Visible: Pacing for illness

What it does

Visible is a specialized health app designed to help people manage energy-limiting chronic illnesses like Long Covid, ME/CFS, and Fibromyalgia. Its core function is to help users understand the relationship between their activities and their symptoms through a structured system of daily and monthly check-ins. The app combines subjective symptom reporting with objective biometric data, like Heart Rate Variability (HRV), to provide a daily 'Morning Stability' score that guides a user's activity levels.

Where it shines

Visible stands out by treating its users' conditions with scientific rigor. The most impressive feature is the morning check-in, which uses the phone's camera to perform a 60-second HRV measurement (01:51). This turns a common device into a powerful biometric tool, lending credibility to the app's recommendations. Another strong point is the detailed 'Monthly check-in' (04:21), a comprehensive survey that quantifies a user's functional capacity over time, providing a tangible score (05:34) that can be tracked and shared.

UX highlights

Structured Data Collection: The app's architecture is built around a clear, tiered check-in system. Morning check-ins are for proactive pacing, evening check-ins are for reflective symptom logging, and monthly check-ins track long-term functional capacity. This prevents user fatigue.
Tangible Interactions: Using a finger on the camera lens (02:02) to measure biometrics is a powerful interaction that makes the data collection process feel active and meaningful.
Clear Data Visualization: The app presents complex data through simple dashboards. The 'Morning Stability' screen (03:18) and 'Functional capacity' breakdown provide at-a-glance insights without being overwhelming.
Empowering Users with Data: Features like 'Data export' (09:43) and the future promise of a 'Health Report PDF' show a commitment to letting users own and utilize their health information outside the app.
Community and Research Focus: The Community tab (07:03) goes beyond simple forums, offering curated reading lists and opportunities to enroll in research studies (07:43), empowering users to contribute to science.

Monetization & growth

No monetization methods, such as paywalls or subscription prompts, are visible in this recording. The app's primary focus appears to be on user onboarding, data collection, and providing core tracking features. The only growth-related mechanic observed is the ability to share a blog post (07:14) or share enrollment in a study (08:21), suggesting a community-driven or word-of-mouth growth strategy.

Who it’s for

This app is clearly designed for individuals living with complex chronic illnesses that are often misunderstood or 'invisible.' The language and features are tailored for users who need to carefully manage their energy levels ('pacing') and are motivated to find patterns in their symptoms. It serves both as a personal management tool and a way to gather objective data to share with healthcare providers.

Notes & opportunities

While the structured check-ins are a strength, the app immediately requires the user to complete a morning check-in after onboarding. Allowing the user to explore the app first might reduce initial friction. The 'Trends' section (06:17) is powerful but could benefit from more direct annotation features, allowing users to mark significant life events on their charts to better contextualize symptom fluctuations.