Press Release
A' Design Award in Mobile Technologies, Applications and Software Design Goes to Easy PT Easy Virtual Triage App by Stacey Chen
Stacey Chen recognized for mobile technologies, applications and software design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 24, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Easy PT Easy Virtual Triage App by Stacey Chen has been granted the A' Design Award in the Mobile Technologies, Applications and Software Design category. The result belongs to the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The A' Design Award Explained
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
About Easy PT Easy Virtual Triage App
Easy PT Easy is a mobile application that guides first-time physical therapy patients through a clear and informed care journey. Paperwork is replaced by a streamlined onboarding process. Symptom self-assessment tools help users understand their pain, and direct connection pathways link users with physical therapists without a general doctor referral. Relatable case examples and a simple interface ease anxiety and build trust. The application was created to help patients take an active role in their recovery.
About Stacey Chen
Stacey Chen is a multidisciplinary designer based in Chicago, renowned for her expertise in industrial design, UX design, and design research. With a career spanning top-tier companies like SRAM, Hammerhead, and Hasbro, she has honed her ability to navigate every stage of the product development process, from initial user research to final production. With a master’s degree in Engineering Design Innovation from Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute, Stacey’s work seamlessly blends creativity with technical precision.
Award Record
Stacey Chen is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.
About the A' Mobile Technologies, Applications and Software Design Award
The A' Mobile Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good design in mobile industry by leading designers and brands worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to mobile designers, application developers, software engineers and user interface designers from all countries. Entries typically include smartphones, tablets, wearables, mobile applications, mobile games and mobile software. Awarded mobile designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/mobile
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/173959
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/173959
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!173959
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/354354
- Further Information from the Laureate: http://www.staceychen.com
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Easy PT Easy Virtual Triage App
- Function
- Virtual Triage App
- Category
- Mobile Technologies, Applications and Software Design
- Discipline
- Communication Design
- Industry
- Software and Electronics & Appliances
- Colors
- White, White Smoke, Gainsboro, Light Gray and Cornflower Blue
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Stacey Chen
- Country
- United States of America
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #173959
Credits
- Image Credits
- Illustrator Stacey Chen, Easy PTeasy, 2024.
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Easy PT-Easy a user-friendly app that guides first-time physical therapy patients through a clear, informed care journey. It replaces paperwork with a streamlined onboarding process, offers symptom self-assessment tools, and connects users directly with PTs, removing the need for a general doctor referral. Through relatable case examples and intuitive design, it eases anxiety, builds trust, and empowers patients to take an active role in their recovery.
- Inspiration
- Having gone through a serious accident, Stacey Chen experienced firsthand the confusion and anxiety surrounding physical therapy. This inspired her to investigate how design could ease that journey. Through interviews with patients and clinicians, she identified critical gaps in communication and preparedness. The resulting design blends empathetic storytelling with intuitive tools to guide users, reduce anxiety, and improve access to physical therapy.
- Research
- This project used qualitative research to understand the emotional and practical challenges of starting physical therapy. The goal was to uncover patient pain points and gaps in the process. Interviews and surveys were conducted with both patients and clinicians. Insights revealed confusion, fear, and a lack of clear guidance. These findings shaped a design that simplifies the PT journey, improves communication, and encourages early engagement, benefiting both healthcare systems and patient well-being.
- Challenge
- The hardest part was addressing patients’ emotional uncertainty while navigating the complexity of the healthcare system. Social stigma around injury and limited access to clear information made it difficult for users to trust or engage early. Technological limitations in existing PT systems and privacy concerns also posed challenges. Overcoming these meant designing a solution that felt human, safe, and intuitive, bridging gaps in empathy, access, and communication.
- Realization and Technology
- Stacey Chen employed human-centered design methods, beginning with qualitative research through interviews and journey mapping to identify user pain points. She synthesized insights into key design goals: clarity, empathy, and accessibility. Low-fidelity wireframes and user flows were iterated based on feedback, leading to a refined prototype. The final design emphasizes intuitive interaction, storytelling, and efficient onboarding tailored to first-time PT patients.
- Operation and Interaction
- Easy PT-Easy guides users step by step, starting with a simple introduction and relatable story to ease anxiety. Users answer a few questions about their pain, and the app helps them understand what might be happening. It then connects them directly to a physical therapist. No doctor visit needed. By setting clear expectations and using friendly language, the app helps patients feel more prepared, supported, and confident about starting their recovery journey.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in January 2024 in Chicago and finished in June 2024 in Chicago.
- Specifications
- As a digital product, Easy PT-Easy was designed for mobile platforms with a responsive UI adaptable to various screen sizes. It was prototyped using Figma, focusing on accessibility, touch-friendly interaction, and clear visual hierarchy. The app features symptom check tools, narrative-based onboarding, and direct PT connection pathways, all optimized for user flow efficiency and emotional clarity in first-time physical therapy experiences.
- Keywords
- App Design, UIUX, User Experience Design, User Interface Design, Design Reserach, Mobile App, Physical Therapy, PT, Virtual Triage
