CareHub Application
This project was an investigation into the use of a dedicated digital product to support carers of the people living with dementia. The inspiration for my Honours project came from close family members, which without their valuable insights - I wouldn't have been able to create a human-centred design solution.
In the UK, it is estimated that there are 700,000 people who are caring for a loved one with dementia. Research has shown that informal dementia carers experience greater levels of stress and anxiety, due to the endless caring responsibilities that many face daily. This research project explores the idea that a digital application could support the lives of informal dementia caregivers. The aim is that the application provides support through attempting to improve the overall mental wellbeing of informal dementia caregivers.
THE PROCESS
Inspiration Phase
During this project I followed the human-centred design approach, set out by IDEO.org. This method consists of three main phases — Inspiration, Ideation and Implementation. The purpose of the Inspiration stage was to identify the design problem and gather information about the target user group. Also practiced throughout these phases was the method of iteration because a truly human-centred solution has to be tested multiple times with feedback from the intended users.
Framing the design question
The first step in the inspiration phase was to frame the design question. This helps to discover the design problem and determine the main goals for the project. From this activity multiple questions were formed in order to find out what direction to take the project.
How might we improve the wellbeing of informal dementia caregivers?
How can we assist dementia caregivers in keeping their loved ones at home for as long as possible?
How might informal carers continue to provide care if they are struggling to care for their own mental health?
PAINstorming
This is a user research tool to understand the users' behaviours and activities. The insights discovered were from secondary research and user interviews carried out.
User Personas
Throughout the design process, the user personas were referred to in order to keep the solution focused on the user and in-line with the values at the heart of human-centred design. Both user personas are based on real insights gained in the Inspiration phase.
Below are some other stages in the Inspiration phase.
Job Stories
How might we improve the wellbeing of informal dementia When I'm in a dark place, I want to see useful information, so I can quickly boost my mood.
When I'm feeling overwhelmed, I want to be able to see all my daily tasks, so I can get back on track and continue to care for my loved one.
When I'm feeling alone, I want to see local carer groups near me, so I can hear other people's experiences and meet new people.
Ideation Phase
The first step in the ideation phase was to carry out Crazy 8's. The designs produced aren't intended to be perfect, they are meant to communicate the ideas that can then be further developed later.
Wireframes
Initial sketches were produced before creating digital black and white wireframes. These were developed in Adobe XD. User testing was carried out with the B&W wireframes and iterations were made to improve the designs.
Logo Developments
“Care Hub” is the finalised name for this project’s application, as the main feature of the application is that caring duties can be shared from one main location. This creates a “hub” of care activity that can be shared between family members. Logo sketches were created in order to generate multiple ideas that could then be developed further. The final logo consists of 2 main shapes — a heart in the centre and a roof that is placed above the heart. These two shapes symbolise “care” and “hub” in a minimal way so as not to overshadow the main design of the application.
The colour scheme has 2 main colours at its core – pink and purple. These colours were chosen as purple is rarely used in branding, so the aim was to make the logo and application stand out from others currently available on the App Store. Pink was used as it can be associated with compassion and hope, two emotions that informal caregivers experience daily. In addition to the associations around these colours, the application is aimed more towards women as a recent study showed that 58% of carers are women. Although, dark purple can be used as a universal colour that serves all genders equally.
