Ovar: Nicole Oaten's community-led platform supporting people with endometriosis
- Written byS Cheevers
- Published date 29 June 2026
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BA (Hons) Fashion Journalism and Content Creation student Nicole Oaten has developed ‘Ovar: The Ovaryaction’, a community-led educational platform designed to support people living with endometriosis as part of her final project. Inspired by her own experience of diagnosis and treatment, the platform brings together trusted information, lived experiences and practical guidance in one inclusive space. Ovar will be showcased at London College of Fashion, UAL’s Undergraduate Class of 2026 Exhibition from 13–18 July.
In her own words, Nicole reflects on the experience behind the project and the impact it aims to have.
Ovar: The Ovaryaction was born from my experience of living with endometriosis.
Endometriosis affects around one in ten people with a uterus worldwide, yet many still face long diagnostic delays, limited understanding from those around them, and difficulty accessing reliable information. After being diagnosed at 17, I experienced these challenges first-hand and often struggled to find trustworthy information, support and community.
That experience inspired me to create Ovar, a community-led educational platform designed to bring trusted information, lived experiences, and practical guidance together in one place. The aim is simple: to turn what is often dismissed as an "overreaction" into ovary action.
Creating Ovar became deeply personal. Even while developing the project, endometriosis continued to affect my daily life. But every conversation I had with contributors, healthcare professionals and people living with the condition reinforced why the project mattered. That’s what fueled the resilience to keep going. And while I always knew that Ovar was never going to be about me, it was always going to be for others, I can’t help but think that my 17-year-old self would have loved it and been immensely proud - and that’s what matters.
One of the biggest turning points in the project came during a focus group with people living with endometriosis. A participant highlighted that using language centred solely around women and she/her pronouns could exclude transgender people with endometriosis. That feedback changed the direction of the platform. I spoke with transgender individuals living with the condition, and their experiences helped shape both the content and identity of Ovar.
Inclusivity became a guiding principle. Ovar has been designed for people at every stage of their journey, whether they are seeking a diagnosis, awaiting treatment, recovering from surgery, or managing long-term symptoms. Ovar recognises that individuals should not have to work to find support or spend hours searching across different platforms for answers. Instead, it brings trusted information, lived experiences, and practical guidance together in one accessible space, through a curated hub of articles, features, videos, and podcasts designed to empower users through education, representation, and community.
The platform is organised into 3 sections: Relate, Remedy and React. Relate shares of lived experiences and personal stories, Remedy offers practical advice and educational content and React encourages advocacy and wider awareness. Together, they provide a platform that caters for every type of person with endometriosis, who are at different stages of their journey.
It’s important to me that users feel seen in the content they are digesting. With the varied content Ovar offers, I hope users come away from the app feeling like their experience has been acknowledged, and with information that they trust.
I designed and prototyped Ovar using Figma, where extensive UX/UI design principles were applied to create a fully interactive experience. Through carefully designed wireframes, linked user journeys and strong visual branding, the entire platform is handmade, from design to functions, with no AI or programming involved with the app development.
At its heart, Ovar is the result of collaboration. I have worked with individuals with lived experience, medical professionals, app developers, researchers, advocates, and content contributors to ensure the platform was built on trust, credibility and authenticity. More than a university project, Ovar represents a response to the real experiences of a community that has historically been overlooked. It is a platform created for the endometriosis community, by the endometriosis community, with the ambition of continuing beyond academia and becoming a recognised resource that helps people feel informed, supported, heard and empowered.
The feedback so far has been incredibly encouraging, and I'm currently exploring funding opportunities to develop the platform further. I am due to graduate in July with 1st class honours, and from then will be open to work! I adore working with a purpose and transforming an idea into a final product. I'd love to see Ovar grow into a widely recognised resource, but I'm already proud of what it has achieved and the conversations it has started.
The LCF Undergraduate Class of 2026 Exhibition is open from 13 July – 18 July 2026, Monday – Saturday, 10am - 5pm at London College of Fashion, UAL, East Bank campus.
Join us in the Ground Floor Lecture Theatre to watch the catwalk livestream. Free and open to the public; seats are available on a first come, first served basis.
- View the catwalk livestream schedule.
- Read more LCF Stories