Macro

Founder & Product Design Lead · iOS · Android · Tablet · Web

As founder and product design lead at Macro, I owned end-to-end design across brand identity, e-commerce web app, and two physical product lines. Through 100+ user interviews and rapid prototyping, I created a product ecosystem that instantly delivers nutrition data, reducing portion measurement from 2 minutes to 1 second.

Preview of solution: Macro-measuring kitchenware set

Design Patent Award

As part of this work, I invented the ability to volumetrically measure nutritional content that was awarded a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

View Patent

Problem

The invisible epidemic

A $966 Billion Problem Hidden in Plain Sight

537 million people have diabetes worldwide, a number set to surge 54% by 2030. The annual cost already exceeds $966 billion, yet over 90% of diabetics do nothing to manage their blood sugar levels.

The Education System Failed Them

Most diabetics never learn that carbohydrates directly control blood sugar. Even when they do, 75% lack the algebra skills needed to calculate carbs from nutrition labels. The healthcare system demands mathematical literacy it never provides.

The 20 tedious steps of traditional carb portioning with a food scale and a phone app

The "Compliant" 10% Still Suffer

For those trying to manage their diabetes, counting carbs means 20 tedious steps before every meal, including weighing food, finding items in databases, calculating portions, logging data. Carb portioning is the cornerstone of diabetes management but it requires so much effort that adherence approaches zero.

Research

Finding the Truth

Interviews Revealed Carb Mismanagement Is Widespread

Every medical professional I interviewed shared the same stark reality: diabetics don't portion carbs, and even worse, most don't even know what carbs are.

Diabetics who don't portion carbs face many medical consequences:

Kidney Failure — 10x more likely, leading to life-long dialysis treatment.
Neuropathy — 42% likelihood with chronic stabbing pains and numbness in extremities, often leading to amputations.
Retinopathy — 1 in 3 likelihood, with eye retina swelling and bleeding, leading to vision loss or blindness.
Brain Stroke — 4x more likely, with strokes more deadly and disabling than in non-diabetics.

Darryl Johnson, 63, leg amputated due to an edema blister infection and high blood sugar

What Is the Perfect Carb Amount for Diabetics?

I conducted interviews with leading endocrinologists at Sutter Health, registered dietitians certified for diabetic care, as well as wide spectrum of diabetics to determine the ideal carb portion for diabetics.

Meeting with endocrinology experts at Sutter Health

15g Is the Magic Number.

The answer was unanimous. The portion amount that is ideal for most diabetics is increments of 15g of carbs. A snack between meals? 15. A meal? 30-45g. This would become the foundation for the entire product ecosystem.

Sutter Health workbook — Excerpt from Sutter Health, "Understanding Type 2 Diabetes" Workbook

But Which Foods Could Be Reliably Measured Volumetrically?

Accuracy, consistency, and reliability were the most important factors in determining which foods could be measured volumetrically. I conducted extensive research on the most common foods consumed by diabetics, and conducted polls on the r/diabetes, r/diabetes_t1, and r/diabetes_t2 subreddits to discover which foods they wanted to measure.

Berries and popcorn were just a few of the foods capable of being measured volumetrically

Diabetics Just Want to Feel Like a Normal Person.

Most all products for diabetics are an eyesore and embarrassing for them to use publicly, making them feel like a medical patient in their own home.

Ugly diabetic dishware — An example of the eyesore dishware that diabetics are told to use

Ideation & Concepts

Rapid Prototyping

Rapid Prototyping with Real Diabetics

To make prototype testing as insightful as possible, Additive Manufacturing processes with designs made in Autodesk Fusion were used to create quick usable prototypes of the concepts.

The purpose of these rough but functional prototypes was to answer the most foundational questions about the design of the products:

Are these prototypes more convenient than using a food scale?
Which foods are most critical to measure?
Which concepts cause a reaction of "Wow, when can I buy this?"
What form factor feels the most natural to use? (serving spoon, measuring cup, etc)

First prototype of a rice serving spoon that measures 15g of carbs

Narrowing on Design Concepts

The results from the rapid prototyping were clear. Both the serving spoon and snack bowl concepts drew the most excitement and pre-order demand.

A Reddit poll determining which concepts diabetics wanted to purchase most

User testing session — A user testing session with a diabetic, using the early prototypes

The 4 most important design enhancements

After further user testing, I discovered that there were four key enhancements needed:

More ergonomic handles — The handles needed to be more comfortable to hold, especially for diabetics with neuropathy.
More nutritional data — Diabetics wanted to know not just the carb content, but also the protein and caloric content of their food.
Bowl nestability — The snack bowls needed to be able to nest inside each other for efficient easy storage.
Unique spoonheads — The spoonheads needed to be unique to each food type. Users disliked the idea of using the same spoonhead for rice and pasta.

Bowl iterations — Achieving both measuring accuracy and a nestable design took countless iterations

Solution & Impact

The first kitchenware built to fight diabetes

Turning Research Into Products That Solve Real Problems

After iterating through 200+ prototypes and securing a patent, we launched two complementary product lines.

Product Line #1: Macro Snack Bowls

The Macro Bowl serves a perfect doctor-recommended portion of ~15 grams of carbs. Diabetics can finally eat immediately without worrying about their blood sugar levels.

The perfect 15g carb portion for every snack they love

From strawberries to nuts, chips, popcorn and crackers, every snack a diabetic loves is no longer a guilty pleasure.

Content, visual, and motion design for "How to use" section

Product Line #2: Macro Spoons

Macro Spoons are the only kitchenware that scoops a precise serving of carbs, calories, and protein every time.

Measures Cooked Food and Dry Ingredients

There's finally no guesswork for measuring dry ingredients, either. Each Macro Spoon has carefully marked dry fill lines and slots that translate raw pasta, rice, beans, or oatmeal into precise servings. Diabetics can know their macros before they even turn on the stove.

Ergonomic Handle Design for Neuropathic Users

Shaped to match the natural curve of a hand, the ergonomic handle thickens near the palm for a secure, comfortable grip that makes cooking feel effortless.

Each spoon handle is weighted and shaped for optimal hand grip.

Built-In Spoon Rests

Each handle features a built-in rest and angled spoon head to keep the spoon elevated with surfaces clean and mess-free. Clean counters, every time.

I added designs for a built-in spoon rest to add more customer value

Nestable bowl design

Snack bowls nest within each other for easy storage and organization. No more cluttered cabinets or eyesore kitchenware.

Diabetics can quickly and easily grab the Macro Bowl they need

Worldwide Distribution

Macro's products are now used by diabetics in 5 countries, from the United States to Denmark, Spain to the UK, and beyond.

Macro packaging — Shipped to and used by diabetics worldwide

Validated Through Real-World Impact

User data showed dramatic blood sugar improvements, which is the ultimate measure of design success. We didn't just solve a theoretical problem; we shipped products that demonstrably improve health outcomes for diabetics.

Customer results — Customer screenshots of no change in blood sugar levels after using Macro products

Learnings

The most transformative design challenge of my career

The Weight of Every Decision

Owning every design decision for an entire company is a crucible you can't replicate in any other role. You make a thousand calls, and only a handful materially change the trajectory of the product or the business. The real skill is knowing which details matter, and which are noise. I learned to measure decisions against real outcomes: website traffic, click-through rates, conversions, reviews, cancellations, retention. Without that lens, it's easy to waste months perfecting something that moves no needle.

The Myth That "Everything Matters"

Most designers believe every touchpoint is equally important. But when it comes to hitting revenue numbers, I found the opposite. 95% of design output is table stakes. The levers that drive exponential growth are surprisingly few but they exist at the intersection of product, brand, and marketing, and they deserve disproportionate focus.

The Unforgiving Nature of Physical Product Design

In software, a mistake costs a sprint. In physical products, it can cost $30,000 to remake just one set of injection molds, $100,000 in lost profits from defective inventory, and warehouse shelves full of products you can't sell. The permanence and cost of those mistakes hardwires a different level of diligence.

The Multiplier Effect of a True Design Partner

Having a great design partner creates a magnitude difference, in both quality and quantity of design execution. Solving problems alone capped my velocity. Once I hired another designer, the quality and speed of our solutions increased tenfold. This learning reshaped my approach to leadership: for every high-stakes challenge, I make it a requirement to have a domain-expert thought partner to co-solve with intensity.

The Unique Challenge of Medical Product Marketing

Selling a product in the medical space is unlike anything else. Google Ads are inflated by pharmaceutical competition. The healthcare system is a closed loop with email servers rejecting outside senders, gatekeepers blocking access, and doctors are shockingly less engaged than expected. Success required building entirely new channels and trust systems.

Redefining My Own Ceiling

Macro pushed me into territories far beyond design: raising capital, creating viral content, industrial design, manufacturing, marketing strategy, hiring, public speaking. I emerged not just as a better designer, but I developed the matured operator mindset every design leader needs: learn rapidly, solving in real-time, and embracing the unknown.

Robert Paul at a commercial photo shoot for Macro