Alzheimer's Companion
Alzheimer's patient app & web.
Someone in the world develops dementia every 3 seconds. There are over 55 million people worldwide living with dementia in 2020. This number will almost double every 20 years, reaching 78 million in 2030 and 139 million in 2050. The intention is to develop and cross-platform tool to help Alzheimer’s patients in the early stages and their caregivers with everyday routines, cognitive exercises, and location, to maintain their independence for as long as possible.
UX Research - Fiorella Siesto
UX Design - Fiorella Siesto
UI Design - Fiorella Siesto
I designed, plan, and conducted the user research, I ideated the solutions, wireframed, prototyping, and iterated on the design based on the insights from the research.
The goal is to help patients with early stages of Alzheimer to feel independent and in control, by helping them with their daily routines, cognitive training, etc, at the same time there is a section for their caregivers to locate the patient (GPS) tips and support chat groups for both.
User Research
After conducting 1-on-1 interviews with the family of the patients, A primary user group was identified as Alzheimer’s patients diagnosed with early stages, who are able to read and complete activities but may need help remembering routines, etc, and orientation.
The second user group is the family or the person who supports and takes care of the patient. They have busy lives and need to be able to take care of this person in an easy efficient way. For them, the tool offers emotional support, information, tips, and ways to locate the patient and check their daily routine status.
Design
Ideation started by sketching ideas of iterations for the 3 main actions designed for the patient: routines, workout, and orientation. In this project the app is the main product for the patient, focusing on simple and easy usability. For caregivers, the website is the control center to set up all the patient info and routines.
For the app the goal is to keep the design simple, the patient menu is big and easy to access, while the caregiver can access the settings from the hamburger menu.
Usability studies
I conducted 2 rounds of usability studies, and the findings from the first included confusion about the help menu. In general, most patients find the app useful and said the assistance provided by the app will have a big impact on their everyday routines.
Key Insights
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Users found the app useful to assist them in their everyday routines.
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Some users find it difficult to identify the function of the help menu.
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Some users were worried they may forget to remember to open the app to check the routines.
The layout was redesign to fit different screen sizes. Elements from the app were re-dimensioned and used on the web site as well.
The impact that this tool can have on both Alzheimer's patients and caregivers is of great value, making easier care, safety, and everyday life.
The tool may required a high level of customization to accommodate patients with different symptoms and needs
