Gut Sense

Inspiration

Gut health is fundamentally "invisible." Most people, especially the 40–60+ demographic, only realize something is wrong when they are already in pain. We were inspired by the "Villain Paradox"—the fact that we eat for pleasure but often suffer in silence because tracking biological reactions in real-time is nearly impossible without clinical intervention. We wanted to turn that "black box" into a transparent, actionable map.

What it does

GutSense is an AI-driven interface that translates complex "Smart Pill" data (tracking pH, $H_{2}S$, and $CH_{4}$ levels) into a daily UX.The Biome Lens: An AR-powered tool to scan food and see real-time compatibility based on current gut data.The Gut Memory Bank: A personal biological ledger that replaces manual food logging with automated sensor history.Discovery Quests: A gamified system to encourage dietary diversity and "Lining Repair" for users with low gut-health scores.

How we built it

We utilized a Master of Design (MDes) approach, focusing heavily on Information Architecture and Senior-Friendly Accessibility.

Design Tool: Built 100% in Figma, leveraging the Figma API and MCP to sync real-time design tokens.

User Research: Focused on the "Ananya Rao" persona (Age 45-55) to ensure high-contrast visuals and simplified task flows.

Logic: Integrated a "fiduciary model" for health data, ensuring the interface feels like a trusted medical companion rather than just another tracker.

Challenges we ran into

Data Translation: Converting clinical metrics like "parts per million" of methane ($CH_{4}$) into a visual language that an average user can understand without feeling overwhelmed.Tracking Fatigue: Solving the "manual entry" problem by leaning on automated sensor data to prevent users from abandoning the app after a week.Accessibility: Balancing a futuristic "Deep Tech" aesthetic with the high-legibility requirements needed for our target age group.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

The Biome Lens Workflow: Creating a seamless transition from a camera scan to a biological recommendation in under three taps.

Visual Consistency: Achieving a 100% unified design system that feels both clinical/trustworthy and modern/warm.

Figbuild 2026 Submission: Successfully articulating a complex "Smart Pill" integration into a pitchable, user-centric product.

What we learned

We learned that "More data is not better UX." For health tech, the value isn't in showing the user every fluctuation in their gut pH, but in telling them, "Yes, you can eat this sourdough bread today." We also learned the importance of "Micro-Interactions" in making a health app feel alive and supportive rather than judgmental.