Digital Companion for Dementia | Internship Project
A digital companion to support persons with Early-stage Dementia, their Caregivers, and their Clinicians
⏰ Timeline
January’22 -> May’22
👥 Team
Platform Development
Scientific Communications and Content
Design
👩🏽💻 My Role
Led user research interviews with caregivers, Persons with Dementia (PwD), and clinicians
Generated insights and created journey maps to identify user pain points and opportunities
Conducted market research on competitive products and dementia care trends
Researched Accessible Design Principles for PwD
Mapped MVP features in collaboration with stakeholders to align with user needs
Designed screens and prototypes for a mobile app targeting caregivers, clinicians, and PwD
Facilitated stakeholder workshops to gather feedback and refine product features
Goal
The goal of this project was to design a digital companion to support caregivers, doctors, and persons with dementia (PwD).
Empower Person with early-stage Dementia (PwD): Provide cognitive activities and tools designed to slow symptom progression and enhance daily functioning.
Support Caregiver(s): Provide intuitive tools that help caregivers effectively monitor, manage, and assist loved ones with dementia while also supporting their own well-being.
Aid Clinician(s): Equip healthcare professionals with resources to track and assess patient progress for more informed care decisions.
App Development (I worked here!) | Content Production | Behaviour Change Communication Strategy | Community Management | Communication
Secondary Research
Conducted secondary research by reviewing various resources, including publications and articles, to gain an overview of the dementia landscape.
Primary Research
Conducted qualitative research interviews with 6 caregivers of individuals with dementia and 1 neuropsychiatrist.
Research Methodology:
We curated a Research Protocol describing the background, rationale, objectives, design, methodology, statistical considerations, and organization of the project.
Curated a list of potential questions to ask based on secondary literature research.
We conducted Semi-Structured Interviews on Zoom with Saathealth's and BrainSightAI's team members present.
I led 4 and co-led 3 of the 7 interviews.
Interviews were audio-recorded and then transcribed.
Data was analyzed to extract common themes.
The data points were all organized in Excel.
Common Themes and Insights were extracted through discussions.
Caregiver Interview Objectives:
To understand the experiences of caregivers of PwDs in the Indian context, given the different familial and societal structures
To understand the gaps in dementia and caregiving knowledge
To understand the impacts of COVID-19 on symptom exacerbation and dementia management
To identify unmet needs in the caregiving process
Clinician Interview Objectives:
To understand the Journey of Dementia from Diagnosis to Prognosis
To understand the treatments and medications available
To understand the Physician’s needs
User Journey Mapping
I created user journey maps for all three stakeholders- persons with dementia (PwD), their caregivers, and clinicians to build empathy through detailed narratives, helping to understand each stakeholder’s experience and inform design decisions.
Review of Global Digital Companion Solutions
I conducted comprehensive secondary research on global digital companion solutions to understand the services offered and identify common features. This research informed the development of our digital companion, ensuring it aligns with best practices in the market.
Designing for Persons with Dementia x Accessible Design
In designing a digital companion for persons with dementia, I conducted in-depth research on accessibility guidelines for digital interfaces, referencing resources from Alzheimer's Society and Ability Net to ensure an inclusive and user-friendly experience.
Key Points
Features Mapping
I collaborated with the Product Manager, Developer, and Content Team to create a features map, visualizing the product's overall structure and value for stakeholders. We considered attributes like deployment time and feature importance, which helped prioritize the MVP and define the future project roadmap.
High-Fidelity Wireframes MVP- Iteration 1
In this first round of iteration, I worked closely with the Graphic Designer, Product Manager, and Developer to refine the journey flows and visual themes for the app. This version of the wireframes and prototypes was created using Adobe XD, with plugins for icons, illustrations, and images, and was presented to stakeholders for feedback.
Visual Language
Caregiver App
Clinician App
Person with Dementia App
Key Learnings
Exploring m-Health / Dementia / Accessibility Design
Exploring m-Health, dementia, and accessibility design has been both challenging and fascinating.
Through an in-depth literature review and insights from my colleagues, I gained valuable knowledge on designing for the healthcare sector, particularly for individuals in the early stages of dementia.
This experience deepened my understanding of accessible design principles and their crucial role in creating optimal user experiences.
Navigating the Complete UX Process
Following the UX process in this live project, from primary research to prototyping, provided a comprehensive learning experience.
I had the opportunity to collaborate closely with key stakeholders and business partners throughout the development of the solution.
The iterative sessions with the Product Manager and Developer were particularly enjoyable and offered valuable insights, enhancing my skills along the way.
Virtual Collaborations
Considering this was a remote working experience, it was interesting and fun to collaborate, coordinate and deliver with the team in the virtual space.
Future Plans
I plan to continue developing this project as a personal endeavor while advancing my skills as a master's student in Information Experience Design.