Design of a graphical user interface centered on the emotional and physiological experience of the nursing mother: NURA, a smart breast pump

Introduction – Breastfeeding provides nutritional, immunological, and psychophysiological benefits for both the newborn and the mother. However, occupational, social, and clinical factors compel a growing number of women to resort to mechanical milk expression. Although electric breast pumps have improved the efficiency of the process, their design typically prioritizes technical variables, relegating the emotional and cognitive experience of the user to the background. This paper presents the design of a smart breast pump, named NURA, and the development of its graphical user interface (GUI), conceived from a perspective centered on the psychophysiological experience of the nursing mother. Methods – The device integrates controlled suction, vibration, and breast heating, based on physiological principles of lactation, alongside a mobile application that allows for the personalized regulation of expression parameters and the recording of usage and user-reported information. The design process was structured using the Double Diamond methodology, incorporating an analysis of benchmarks, ergonomic criteria, fundamentals of lactation physiology, and user experience design principles. Functional prototypes of the hardware and the digital interface were developed, which were evaluated in pilot tests with users to analyze anatomical fit, usability, and the general perception of the system. Results – Preliminary usability testing provided insights into user interactions with the proposed system. Participants were generally able to operate the prototype and its graphical interface without extensive guidance, and the evaluation helped identify opportunities for refinement in both the physical and digital components. Discussion – These exploratory findings suggest the feasibility of integrating physiological and experiential considerations into the design of lactation technologies and support future studies with larger sample sizes and formal validation methods.