of the profile picture of one of the displayed children.

Task 4, for the parent: Register an additional child (ideally a sibling or family member) in the system.

  
Affinity mapping
  
 I synthesized feedback from user testing into an affinity map, capturing key patterns, successes, concerns, and suggestions. This helped clarify the product’s strengths and weaknesses, guiding screen revisions and addressing potential friction points in the user experience.

Polished UI screens

Conceptual impact


  1.
   Shaped a strategic design concept to ease anxiety and isolation in pediatric cancer patients.

  2.
  Identified high-impact opportunities through research, ideation, and iterative prototyping.

  3.
  Designed a kid-friendly VR experience tailored for hospital use.

  4.
  Proposed screen mirroring to share the child’s view across hospital devices.

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