I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes this summer of 2025. At first, I was scared of what was to come. My dad would always tell me that “Diabetes makes your life a lot harder”. My mind flooded with thoughts like, how would I manage? What would change for the worse?
Surprisingly, the reality of having diabetes has not been as overwhelming as I imagined. Why? Glucose monitoring apps. They’ve turned a daunting medical condition to something manageable, and sometimes, even empowering.
Type 2 Diabetes (not to be confused with Type 1) is when the body doesn’t produce or use insulin in the way that it should. Insulin helps move sugar into the body’s cells which is then released as energy. When insulin isn’t working properly, sugar stays in the bloodstream and can lead to serious health problems.
Diabetes is a chronic condition, meaning it requires ongoing medical attention including regular monitoring, treatment, and lifestyle changes. For me, that means taking 4 tablets of metformin daily— a total of 2000 mg.
This, alongside checking my glucose monitoring app connected to the sensor on the back of my upper arm, helps me track patterns in my blood sugar levels and make smarter decisions about my diet and overall lifestyle. So, what does the UX design process for continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and their linked apps look like?
The FreeStyle Libre 3 sensor app is what I personally use since being diagnosed. Abbott Diabetes Care, a leading company specializing in supporting individuals with diabetes since 2004, developed the system. The Libre 3 involves a small, compact sensor and a linked accessible app to make the daily management of diabetes less of a burden. The app itself is a great example of a successful UX design process: finding a problem, researching, creating a prototype, testing, and refining.
A less than 2 minute video by FreeStyle Libre on how to set up the Libre app and its starting sensor.