AlzheCare
UX RESEARCH, UI/UX DESIGN, App DESIGN
Project
Mobile App
Visual Design
Tool
Sketch
AfterEffect
Principle
PhotoShop
Role - Individual Project
Research
Design
Interaction
About AlzheCare
AlzheCare is a phone application that specifically designed for the family that has Alzheimer disease patient. The mission of AlzheCare is to use the simplest way to maximally reduce the burden and easier the process of taking care an Alzheimer patient.
AlzheCare came alone with a wearable device for the patient. Patient can easily attach the device with their socks or bracelet. It is safe, comfortable. and stable, and will constantly sending the health situation and location of the patients to the paired family users.
Design Process
During the process, I designed a mobile platform for the patient families, with a wearable device for the patient. I Iterated the design of the App based on user testing and research. For the final delivery of the physical product for the patient side, I made a 3D printed device.
Potential Users of AlzheCare
The potential users of AlzheiCare are Families, doctor and caregiver of the Alzheimer patient.
The main target user of AlzheCare is The family member of the patient.
Why AlzhiCare and Contextual Inquiry
The reason why I design AlzheCare is because my grandmother was an Alzheimer patient. As a family member who was a part of the caring team for five years, I deeply understand that take care of Alzheimer patient is a very hard task, there are no mature and professional system for how to take care of an Alzheimer patient. In order to design a good user experience of AlzheCare, I’ve interviewed my families ( five members), my grandma’s doctor and her caregiver about their experience of taking care of her especially at her last stage. I found the problems and concerns of take care process for an Alzheimer patient.
Based on the Interview of the families, caregiver and doctor. I found the main problem of each group while taking care of the Alzheimer patient, Based on the family interview, Alzheimer patients has following behavior that make the families worry the most:
No sense of time: Run away without noticing, There was once she went to buy grocery at 2am without telling any families.
No sense of health situation: Since her memory period only last maximum 7mins, she can’t remember if she took her medicine or food on time.
No ability of using Technology: No smart phone, families can’t call her directly when they are far away from her.
User Relationship between Families, Doctor and CareGiver
Proposal
What is AlzheCare?
AlzheCare is a phone application that specifically designed for the family that has Alzheimer disease patient. The mission of AlzheCare is to use the simplest way to maximally reduce the burden and easier the process of taking care an Alzheimer patient.
AlzheCare comes alone with a wearable device for the patient. Patient can easily attach the device with their socks or bracelet. It is safe, comfortable. and stable, and will constantly sending the health situation and location of the patients to the paired family users.
Who are the users?
Our target users are the family members of the Alzheimer patient, also including doctors and caregiver of the patients. In addition, AlzheCare is also a forum for all the family members of Alzheimer patients to share useful suggestions, experience and information.
Research
Safe Environment
Use locks. Install locks on cabinets that contain anything potentially dangerous, such as medicine, alcohol, guns, toxic cleaning substances, dangerous utensils and tools.
Check water temperature. Lower the thermostat on the hot-water heater to prevent burns.
Eating and Sleeping Routine
Eating, another activity that was second nature, can also become a challenge for a person with Alzheimer’s. Some people might need encouragement to follow a well-balanced diet while others might want to eat all the time. Routine mealtimes are important, but remember to adapt to their changing needs and try to create a calm environment with limited distractions.
Activity
Some people with Alzheimer's disease still enjoy a meal out or a social gathering, but others can become overstimulated or anxious. Observe how much activity your loved one can tolerate. Provide opportunities for exercise, outdoor walks, and rides in the car. Concentrate on variations of activities your loved one enjoyed before becoming ill. For example, you might ask someone who loved cooking to help wash the vegetables.
Changes in Communication Skills
Communication is hard for people with Alzheimer’s disease because they have trouble remembering things. They may struggle to find words or forget what they want to say. You may feel impatient and wish they could just say what they want, but they can’t. Getting into supporting groups and frequent communication are important.
Competitive Analysis
Existing Apps lack diverse functionalities. Most of them mainly focus on the memory situation of the patient, which means their target users are the patient but not the people who taking care the users.
In addition, most of the App did’t consider the situation of the patient. Most of the Alzheimer patient are senior people over 75 years old, which means they may don’t know how to use smart phone at all.
User Flow
Prototype 1.0
Paper Prototype
Sketch prototype 1.0. This prototype already have four basic functions: location, CCTV, health situation and events.
But the whole structure is very rough and lack of details.
User Test 1.0
Prototype 2.0
Low-fidelity digital version for application
Based on the feedback from my interview to patient’s families, I made the first digital prototype. In this prototype, I focused on not only functions but also user interface.
I did user test with different type of target users, but mainly focus on the users with age from 40- 55. Based on the research data, most of the Alzheimer patients are age 75 and up. The next generation of them (sons and daughters) are the target users for AlzheiCare.
User Testing 2.0
User Journey Map (Easy)
User Journey Map(Hard)
Key Points from User Testing 2.0 and Research
From my second user testing and research, I decided to add two more features and deleting one from AlzheCare:
Cameras in Different Rooms: For Alzheimer patient, not only running outside is a dangerous thing, they shouldn’t be close to kitchen stove or balcony. There will be notification push to families when the patient are in these areas too.
Family Forum: A group chat for families talking and sharing information together.
Emergency Card: Most of Alzheimer patients are over 75 years old. A physical emergency card is a better option than a digital card.
Final Prototype
High-fidelity digital version for application
Highlights Function