Diabetemoji Stickers

Functionality & Mechanism

This iMessage sticker pack, developed by a team at the University of Michigan, provides a visual vocabulary for individuals managing type 1 diabetes. The tool integrates a collection of animated, diabetes-specific stickers directly into the iPhone and iPad messaging interface. This system facilitates rapid and nuanced communication between patients, family members, and caregivers about daily management tasks, symptoms, and emotional states, supplementing standard text with context-specific graphics.

Development & Context

• The sticker pack was co-created at a healthdesignby.us workshop, involving a multidisciplinary University of Michigan team and individuals with type 1 diabetes.
• It was developed to address communication challenges, particularly for parents and children who rely on text messaging to manage the condition remotely.
• The news coverage highlights significant community interest and strong user requests for an Android version following its initial iOS-only release.
• A core principle of the project was designing a communication tool for patients, by patients, to better reflect their lived experiences and needs.

Intended Use & Scope

This tool is intended for individuals with type 1 diabetes and their caregivers to augment personal communication via iMessage on iOS devices. It functions as a supplementary visual aid for expressing concepts related to diabetes management. The information presented is based on news coverage and promotional materials, not on peer-reviewed clinical research.