I’ve used thriva.co since 2017 and their testing box still delights me every time! Such a fun mechanism. The instructions could easily fit inside a regular box… so it’s fairly pointless if you think about it practically… but in this case, sod practicality, we need more delight.

Finding delight, and Thriva

I was approaching 40 and a GP revealed that a hereditary high cholesterol issue had finally hit me. I was very active, below average weight for my height, had never smoked, hardly drank, and ate very healthily. But my cholesterol was 6.64 (below 5 is the top of the normal range), and triglycerides were at 4.69 (normal range peaks at 2).

Something needed to be done to lower the numbers, but I didn’t want to keep burdening my very busy local GP. I fancied going scientific on the problem and decided to experiment with a series of life changes. Three months per intervention, remeasuring along the way. I needed a way to measure more often and get hold of the testing data.

A little search revealed a few options but Thriva seemed most promising. I love investigating the service design of new products and platforms, and had a hunch this startup was taking it seriously.

Developing new services within the health space is far from easy, so how would this one manage some very tricky steps? From ordering the correct tests and delivery schedule of the kit, through to taking blood samples at home, packaging them up correctly, and sending them securely in the post.

Getting someone to put a tick on a postcard and return it in a stamped addressed envelope is hard enough. How the heck could this be done well?

Well, very impressively so. In fact, it’s hard to fault the service design and offering of Thriva. I gave feedback in a round of their user testing last year, and even that was brilliantly conducted.

The more I add to this post – that was intended for just sharing the box opening – the more I want to give it an ‘Outsider Service Assessment’ as I did for Our Future Health. A slightly irreverent idea, but actually a great UCD design exercise. Also, a nice way to be mindful and appreciate good services, and to properly consider the hard work and challenges that go into making things.

I’ll add that to my list. Right now though, I should actually be taking my Thriva samples and not distracting myself and procrastinating with the box and its delights!

OK, one last distraction. I got my numbers and cholesterol under control in the end, although my genes still don’t make it easy. For me, there were two things that clearly changed my numbers over my tranche of three month experiments.

1. Intermittent fasting, which I define as leaving as long a gap after dinner and before breakfast as possible. On most days that’s finishing all eating and taking no more calories after 7.30pm and not eating again until 10.30am at the earliest. I’m not super strict with this and allow earlier breakfasts in some situations. But then I also go longer at times also. It feels easier to fast when I imagine the good work it’s causing in my insides!
2. Those spreads that claim they are proven to lower cholesterol. Seems for me like they do! I’ve no brand loyalty so just get the one that’s on offer (one always seems to be) and that claims to use responsibly sourced palm oil. The spread feels like a double-edged sword however because it’s the most highly processed thing that I eat, and I believe ultrahigh processed foods are another terrible thing for cholesterol, but hey, swings and roundabouts.

Footnote, for good extra procrastination points. I used to think the saying ‘swings and roundabouts’ was ‘swings in roundabouts’. It’s only just hit me that I can now easily generate the mental image that this misunderstanding always conjured…

Spooky. This is practically spot on. I think I imagined the misunderstanding meaning the same, about gains and losses offsetting each other. As if, hey, we have to have a boring roundabout, but at least there’s a swing in the middle…