PrimaryBreathe
- Animation and Illustration
- Bespoke Digital Solutions
Creating a Secure Digital Platform for the University of Cambridge’s Primary Breathe Project
- Secure participant platform designed for clinical research trials
- Interactive goal-setting, symptom tracking, and learning tools
- Illustrated and animated resources simplifying complex medical science
The ambition
The University of Cambridge approached Enigma Interactive to help bring their PrimaryBreathe research project to life online. Led through the School of Clinical Medicine, PrimaryBreathe explores how digital tools can help people living with long-term respiratory conditions, such as asthma, COPD and pulmonary fibrosis, better understand and manage their symptoms.
The brief was to create a secure, participant-focused digital platform that would support the research trials while helping patients engage meaningfully with the Breathing, Thinking, Functioning (BTF) model, the evidence-based framework underpinning the study. The platform would form a central part of the University’s ongoing research into non-pharmacological approaches to managing breathlessness, offering participants structured guidance, goal-setting tools and learning content designed to improve daily wellbeing.
From the beginning, our challenge was to translate complex and often intimidating medical information into something participants could genuinely connect with, simplifying the science of breathing without losing its accuracy, while also creating a safe, calm and encouraging environment that would motivate users to keep coming back.
To achieve this, the digital experience had to strike a delicate balance between scientific rigour and human empathy. It needed to present potentially frightening information, like why breathlessness occurs or how anxiety can exacerbate symptoms, in a way that felt supportive, digestible and empowering. The success of the platform would depend on how well it could make this material feel approachable and relevant to people managing these challenges every day.
This wasn’t a typical website build. PrimaryBreathe is a live research study with strict data requirements and a focus on sensitive user experience. The site needed to do more than share information, it had to act as a practical digital companion for participants, helping them to record progress, set goals, and revisit the tools and advice most relevant to their symptoms.
Ultimately, the University of Cambridge wanted a trusted, research-driven digital companion that could evolve alongside their study, a tool capable of supporting participants through the trial phase while laying the groundwork for a future NHS-ready resource that GPs could confidently share with their patients.
What we did
Understanding the client's needs
From the outset, the University of Cambridge team made it clear that this project was about creating a trusted, evidence-based tool, not a public-facing website. The platform needed to serve as a private digital companion for research participants, accessed only via secure login. Enigma worked closely with the project’s clinical and technical leads to understand the participant journey, from registration and onboarding to daily goal-setting and progress tracking. This discovery phase shaped the site’s structure, ensuring it supported both participant experience and the research team’s data collection needs.
Designing for accessibility and simplicity
Given the sensitive and sometimes complex nature of respiratory conditions, clarity was paramount. The user experience needed to feel calm, intuitive, and non-medical in tone, providing a supportive space rather than an overwhelming one. Enigma’s design team focused on simple layouts, soft colour palettes, and straightforward navigation. The interface allows users to easily find learning materials, record their progress, and favourite the pages they find most useful. Every design decision was thoughtful to ensure the platform worked for people of all ages and levels of digital confidence.
Building interactive tools for engagement
The site’s interactive features form the heart of the participant experience. Users can:
- Set and track personal goals, such as increasing activity levels or practising breathing exercises.
- Record daily reflections and monitor their progress over time.
- Favourite helpful resources for quick future access.
All data is securely stored within the user’s account, allowing participants to see their improvements and revisit guidance as they progress through the study.
Bringing the BTF model to life
The platform is built around the Breathing, Thinking, Functioning (BTF) model, the scientific framework underpinning the research. To help users understand how different factors influence their breathing, Enigma developed interactive content modules that break down each part of the model into approachable, everyday language.
This structured approach ensures participants can explore relevant sections at their own pace, deepening their understanding of how thoughts, actions, and physical responses connect and how small changes can ease symptoms.
Enhancing learning through illustration and animation
To further support understanding, Enigma’s creative team produced a bespoke illustration style and a series of short animations explaining the science of breathing in clear, visual terms. These explainers simplify complex physiological concepts, such as how airways constrict during an asthma attack, or how breathing exercises can improve lung function, without losing scientific accuracy. The animations are being rolled out as part of the project’s next phase, helping participants engage more deeply with the material and strengthening the educational impact of the platform.
Results
Currently live for trial participants, the PrimaryBreathe platform is already helping the University of Cambridge gather vital data on how digital tools can empower patients to better manage chronic respiratory conditions.
Early feedback from both researchers and users has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the simplicity, clarity, and accessibility of the system. Designed to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards, it ensures everyone, regardless of digital literacy, age, or ability, can access the tools and guidance they need to manage their breathlessness with confidence.
As the study progresses, the ambition is for the platform to become a scalable digital health resource, one that GP practices can eventually invite patients to use more widely.
Through thoughtful design, meaningful interactivity, and a focus on clarity, Enigma has helped translate complex medical research into something genuinely life-enhancing, a digital experience that helps people breathe, think, and function more easily.
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