Navigating Digital Transformation in Elderly Care
0 to 1 Start-Up Product Design for Caregivers in Elderly Care Homes
Pioneering Digital Solutions for Elderly Care
At Black Bean, our mission extends beyond traditional care. We're pioneering the integration of digital solutions and AI technology to enhance the caregiving process in elderly care homes. Our project began with the development of a caregiver app, a key component in our strategy to facilitate a more systematic and user-friendly approach to elderly care management.
Position
UX Design Intern
Team
Huang Yan (Leader)
Lilian Ruan (Intern)
Eils (Intern)
Duration
June, 2023 - Aug, 2023
3 months
Tools Used
Figma
Boardmix (Online Collaborative Whiteboard)
Adobe Photoshop
Overview
Project brief
Black Bean, an AI startup focusing on digitalization in the elderly care sector, sought to develop digital solutions for caregivers, envisioned as part of a holistic digital system integrating various stakeholders including administrators, caregivers, the elderly, and their families.
My role
As a UX team member, I participated in the second round of onsite research and interviews, tasked with synthesizing insights from administrators and caregivers from the elderly care facilities to build hypotheses and design interactive user interfaces.
Design process
Research
First Round of Site Visits
Initial Insights: Uncovering the Role of Caregivers as Digital Conduits
Before my involvement, the team had already conducted prior research and had crucial insight: caregivers are the linchpin in the digital transformation of elderly care facilities. So the design focus next would be on creating a caregiver-centric app that streamlined their daily tasks and reduced workload through enhanced digital workflows.
Second Round of Site Visits
A Shift in Focus: Adapting to Real-World Challenges
Revising to Highlight the Shift Towards a Holistic Digital Transformation
During our second round of site visits and interviews, which included three institutional visits and five family member interviews, we aimed to validate our original design goals. However, this in-depth engagement revealed significant barriers to digital adoption by caregivers, primarily due to their varying levels of tech literacy. This insight led us to shift our focus from merely enhancing individual efficiency to rethinking the entire digital adoption strategy.
Problem Statement
Refined Design Orientation: Bridging Digitalization Across Elderly Care
Our revised problem statement emerged from recognizing that the digital empowerment of caregivers was just one aspect of a larger ecosystem.
How can we integrate caregivers' digital workflows into the broader digital ecosystem of elderly care facilities effectively?
This new orientation aims to support caregivers in their pivotal roles, provide administrators with robust data support for better management, enable medical staff to perform risk assessments with timely data, and keep families well-informed about their loved ones' care.
Ideation & Synthesis
Breaking Down the Problem: Mapping the Digital and Human Intersection
We began by mapping out the user flows involving caregivers, administrators, and elderly’s family members, pinpointing where AI could enhance user experience and exploring opportunities for product features.
User Flow of 3 Characters & Opportunities Ideation Within:
*The content is translated by the figma plugin and may be misrepresented
Using the insights gathered from our user flow analysis, we developed an affinity diagram to categorize and prioritize product features based on user needs.
Design Structure: Designing Interfaces with Empathy at the Forefront
We developed five features’ groups tailored to the features’ clustering identified through our synthesis of the features affinity diagram. They are the Notice Board, the Care Checklist, the Elderly Archive, the Album and My.
Information Architecture:
*The content is translated by the figma plugin and may be misrepresented
We transformed the traditional paper-based tasks into a digital format with four types of user-friendly digital interactions designed to mimic familiar actions, thereby reducing the learning curve for caregivers.
Daily Workflow of Caregivers & Care Tasks Categorizations Within:
*The content is translated by the figma plugin and may be misrepresented
Paper care tasks’ checklist
Affinity Diagram of Features’ Ideation:
*The content is translated by the figma plugin and may be misrepresented
Design Solutions
Interface Highlights
Our design solutions included a series of user-friendly interfaces and features:
Notice Board
Instantly updates caregivers about urgent needs, condition changes, and medical alerts.
*Wireframes are translated by the figma plugin and may not conform to UI principles
Care Checklist
Transforms traditional paperwork into simple digital checklists, maintaining ease of use while enhancing efficiency.
*Wireframes are translated by the figma plugin and may not conform to UI principles
Generative AI Integration
Utilizes AI to alert caregivers about health anomalies, ensuring timely attention to potential risks.
*Wireframes are translated by the figma plugin and may not conform to UI principles
Quick-Access Photo Shots
Quick-access feature for caregivers to efficiently categorize and upload photos, capturing essential moments without distraction.
*Wireframes are translated by the figma plugin and may not conform to UI principles
What’s Next
1.
Iterative Usability Testing
As we move forward, our immediate next step involves comprehensive usability testing to validate the intuitiveness and effectiveness of the user interface.
2.
Refining User Experience
We will be involved in a cycle of testing and feedback including brushing up on the user flow within the app and enhancing the interface design, ensuring each iteration brings us closer to an optimal user experience.
3.
Continued Focus on AI Integration and Feature Expansion
As part of our long-term vision, we will continue to explore the integration of advanced AI features that can predict health risks, automate routine tasks, and provide actionable insights to caregivers and administrators alike.
4.
Development of a SaaS Platform for Administrators
Looking beyond the immediate needs of caregivers, our strategic roadmap includes developing a SaaS platform specifically for administrators.
High-fidelity design
*Wireframes are translated by the figma plugin and may not conform to UI principles
Nice to meet you here!
ruanqiqing@outlook.com
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